# small portable livewell with pump?



## Flyline (Mar 3, 2008)

I'm looking for a very good quality portable livewell with pump for my NMZ or kayak, I haven't been out to IRL or ML for 4 months! I'm tired of buckets and wallyworld bucket with pump that don't last long with live bait( last few hours).

I'm looking for a best portable livewell with pump that can last all day in the hot sun and able to carry around from my kayak, NMZ highsider or other boat at the same day.

Any hints? Website?? Best way to keep them alive all day without smelled a dead bait in the bucket or cooler after few hours?

I'm pumped to go back out in my old days at the goon!

Thanks!


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## Canoeman (Jul 23, 2008)

Hobie makes a nice self contained unit, but it's expensive (like $250).


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## Guest (Sep 8, 2008)

http://www.keepalive.net/tanks.htm


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

you're probably going to have to roll your own with bilge pumps and what not. I've made several over the years and have a 22gal oval tank in the garage ready to be modded right now. 

I don't have any pic's or instructions on how I do it, but will document the parts and process when I do this 22gal. Basically though I use two bilge pumps, one to pull new water in and another on a movable float switch to handle the exhaust. The easiest way is attach a pump to the end of a 6' piece of hose for the input and sling it over the side. The exhaust pump is mounted to the bottom of the well with another 6' output hose slung over then side. You can event tie strap the in/out hoses together to make it a singe contraption over the side, just keep the hoses a little different length so their not working with the same water too much. For the input I usually something like 550gph and 750gph out. I do that so they're not both running at the same time too much and I'd rather be able to empty the tank faster than fill it. 

By making the float switch movable I can regulate the amount of water in the tank for the amount and type of bait I happen to be using. If I'm just keeping a few dz shrimp or mud minnows I don't 20 gal's of water, etc, 4-5" is plenty of volume.

I've used these things in the back of my truck so I could go net mullet and what not in places where I couldn't take the boat or didn't want to. They've accompanied me all hours of the night snook fishing bridges and inlets etc, and I've taken them on friends boats too. Very handy to have.

You'll probably want something like an 11gal circular to start with. There's a number of mfr's for these things, just surf around and you'll get lots of options.


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## MATT (Apr 30, 2007)

http://www.baitben.com/


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

I have a keep-alive salt pro and all I can say is I use it from time to time to oxygenate the water, but keeping new water coming in and getting the old "toxic" water out is key to bait longevity as well as water temp of course. Snooky mentioned "all day/hot sun", so a closed system just isn't going to cut it. 

If you can't manage the volume 18gal is a lot for a kayak or even an NMZ too. 

there's a bunch of stuff here too
http://www.baitwells.com

here's a little 10gal
http://www.catchnbait.com/keepalive-shad-bait-tanks.htm

here's a link on ideas to build one, more or less what I do myself...
http://www.monsterguide.net/how-to-build-a-bait-tank.shtml


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## Flyline (Mar 3, 2008)

> I have a keep-alive salt pro and all I can say is I use it from time to time to oxygenate the water, but keeping new water coming in and getting the old "toxic" water out is key to bait longevity as well as water temp of course. Snooky mentioned "all day/hot sun", so a closed system just isn't going to cut it.
> 
> If you can't manage the volume 18gal is a lot for a kayak or even an NMZ too.
> 
> ...


You got that right, Deerfly.......I fish mostly in late afternoon at the east coast and have problem to keep maintaining the water temperture low much as possible in the livewell tank to keep the bait alive much as I can by replace the water every 20 mintues in the flats. I have a lot of problem to fill the new water in the tank is because the water temperture is too high and most likey will kill the bait.

I'm thinking I'm going to get a 10 gallon baitwell with pump (www.catchnbait.com)
And get a 20 gallon ice insulation bag for put the little 10 gallon in the bag to keep it cool while the bag is very cold from the freezer and prevent from the hot sun may help.

Thanks for info guys.

I'll give a try this 10 gallon baitwell with pump and freezing 20 gallon insulated ice bag to keep it cool from the sun.


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## deerfly (Mar 10, 2007)

> I have a lot of problem to fill the new water in the tank is because the water temperture is too high and most likey will kill the bait.


well, you probably know this and at times its hard to avoid, but if the new water you're pumping in is warm enough to kill your bait, you're fishing in the wrong place.


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## Flyline (Mar 3, 2008)

> > I have a lot of problem to fill the new water in the tank is because the water temperture is too high and most likey will kill the bait.
> 
> 
> well, you probably know this and at times its hard to avoid, but if the new water you're pumping in is warm enough to kill your bait, you're fishing in the wrong place.


Well.....filling the water into the baitwell is wrong place for me but copper redfish and gator trout ain't in a wrong place to fish because I have seen them cuddle in the mud banks and these fish likes to warm up their backs in these days.

Thanks for all your help and links for the website.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

my friend has a bucket thats lined with styrofoam on the inside to keep the water cool. works pretty well.


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## henryos (Oct 9, 2007)

A 3.5 or 5 gallon bucket with a battery powered Marine Metal aerator has worked great for me. Just be sure to get the more expensive model (around $20 at Wal-Mart), not the lower priced version. You can easily keep 6 dozen or more shrimp or 2 dozen finger mullet alive all day this way if you keep the water from getting too hot. I do this by slipping a frozen Blue Ice packet from my cooler into the bucket every hour or two which drastically lowers oxygen requirements for the bait and cuts their poop output to almost nothing.

If you take care of these little aerators by keeping them dry and taking the batteries out after you are done fishing they will last a long time. If you don't they will be good for 2-3 trips.


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## zero_gravity (Dec 14, 2006)

shirmp shack 3.? gals has worked for me over a year with three dozen shrimp or two dozen pins it's insulated bought it at sports authority


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## Kemo (Jun 22, 2008)

I bought a cheap insulated 4 gallon ice chest for $8 and an aerator that will run for 40 hours on two D cells. Every couple of hours I throw in a few ice cubes. I mounted the pump on the back with velcro, drilled a hole near the top for the hose. I've kept 4 dozen shrimp alive for 24 hours.

Do more with less.


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## captkenroy (Jan 10, 2007)

An 18" length of 3 or 4" PVC pipe makes an excellent well for a yak. I keep mudminnows alive all day.

I have a home oxygen system that I use on a 2 gallon Olive barrel in my Bass Boat. I change water after about the first 10 minutes I have bait in it then again in about every hour. I can keep scaled sardines that way. Cheap, silent, no battery.

I sometimes take the O2 cylinder and barrel in my yak but it takes up a helluva lot of room. Anything behind an old man like me is totally inaccessible/


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## MATT (Apr 30, 2007)

I sometimes add frozen water bottles to my bait to keep the temp down.


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## TomFL (Oct 2, 2007)

This, boys, is an informative post. I like the links provided and will be adding one of the insulated options to the LT when it arrives.

-T


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