Re: Live well - does it take on water from outside the boat?
I just modified my Alumacraft for the same reason. On my boat, the live well drain is below the water line at the back of the boat and unless the plug is in the live well before launching, you run around with half a tank of water. When its time to remove the fish, the tank will only drain to about half so chasing fish around the tank is a pain, especially when a pike or walleye doesn't want to be removed. I installed a live well pump at the back of the boat with the inlet fitting as close to the drain line level as possible. I then cut the drain line, installed a "T" fitting and connected one leg to the inlet on the new pump and the other to the existing drain in the transom. The outlet of the pump was plumbed upward and out the rear. I heated a brass 1/2 pipe plug and screwed it carefully into the existing transom live well drain. Water can now only get into the live well via the existing pump and aeration system. The existing overflow was left in tact and drains out the side. When its time to empty the tank, I flip the switch for the new pump and the tank empties in a minute or two. Slick setup. For winter, I will remove the brass plug to allow any trapped water to drain from the line and pump.
