Tracker 1542 Live Well Idea and need help.

Ok I am getting ready to deck my 1542 and I have the built in live well in the center seat with the hole in the bottom of the boat so it self feeds with water. I doesn't fill up very far and is a smaller live well than I would like so I'm going to cut the top of the seat and lengthen the live well so it is about twice the size. The question I have is there a way to, or do they make a pump that I can connect to the hole already in the bottom of the boat to suck water into and fill the live well via hose or some type of fabrication? Bilge pumps suck through the small holes in the bottom of the pump, I guess I'm looking for a pump that sucks through a hose that I could mount to the bottom of the boat and just suck water in from there. Hope this makes sense! Thanks!
Scott

Hey Scott,

I'm sure you could use a regular livewell pump to do this, but I'm not sure it's a good idea. When you add the pump, you'll need a screen/filter to keep from sucking junk into the pump. Traditionally, I see these screens mounted on the transom, and sometimes on the side of the hull below the waterline out of harms way (so to speak) from hitting fixed objects like rock/dirt/bunks of the trailer etc... and are easily accessible if you needed to remove grass/leaves etc from the screen. I'm trying to envision plumbing something up using the existing hole that would allow it to 1. not be an obstruction on the bottom of the boat and 2. have easy access where you need it (the strainer/filter).

I just haven't seen it done before. Unfortunately, I'm guessing for good reason.

I hope someone else can provide a solution for ya. I'm feeling a diagram will be involved :mrgreen:

Yep I was just researching and found these live well pumps.
https://www.amazon.com/Rule-401STC-Tournament-Livewell-Straight/dp/B000O89EF0

I was thinking I could just plumb it through the bottom and put a live well pump strainer on it.
https://www.thefind.com/garden/browse-live-well-pump-debris-strainer

It would be cool as you could just turn it on and have it suck from the bottom of the boat then up through drilled PVC nozzle and you fill your live well and aerate it all the same time. Then you could run a drain line from near the top of the live well through the seat out the side of the boat. It would be a nice one switch operation! And would possibly make the tacker 1542 live well actually usable.
Scott

X53Gunner said:

Yep I was just researching and found these live well pumps.
https://www.amazon.com/Rule-401STC-Tournament-Livewell-Straight/dp/B000O89EF0

I was thinking I could just plumb it through the bottom and put a live well pump strainer on it.
https://www.thefind.com/garden/browse-live-well-pump-debris-strainer

It would be cool as you could just turn it on and have it suck from the bottom of the boat then up through drilled PVC nozzle and you fill your live well and aerate it all the same time. Then you could run a drain line from near the top of the live well through the seat out the side of the boat. It would be a nice one switch operation! And would possibly make the tacker 1542 live well actually usable.
Scott

Click to expand...

You would need a way to drain it. Leave the hole in the bottom, and put a rubber plug in it. Put a livewell pump at the transom, where it won't get ripped through the bottom, then run your overflow drain like you mention. Keep the rubber plug in when fishing - remove it to drain when you go home.

My 1436 has the center bench with the livewell the full width, and 2 holes in it. I am planning to carry a bucket if it refuses to fill much and add some, plus pick up one of these aerators:

Bait Saver Aerator - Bass Pro

and when I need to replace the sponge stuff, just run to the local store or make my own.

That makes sense Bassboy wasn't thinking of the drain aspect. Thanks for the reply's!
Scott

You could install one of these pumps through the thru-huill fitting in the drain on the bottom and it ouwld pump your well full - https://www.cabelas.com/product/Johnson-Pump-Cartridge-Livewell-Pumps/737730.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dlivewell%2Bpump%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=livewell+pump&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

However, drainage would then be an issue. You could run an overflow pipe through the seat and out the side of the boat for drainage.

I thought about doing this, but it required too much cutting of my boat. I fill my livewell with the garden hose before I leave the house (I treat the water with a chlorine neutralizer). Alternatively I also have a collapsable bucket that I sometimes use to fill it.