# Live well options



## Inshorefisherman (Aug 21, 2015)

So my newly purchased skiff doesn't have a plumbed live well, it has two approx. 25 gallon dry storage hatches but I'd rather not drill into the fiberglass. I fish with live bait quite often and have been told an aerator setup will not keep bait alive well for long periods of time. What would you guys recommend I use for a live well that recirculates water?


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

I've always had good luck with a vertical style poly tank. They seem to be a little on the expensive side but I've had one I've used for offshore fishing for about 4 years now. Just wire you up a bubbler and it should hold bait as long as needed..


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## Inshorefisherman (Aug 21, 2015)

Do you think a bubbler system will keep about 40-50 pilchards/shrimp alive in a 15 gallon tank for 7 hours?


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

Shrimp yes, that many pilchards may need a larger tank. I actually have a bait pump I put in the bottom and have pvc hard piped to the top with a spray head. Makes filling and emptying a breeze also..


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## Inshorefisherman (Aug 21, 2015)

Would a setup similar to yours with the bait pump hard plumbed to the top with a spray bar allow me to keep pilchards alive? The tank I'm using is 30 gallons, but every gallon is more weight and on a skiff, weight is everything


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Get an aerator or bubbler and add some ice and your good to go
Add ice as needed. If they die use them as fresh cut bait


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

There are some really cool projects documented on YouTube and other fishing forums that utilize a cooler rigged with a bilge/bait pump that circulates the water through a spray bar. I'm brainstorming ideas myself as I fish with bait maybe 2 days out of the year and don't want to give up permanent boat space for a live well. I even planned on hiding a marine plug somewhere out of sight so I can run the portable live well system off my boat's house circuit. 
As mentioned before, adding ice is good to keep the water at a decent temp for the bait, but I would suggest freezing big water bottles or Gatorade bottle into to serve as oversized ice cubes. They won't overchill the water and they make for a longer lasting means of water temperature control.


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## Whiskey Angler (Mar 20, 2015)

JAbyrum said:


> There are some really cool projects documented on YouTube and other fishing forums that utilize a cooler rigged with a bilge/bait pump that circulates the water through a spray bar. I'm brainstorming ideas myself as I fish with bait maybe 2 days out of the year and don't want to give up permanent boat space for a live well. I even planned on hiding a marine plug somewhere out of sight so I can run the portable live well system off my boat's house circuit.
> As mentioned before, adding ice is good to keep the water at a decent temp for the bait, but I would suggest freezing big water bottles or Gatorade bottle into to serve as oversized ice cubes. They won't overchill the water and they make for a longer lasting means of water temperature control.


And one more thing... if you didn't already know... it's good to put something in the bait bucket when keeping shrimp for them to cling to. It's keeps the from swimming perpetually and killing themselves. An old bait net, or sponge or something works well.


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

IMHO no, an aerator will not keep that many greenies alive for that time period; you're going to have to turn the water over too at some point. O2 saturation is one part of the equation, the other is removing the ammonia from the well from the fish's respiration. And the only way to do that is to constantly turn the water over. And what I'm referring to is an absolutely loaded well; I load mine to the brink then ice the sinkers to use as chum/cut bait as some will always die on ya. I chum up greenies and white bait and cast net em, but for threadfins I prefer to sabiki them up as the sabiki threadies last much longer than netted ones IMO. I have netted menhaden maybe 4 times in Tampa. They are effing impossible to keep alive but great bait.

Personally I would plumb one of your storage areas and make it a well, or rig something that can turn water over. Just my 0.02.


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

X2

In order to keep bait alive for that long you should be changing over your water at least 3 times an hour to get rid of the ammonia.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

When we catch Gizzard and Threadfin in fresh water we put them in a small bucket with lake water first to get rid on the ammonia then put them in a bait well that has some blue stuff that gets ride of chlorine


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## anytide (Jul 30, 2009)

permitchaser said:


> When we catch Gizzard and Threadfin in fresh water we put them in a small bucket with lake water first to get rid on the ammonia then put them in a bait well that has some blue stuff that gets ride of chlorine


this works well for salt water baits.
dump the the net in a bucket then pick out what you want to keep.


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## grovesnatcher (Sep 25, 2007)

Set up a old igloo cooler with a spray bar, and just hook the wires from the pump to my trolling battery. I pull the plug on the cooler every half hour or so and refill with a 5 gallon bucket. Seemed to keep pogies and mullet alive for a half day of tarpon fishing on the beach.


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## thilltony (May 3, 2013)

The cooler method works, l have one, but changing water is a pain. I'd recommend you plumb a compartment 

TH


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