Using a live well

[cpowell]

I have never had a boat that had, nor have I even been on a boat that had a live well. I don't know anyone who does, so tell me please how to use one. Do you run it all the time there is fish in there or just periodically to give them a little fresh "air" now and again or what? Then again, maybe it is just supposed to be for live bait????
What's the proper way to use this?

p.s. stay tuned; the boat has a trolling motor and I have never used one of those either...ha ha

 

[jtexas]

Re: Using a live well

They need fresh water every once in a while, and the old water taken out - run the fill pump a while. When the weather warms up, and/or the livewell gets crowded, the water needs refreshing more often. Hate it when fish die in the livewell - I won't clean a fish that died from any cause other than filletitization - unless they were on ice first - they just don't taste right.

 

[rndn]

Re: Using a live well

I keep a couple of one liter frozen bottles of ice with me in my cooler. If I'm out for a while and it's hot I place one of the bottles in the live well to keep the temp down and replace it with the other one after an hour or two. It helps the fish live longer with less oxygen and I think keeps the meat fresher for eating.

 

[all thumbs]

Re: Using a live well

When fishing in cold water I have an automatic position on my livewell that I leave on, unless motoring to another area. In warm weather I do like cpowell and add frozen bottles. Most often I just bring a cooler of ice for the fish.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Using a live well

I just turn my timer/s on and not worry about it.

 

[cpowell]

Re: Using a live well

Thanks to all who replied. The well seems to work really well and so far I have remembered to get the fish out at the end of each day....ha ha
I worry about running the battery down and having to try to hand crank the motor so I think I will just give them a fresh drink now and again. Particularly when putting a new fish in.
It's been raining here near Houston for a couple of weeks but in between showers the fishing has been great for us!!!

 

[jtexas]

Re: Using a live well

with any luck, we'll start releasing some water down your way, so maybe we can get our boats in the water..........

 

[cpowell]

Re: Using a live well

Um, thanks but I think we have all we need right now. Wait till about August or September. That's when we will really need it.
Last week in Houston we got 6 inches of rain in a little over an hour, so they said.
It has been raining for the last three weeks almost daily. It's really been a bummer. I am sure that all this fresh water has also messed up the saltwater bay fishing too. I'm going to try that later this summer though.

 

[licketdsplit756]

Re: Using a live well

front live well is filled with ice for the beer fish and tha back livewell is filled with ice for the beer batter for the fish lol YA MIGHT BE A READ NECK IF YA THINK THOSE LIVEWELLS WERE ACTUALLY MADE FOR FISH. drink responsibly.

 

[bogggar1]

Re: Using a live well

LOL!!! That was halarious Licket!!!

 

[rndn]

Re: Using a live well

That's much better usage than just lousy fish.

 

[cpowell]

Re: Using a live well

I should have thought of that! Yes, much better usage of the space!
Thanks for the laugh!

 

[jebeebe]

Re: Using a live well

When we fish in Ontario we found the fish stayed alive on the stringer longer than they did in the livewell. Kind of a bummer putting them in and out every time we moved though. Minnows stayed alive real good in the well though. As for the beer in the well, they don't let us do that in Iowa anymore. No beer in the boat period. Some irisponsible drinkers messed it up for all of us. I guess you could troll a sixpack on a downrigger? ........Fish on................Jerry

 

[cpowell]

Re: Using a live well

Interesting...because when I take fish off the line they seem strong and lively. Shortly afterward the go belly up though. Not all but a lot. I may try using the stringer myself to see if there is a difference.

 

[Scoop]

Re: Using a live well

I like a floating fish basket for anything 16" and under. It keeps them fresh and swimming. I have had problems with snapping turtles getting after my stringer.

I have had good luck with livewells, but have not really used any in hot weather. I would assume in hot weather, you may pull in warmer water with less oxygen. The ice bottles sound like a good idea.

I have taken fish out of my basket at the dock that I don't have time to fillet and have put them in a bucket and poured a bag of ice over them. Not ideal, but when you have people waiting on you and the water is too hot or shallow for the fish basket by the dock, it works

 

[jtexas]

Re: Using a live well

I always ice my fish down for the ride home - I find they're more agreeable to filleting when cold - less likely to put up a fuss, and besides which, it seems a more comfortable death.

Had one livewell fatality on Saturday - my fault, never shoulda put it in there as it was bleeding from the gills at the time.

 

[brownies]

Re: Using a live well

Depending on the functions, you may or may not have all of these functions on your livewell.
1. Function where pump fills livewell up to an overflow outlet:
Water will continually circulate from the lake-into the livewell-back into the lake. (constant steady supply of fresh water).
This is good most any time if water temp is below 80 degrees.
2. Livewell pump Timer: Lets the pump do it's thing all the time, or just a certain intervals.
Intervals wide in cold water. More frequent as the water gets warmer. ON ALL THE TIME above 80 degrees.
3. Recirculate:
Once the livewell is full of water, this allows you to just re-circulate the water that is in it (no fresh lake water).
This is good in the summer/hot weather/hot water.
When you get to the lake in the morning, fill the livewell and close the valves so that no new water can get in. This will be the coolest water of the day. When you put a fish in there, turn it on recirculate, constant on. You can add a frozen bottle of water mid morning and then another early afternoon. That cooler water will not escape and hot water will not replace it on Recirculate.

NOW...I'm not a Rejuvinade salesman, nor do they sponsor me....but...THE STUFF WORKS. But, it's expensive and I'd say only a summertime livewell additive.

 

[cpowell]

Re: Using a live well

Hmm, heat could be the problem, the water here is hot now that summer is in full force and the rain has stopped. Water temp is about 80+ I guess that I need frozen water bottles and to keep the pump on all the time. I have never heard of Rejuvenade but I will look for some at Academy or Gander Mountain.
Thanks for the tips guys!

 

[heycods]

Re: Using a live well

I would say the ice was manditory in the houston area, Just freze Pop bottles of tap water and toss in one an hr. or so. But leave the lids on them to keep from getting the chlorine in the livewell. I put bubble arieators in my livewells and that also seemed to help. I use rear livewell for fish and front for bait. (I have an ice chest built into the deck on my Ark) If I catch enough fish the rear becomes crowded, I add the smaller fish to the front. As for the fresh water pump, like spinner says just turn it on automatic. As the fish get crowded set the timer to run more often. If your boat isnt equiped with a livewell timer, they cost around $30 at academy And are simple to install, they come with instructions.

 

[cpowell]

Re: Using a live well

We went out the other day and caught a couple of small catfish. I turned on the livewell pump and ran it the rest of the time we were out. In an hour or so the fish were belly up but still moving their gills. In another hour they were still. I felt of the water and it was cool to the touch and "fresh" lake water was coming in through the pump and was circulating out through the overflow. I went ahead and gutted and cleaned them so it wouldn't be a waste. Next time I will try the ice water bottles.
We're getting TS Erin rain today and the wind is up so it will have to wait till tomorrow.