Jump to content

"homemade" livewell


Recommended Posts

Do you guys have any suggestions for a livewell for an 8' basshunter boat? I am guessing a cooler and aerator, but don't know how big is appropriate or what kind of aerator I should get. What are my options? The cheaper and smaller the better. I will have a trolling motor so I have battery power if I need it.

What about that "Catch and Release" product I have read about on here. Do I need that too?

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An ice chest rig might be the cheapest. I believe Bubbles and cabela's makes kits. Cabela's also carries tanks that would fit better on your boat. You could make one with a bilge pump and some tubeing and a piece of pvc pipe. I would use as low of gps as you can find.  They make some D battery powered ones but they do not put out enough air (my opinion) with out circulation for long periods of time. I will use one when trailering and durring hot weather.  Keep Alive makes an oxygen infusor for about $60.00 and it can just be dropped in the box. If you are fishing for fun or keeping the catch you could use a basket or sock. I think it gets pretty close with 5 bass in a 16x16x24 in. well. There are oxygen tablets, stress enzimes, slime Coat that can be used in the water. I can't recomend a specific brand. Some are offered on Pro sites, I think KeepAlive offers some and several others that carry areators and livewells sell them. I don't use anything very often, I also do not fish tourney's.  If you just catch and release you wouldn't need a livewell.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My first thought here was to take a stringer and tie it onto the boat somewhere away from the motor, that would save you space in the boat, money in your pocket, and you don't have to worry about the fish running out of oxygen or the battery going dead. Just a thought, this is what i do on my little Bass Hunter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One word (maybe a few more) of caution with useing a stringer off of a boat, #1 stumps and snags can tear off fish and the whole stringer. and #2 turtles they can make a mess out of a nice catch.  I have lifted up a stringer and found nothing but heads, and one with a mighty nasty looking turtle attatched, more than once.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use a 48qt cooler with a 500gph recirculating pump. It moves the alot of water and fast. We will turn it off and on about every 15 min. If I have to use it in the first hour of the day, it will use a good bit of a deep cycle battery. I have the room so it has its own battery. I also use a product called "PLEASE RELEASE ME".  I've never lost a fish.

1 capfull of these blue/green crystals will last all day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Howdy fellow fisherman. im in love with fishing and i have been for most of my life. me and my dad had a real nice cajun boat but we needed the money so he had to sell it and now im stuck with a 14' aluminom boat that my grandpa passed down to me. ive got all the plans that i want to do with it and one of them is to put a livewell in it. i need some tips or suggestions on how to do all the works for that. was planning on just using cooler or something of the sort but i need some help!!! so if theres anybody that can help me, please do. thank you

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can look through here it may have something on makeing a livewell, I haven't read it, so I can't say for sure. It is a three part article that links at the bottom of each page.

http://bassresource.com/fishing/bass_boat.html

They make kits, Fabrill and Mayfair has an ice chest kit on the Bass Pro Shop site. Cabella's has about any thing you would need includeing a variety of tanks. You can take and mount an air pump out side of an ice chest and run a tube through the drain hole, seal it. Also you can take a areator or bilge pump, mount it in the ice chest and some tubeing and some pvc pipe. drill some small holes in the pvc, cap one end and attach the hose comeing from the pump. Wal Mart had a live well areator kit that I saw this afternoon when I was there, something like that could be used to circulate water from the lake through the well.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Outboard Engine

    fishing tackle

    fishing

    fishing

    fishing

    bass fish

    fish for bass



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.