# Livewell?



## Johnathan (Apr 18, 2015)

So I'm now enjoying my first new boat. This boat has a livewell at the transom and this is a first for me, No more bubble bucket. How do I keep the water fresh. Do I run it constantly, hit it every so often. It just seems ineffective unless I where to run the pump constantly.


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## windblows (May 21, 2014)

Is this for bait or for fish? If bait, what kind? Shrimp need very little water but do need it to be changed out a decent bit. I usually kick mine on for just a few minutes every 30 minutes or so. A tank full of sardines or something, yeah, keep it full and run it almost constantly. For keeping fish alive, again, keep it full and run it at least half the time, more if the water is warm (over 75.) If you have a recirc feature, you can run that instead of sucking in fresh water most of the time and it will let you control the amount of water you carry in your well a lot easier.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I just put some ice in mine and they seem to do fine with little running of the re- circulator 
Just don't put to many baits in there


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

When it's really hot you can put a frozen bottle of water in the livewell to bring the temperature down a little. Cooler water holds more dissolved oxygen. The bottle keeps the water from melting, mixing with your saltwater and killing your bait.


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## Anderson Guide Service (Feb 17, 2017)

yeah don't dump ice into your cooler, use a ziploc or something. The chlorine in the water is tough on the bait!!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Anderson Guide Service said:


> yeah don't dump ice into your cooler, use a ziploc or something. The chlorine in the water is tough on the bait!!


Texas guides don't use bait...


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Fortunately, the bass guys (with their need for release wells) have figured out just what's needed to keep a well full of fish or bait nice and frisky.... For many years I used one of their timer switches (carefully mounted up inside my console to keep from the elements..) for my livewell. You set the timer for how often you want the well to get freshwater and forget it... Obviously you need a lot more water for baitfish than you will for shrimp or crab...

The fun part is that livewell pumps are seldom particularly quiet - particularly as they get older so you may want to turn it off if you're poling up shallow and want to be as sneaky as possible. The aerator switch that I used for many years is still being made by T&H Marine (an outfit that makes accessories for the bass crowd) and it held up quite well for many years. Nowadays it's probably nearing $100 retail... In recent years I've done away with it since my needs have changed - just using a simple on/off switch for my baitwell pump. I no longer keep shrimp in the livewell at all, preferring to keep them on ice so the baitwell only gets used for ladyfish, mullet, or pilchards - for them I want the pump running continuously....

Of course with a baitwell you're adding to your "things to go wrong" on any skiff - but that's the price you pay. If I ever get that micro-skiff that I've been wanting to go with my old Maverick - it won't have a baitwell at all....


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## Johnathan (Apr 18, 2015)

It is for bait. There is no recirculating pump just the fill pump. Thanks for the tips.


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## State fish rob (Jan 25, 2017)

I freeze plastic folgers coffee can full of salt water to add to bait well if real hot. Also insulated the tank best i could. Also try to change water out after filling w bait. Cleaner the better. Love on your bait


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## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

With shrimp, flip on the pump ever hour or so for a few minutes. White bait, run it all the time at full blast. Pinfish, we run all the pump all the time and restrict the flow.

Really depends on the bait and the waters you are fishing in.


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## tailchaser16 (Sep 23, 2008)

I run the pump constantly when I have bait, regardless of what it is.


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## Cam (Apr 5, 2017)

tailchaser16 said:


> I run the pump constantly when I have bait, regardless of what it is.


Keeps the bait alive but you won't sneak up on anything with a pump on. They are relatively quiet but even with whitebait we find having them off makes cast netting easier.


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2017)

“To Each His Own,” so to speak.
Keeping live bait healthy and alive all day is never a problem if you use plastic fake baits. Bravo for plastic fish baits for the fake bait fishermen. That make fishing much easier and less expensive. Plastic baits don’t die.

Sport fishermen like plastic fish baits, on the other hand, meat hunter’s like and use live bait and when that live bait dies they use it as cut-bait.

They say that live bait is a lot of trouble plus additional cost, especially in June, July and August when the environment water temperature hits 79F. That’s predictable every summer regardless of whether you live north or south of the equator. Warmer water holds less O2 and livewell suffocation is to be expected every time you “overstock your livewell” with a few extra live baits.

Livewell pumps are noisy, fail unexpectedly, cost $100 and change, ice is a hassle, catching or buying live bait is not cheap and it’s time consuming. When it dies in the livewell all your efforts are for nothing and only disappointment is left.

Moral of the live bait story… if you can’t keep it alive and healthy all day in your livewell/bait tank… plastic fish bait is definitely your best bait choice.

Historically speaking, if fishermen could keep live baits alive all day, overnight, stockpile then for a week or so… plastic fish baits would have never been invented because there would not be a need for plastics.


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## fjmaverick (Sep 18, 2015)

Im considering converting my baitwell pump to a freshwater washdown. I am using more artificial bait these days and less and less live bait.


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2017)

fjmaverick said:


> Im considering converting my baitwell pump to a freshwater washdown. I am using more artificial bait these days and less and less live bait.


Good idea if your water pump is strong enough! Livewell will also make great spare storage or cooler for drinks too.


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## tailchaser16 (Sep 23, 2008)

Cam said:


> Keeps the bait alive but you won't sneak up on anything with a pump on. They are relatively quiet but even with whitebait we find having them off makes cast netting easier.


True, but they will hear the trolling motor coming first as I don't pole.


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## Guest (Apr 11, 2017)

tailchaser16 said:


> True, but they will hear the trolling motor coming first as I don't pole.


Run silent, run deep like the sub-mariners.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

A few years back I looked into exactly what pump would be needed for a raw water washdown installation... I was surprised to learn that the pumps we use for livewells are no where near strong enough to power a washdown hose.... For that kind of application a simple bilge pump just won't do... You're looking at a Jabsco pump or something similar...

Aren't boats fun?


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