Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

[Mygreenihc]

My bass boat has a live well in the front and another one in the back. The problem is that the front sits in the water high enough that it will only get about two inches of water in it, so it is pretty much useless and wasted space. This boat does not have a cooler in it, so i thought Imaybe I could turn the livewell into a cooler and make the wated space useful. Has anyone done this and have recommendations?

Thanks,
Brad

 

[Georgesalmon]

Re: Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

I have. I glued 3/4" pink foam inside it with foam safe PL, and put a thin rubber floor mat on the bottom to protect some of the foam. It works but still get lots of ice. Livewells are usually not insulated very well if at all.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

if you can get the livewell out, you could put insulation on the outside, reinstall and use it as either a livewell or a cooler. then again, if your only going out for a short time, just dump ice in the livewell.

I have also seen a smaller styrofoam cooler simply dropped into a livewell.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

Do like Scott said, I do this all the time. You can just dump ice in the live well as it is and it'll last (mostly) all day, I wouldn't bother doing anything to it at all.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

My livewell is my cooler. I just pulled the tank that was in there out and dropped in a ice chest I found that fit. Took a few trips to different stores to find one that fit the hole but it works great. I didn't even hook the drain up, I just pull it out and dump it when I need to.

 

[fmjnax]

Re: Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

I only have one livewell in my boat (and it is upfront). When we're going out "pleasure boating" instead of fishing, I have some pieces of a foam cooler that I cut to fit the sides/bottom of my livewell. I use some 3M double-sided tape to tack them in. A bag of ice will last all day long in the Texas heat. When I am ready to fish again, it's as simple as pulling the foam (well, sometimes it's not too simple. The 3m double-sided tape is some sticky stuff!).

 

[Mygreenihc]

Re: Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

I may just use it as it is. I cannot pull it out, but I can get to at least three sides and the bottom easily. Maybe I could just tape insullation aroung on all sides and underneath. I even thought about taking something and boxxing it in so that I could foam it with right stuff or something like that. I just don't want to make a big mees with fam all over the carpet.

Thanks for the sugestions guys,
Brad

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

Hmm add a bag of ice...PRESTO...Ice Chest..:facepalm:

 

[duke33]

Re: Anybody ever turned a livewell into an ice chest?

I only have one livewell in my boat (and it is upfront). When we're going out "pleasure boating" instead of fishing, I have some pieces of a foam cooler that I cut to fit the sides/bottom of my livewell. I use some 3M double-sided tape to tack them in. A bag of ice will last all day long in the Texas heat. When I am ready to fish again, it's as simple as pulling the foam (well, sometimes it's not too simple. The 3m double-sided tape is some sticky stuff!).

Why not just leave it in there?