Live Well

Was perusing the WWW looking at diffent live wells to build and was wondering if any one had any success with this type.  Will be my cold days project. Looks interesting and look like a nice design, was thinking I could use as storage for no-live well times.
Any ideas, gottcha's etc. that other have ran in to?

couple guys use the hobie one.....always wanted one but I wonder how much I'd use the 'live well' aspect otherwise its an expensive storage box

otherwise its an expensive storage box

Agreed!

Was perusing the WWW looking at diffent live wells to build and was wondering if any one had any success with this type.  Will be my cold days project. Looks interesting and look like a nice design, was thinking I could use as storage for no-live well times.
Any ideas, gottcha's etc. that other have ran in to?

Depending on what your fishing with most of the time a simple $13.99 plano trolling bait bucket will work or bait tube.

A live well is needed if you want "live" anchovies,sardines,or freshwater shad.
Also if you want to compete in  Bass Tournaments.
That petfood container design is a good one but make it with a adjustable water depth, because that mother will be heavy.The large vittle vault 1/2 way filled with water is 7gallons, around 60lbs.

couple guys use the hobie one.....always wanted one but I wonder how much I'd use the 'live well' aspect otherwise its an expensive storage box

I was thinking the same thing.  I usually only use live minnows or shiners, and the little trollin bucket works good for that.  I bought the shimano live well bag, but I think ill use it for plano boxes and lunch instead! 

I use the Shimano live well and it worked great on the Islander tripfilled with Mackies and sardines.
A little overkill around here unless you want to be the "Bait dude" for a group of your buddies. It would handle a bunch of great Butt baits....
I made a couple 3gallon bucket pumpdragger style livewells for minnows,shad,etc.

I use the Shimano live well and it worked great on the Islander tripfilled with Mackies and sardines.
A little overkill around here unless you want to be the "Bait dude" for a group of your buddies. It would handle a bunch of great Butt baits....
I made a couple 3gallon bucket pumpdragger style livewells for minnows,shad,etc.

shoot us a pic. I am messing around with a live well from a 3 gal bucket using the hand pump thur a scupper hole. kinda hybrid. I am guessing around here you only need a few baits and being able to pump in fresh water as needed would be cool.

Here is a couple of pictures of the livewell I designed for a Cobra Maurauder years ago. The pump fits through a tankwell scupper,and the black bulb is a outboard motor primer bulb to get the pump primed,if you start with a dry system. I added rod holders and loops to bungie to the tankwell.
The other side has a overflow drain with a screen on it and a elbow to adjust the tank water level. There is also a petcock on the bottom to drain all the water when you are done.

Other side view

      Here is my variation of the Shimano Bag. It's a pump dragger as well  but I have modified the water outlet location to give me the option to choose the water level. I plugged the factory exhaust hole and drilled a new one about five inches below the original. After relocating the 90 degree fitting to the new lower hole I put a tight fitting piece of  clear plastic tubing (riser) inside the original pipe. In the upright position (picture 1) the bag will fill to the highest level of the tube. Rotate the 90 degree fitting down (picture 2) and the water in the bag will assume that level or any level in between ...depending on the riser height.

    Most of the bait we use locally doesn't require lots of air or water so generally if it's not too hot out I will fill the tank to the required level and then toss the pump into the bag and recirculate the water so I don't have to drag the pump in the water.

 

My favorite system so far is a dry bag with a pet store battery powered airator. Simple cheap and keeps baits very lively. Lings love a lively greenling.

My favorite system so far is a dry bag with a pet store battery powered airator. Simple cheap and keeps baits very lively. Lings love a lively greenling.

I only have a year or so of experience using a bait tank for live bait but noticed a good circulating tank is the best. The Hobie tank fills w/ water just by paddling so I figured that I can just paddle every now and again and save my battery. They were getting plenty of fresh water and overall did ok. I switched the pump on and 20 min later when I reached back for bait they were jumping all over the place. The bait got smashed the second it hit bottom. All though it's a lot of gear, I won't go w/o my bait tank for live ones.

Z

After relocating the 90 degree fitting to the new lower hole I put a tight fitting piece of  clear plastic tubing (riser) inside the original pipe. In the upright position (picture 1) the bag will fill to the highest level of the tube. Rotate the 90 degree fitting down (picture 2) and the water in the bag will assume that level or any level in between ...depending on the riser height.

That's a pretty cool idea allen, i might have to do that with my shimano bag as well.

If you don't have much time to tinker around, for about $50 you can get this:

http://www.outdoorplay.com/Kayak-Live-Bait-Cooler?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=2003&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=383034

If you don't have much time to tinker around, for about $50 you can get this:

http://www.outdoorplay.com/Kayak-Live-Bait-Cooler?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cvsfa=2003&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=383034

Sonny,

I never knew about this item, looks tempting.  How do you secure this thing from tipping over?  I've been using the $9 Frabill bait bucket from Sports Authority and drag it behind.  Works OK.