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tadpole86

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bath county, va
I have been doing some reading on livewells and considering the possibility of one. Couple of questions that I have come up with:
1) How big of a container do I need?
2) Is pumping water in from the outside essential?

I was thinking about using a rubber tub that I have and pumping water in from the outside.

Any input would be greatly appreciated, Thanks
 
I used a rubbermaid tub once. The tub cracked in all the corners within a few months.
Cabela's has some decent livewells that won't crack or you can use an ice chest.
If you want to keep fish alive in the summer you will need aeration but you really don't have to recirculate water from the lake into the well. You may need to add ice if its real hot.
 
You will want some way to change out the water even if you add ice and a chemical product to the water to keep it cool. Having said that you can use a gallon jug to change out the water if you want. It is just that much extra work.
 
Use a 120 qt cooler (or similar). It will be insulated.

You can use a bilge style aerator that sits in the cooler to aerate, and you can drop it in the lake (with the hose still in the cooler :wink:) to fill it up/change out the water

Frozen water bottles in the summer will do a good job at keep the water temp down in the summer.
 
I was considering that, they are just quite expensive to cut up is all. Maybe I will wait til I find an older used one at a yard sale this spring/summer. I was thinking about running the system so it pumped in water from the outside.
 
I didn't realize you were going to cut it up.

To answer one of your original questions....

It's not essential to be able to pump water from the outside in, but it makes filling the livewell that much easier. Of course it's at the price of buying the through hole fitting, putting a hole in the boat, tubing, 3M 5200 sealant, extra pump etc.... Unless you do what I previously said and simply use the same pump to recirculate as you do to fill.

I decidided I just wanted to flick a switch and not hassle with it while fishing.
 
I like the idea of just being able to flip a switch and not worry about it. How exactly did you say you did that? Apologies if the questions seem simple I'm new to all this and just trying to take it all in.
 
Brine said:
Use a 120 qt cooler (or similar). It will be insulated.

You can use a bilge style aerator that sits in the cooler to aerate, and you can drop it in the lake (with the hose still in the cooler :wink:) to fill it up/change out the water

Frozen water bottles in the summer will do a good job at keep the water temp down in the summer.

I think this is what I'm going to do. I'm not going to need a livewell often enough for anything permanent. I'm just going to get a nice insulator cooler and one of those Cabela's kits. The link is below.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Super-Fish-Saver-Kit/699706.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dlivewell%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=livewell&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

ps: anyone have any experience with these?
 
That will be a good, easy, and inexpensive option. They have good reviews here and in general.
 
FishyItch said:
Brine said:
Use a 120 qt cooler (or similar). It will be insulated.

You can use a bilge style aerator that sits in the cooler to aerate, and you can drop it in the lake (with the hose still in the cooler :wink:) to fill it up/change out the water

Frozen water bottles in the summer will do a good job at keep the water temp down in the summer.

I think this is what I'm going to do. I'm not going to need a livewell often enough for anything permanent. I'm just going to get a nice insulator cooler and one of those Cabela's kits. The link is below.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Super-Fish-Saver-Kit/699706.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dlivewell%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=livewell&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

ps: anyone have any experience with these?

That is what I used on my old boat and had no complaints. I rigged an overflow hose going out a thru-hull fitting and allowing it to drain over the gunnels. When I wanted fresh water or to fill the livewell I just threw the pump overboard. Just be sure to use a nice size overflow drain because those pumps are pretty quick and could overflow faster than the drain if not watched lol.
 
Pumping water from the outside is no essential. I fill mine with the garden house before I leave the house. I add a treatment solution that neutralizes the chlorine, among other things. I also carry a collapsable vinyl bucket on longer trips that I use to fill the tank.
 
FishyItch said:
Brine said:
Use a 120 qt cooler (or similar). It will be insulated.

You can use a bilge style aerator that sits in the cooler to aerate, and you can drop it in the lake (with the hose still in the cooler :wink:) to fill it up/change out the water

Frozen water bottles in the summer will do a good job at keep the water temp down in the summer.

I think this is what I'm going to do. I'm not going to need a livewell often enough for anything permanent. I'm just going to get a nice insulator cooler and one of those Cabela's kits. The link is below.

https://www.cabelas.com/product/Super-Fish-Saver-Kit/699706.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dlivewell%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=livewell&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

ps: anyone have any experience with these?

I currently use that kit in an Igloo cooler. Keeps your catch lively. The temporary livewell works perfectly for my intended use (occassional bass tourneys and keeping crappies for table fare).
 
I know this is a dumb question, but I was wondering how you remove your fish from the livewell. Do you use some sort of net to transfer them into a bag. I am just curious what your procedures are for removal and weigh ins. I am thinking about rigging up a cooler livewell as well to try to fish my first tournament this season. I am just worried I am going to hurt the fish, so I want t learn some good practices before I go out this year.

thanks
 
Dave11 said:
I know this is a dumb question, but I was wondering how you remove your fish from the livewell.

No, very good question, I would also like to know. The one thing that kept me from adding a built in live well was the removal issue. I understand just keeping a few bass in there for weigh-ins, but what about the pan fish with the nasty spikes and catfish? I went with the cooler method so I could take it out and wash it. I usually/always throw bass back and keep panfish and catfish for dinner. When I get back from the lake, the cooler gets drained on the lawn and I start cleaning when the thumping stops, a quick cleanout with the hose and it's done. So you guys with the built in livewells, how do you get those thorny, spikey fish out of your livewell?
 
I like the built in livewells vs the coolers. But I'm used to bigger boats.

One thing to keep in mind....Just because it is a livewell doesn't mean you can't use it for other stuff. If you always clean it out, it can be a nice storage compartment when not being used as a livewell.

I bought mine from Great Lakes Skipper on e-bay. Their e-bay price is cheaper than their site price, once shipping is figured in.
It's approximately 50x12x12

I would cruise e-bay and the like for a livewell tube. It would be alot of work to build one in, only to have to remove it because of cracks.
If there are any around you look at RV salvage places. There is one about 5 minutes from me that has a nice sink that could be used. They want $30 for it.

Yep a sink. But it's BIG, and it's made of some sort of heavy/smooth plastic.
 
I happen to notice the other day my dad had an old hard plastic tool box laying behind his shed. Any thoughts on possibly using that as livewell? It is pretty big, long and shallow as opposed to tall and deep as a cooler would be which fit in my boat better since the decking is shallow as well so it would be less obstructive.
 
tadpole86 said:
I happen to notice the other day my dad had an old hard plastic tool box laying behind his shed. Any thoughts on possibly using that as livewell? It is pretty big, long and shallow as opposed to tall and deep as a cooler would be which fit in my boat better since the decking is shallow as well so it would be less obstructive.

Post some pics, should be ok! your concern might just be insulation.
 
That was my concern, I was considering putting a through hull fitting to constantly pump water in so I was thinking it wouldn't be as big of a deal. I am currently at JMU but will be home on friday for spring break and will post pics then. It was made for a truck bed.

It looks something like this except for for the latches are at two ends except on the front.
https://pic1.bookoo.com/pic1/i/2010/11/26/4769c2ae4d65144537e75.jpg
 
Ictalurus said:
Dave11 said:
I know this is a dumb question, but I was wondering how you remove your fish from the livewell.

No, very good question, I would also like to know. The one thing that kept me from adding a built in live well was the removal issue. I understand just keeping a few bass in there for weigh-ins, but what about the pan fish with the nasty spikes and catfish? I went with the cooler method so I could take it out and wash it. I usually/always throw bass back and keep panfish and catfish for dinner. When I get back from the lake, the cooler gets drained on the lawn and I start cleaning when the thumping stops, a quick cleanout with the hose and it's done. So you guys with the built in livewells, how do you get those thorny, spikey fish out of your livewell?


I bass fish 95% of the time, so I use culling balls to put on their lips. When it's time to get them out, I just pick up the ball and then I've got them by the mouth.

As far as the smaller critters, I have a small net - about 10" in diameter - that I just sweep across with from one side to the other (my livewell is 12" wide).. that picks up the majority of them.
For cats, I usually just push them to one end and pick them up by hand if the net is too small for them... or use culling balls through gill to mouth, or I put on a mechanics glove... 9 times out of 10 I just free hand them by grabbing them right behind the head and pick them up.
 

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