I imagine i am doing something stupid but I have never had a bait well before. I have a 1952, and when I turn on the bait well the pump starts to fill the well but because of the drain on the bottom I never get more than two inches of water in it. How am I suppose to get the entire well to fill if I was to put in bait? From what I can tell there are two drains. One high for an overflow and another that is down low near the bottom of the tank. I am guessing that the lower drain is only to be used if you want to drain the well entirely after use but I could be wrong. Is it souppose to twist or something to close that lower drain? I tried to twist it but did not want to break anything.
Not sure about the 1952, but on my 1996 2002 WA I have a piece of PVC tubing that goes into the drain vertically and that is what controls the height of the water.
Lol, I just happened to be trolling by today and saw this post, so I thought I'd register and help... (I have the same boat (1902) and had the same problem!
Next to the baitwell below the step going to the walkaround is a circular deck hatch. Inside that hatch are the tubes to drain the baitwell, and one of them has a big valve on it. On mine you pull that valve towrds you to close it. Thats all there is to it. Then, at the end of the day just open that valve to drain it!
Now, to anyone else, my valve is stuck open, and always was very difficult to turn. Do I need a new one, or can I just loosen the nut on top of the handle?
I never thought of there being a valve. I figured you had to turn the drain cap or something like that. I am willing to bet that my access is trough the panel that is below the passenger seat on the back side of the well.
Wish the book that came with the boat had more detail. What they give you is a generic book that covers all models and it mostly just shows minor things and does not tell you how to do things like close the drain.
To top it off when I was on the sea trial before buying the salesman did not know much about the boat. I think it may have been his first time on the model. He acted like he knew what was going on but he was mostly just reading the instrument panel labels to me. To turn the blower on flip this switch that says blower.....well thanks I would have never thought of that. Where are the seacocks? they should be somewhere back here.
I never thought of there being a valve. I figured you had to turn the drain cap or something like that. I am willing to bet that my access is trough the panel that is below the passenger seat on the back side of the well.
There is a hatch there, but that isn't the one you want. The one you want is on the "step" that goes up around the side. The valve itself is attached to the through hull fitting that the lower drain empties though, not to the baitwell tank.
The baitwell is totally usless in my opinion (at least here on the west coast). The bait gets beat up in this little rectangle stepped up tank. It sloshes water everywhere. The screen plugs with scales. The bait has died on me every time. I plugged the inlet line and made it a cooler and installed a 32 gallon offshore tank, and lose very little bait now. It does have a cool blue disco light tho.
You said that you installed a 32 gallon offshore tank. Where did you install it on the boat? Any chance you have a picture?
The reason I ask is that I have concerns about the exact issues you point out as problems for the bait well. I plan on fishing inland stripers on a small lake where I live. If using bait everyone catches the shad in the lake to fish with but they are notoriously hard to keep alive apparently. The guys that go after them all the time have either built or purchased specialty bait tanks that allow them to cool the water as well as have increase circulation. From what I can tell sometimes catching the bait is more difficult that catching the stripers. So if you get bait you want to keep them alive.
I am curious to how you installed your tank so that I can use it for ideas incase I have to get one.
Installed with no holes in the deck. It's removeable and the rear bench seat can be replaced when my wife and kids want to use the boat for non fishing entertainment. I bought an extra deck inspection lid, so it looks clean with the tank in or out.
Installed with no holes in the deck. It's removeable and the rear bench seat can be replaced when my wife and kids want to use the boat for non fishing entertainment. I bought an extra deck inspection lid, so it looks clean with the tank in or out.
Nice set up. where did you get the fittings you used on the deck plate?
bait well help
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