What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

[cigarxtc]

I don't have a livewell on my 1957 Arkansas Traveler boat and was thinking of using a large cooler filled with lake water and portable battery powered aerator. Would that work okay for 5 plus hours? We would like to return the fish back to the lake after the 4-5hrs and I figured this might work? What do ya'll think? Any suggestions? Do I need to change the water out or add ice to keep it cool every once in a while? What are the keys to keeping the fish alive and well during their 4-5hr stay?

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

if you are drifting or anchored while fishing for<br />the most part, just use the 2 part minnow bucket<br />with the removable insert. you just drop it in the<br />water and they live forever. if you want to move<br />spots, put some fresh water in bottom and drop it<br />in. they will live in the bucket for almost 1/2<br />hour unless it's really hot. get to new spot and<br />drop it back in the water.

 

[cigarxtc]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

Sorry, I did not specify. This would be seperate from the bait livewell bucket. We would like to keep whatever we catch alive for a few hours to be able to return them to the lake. That's why I was looking at using a large cooler.

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

gotcha now... they sell kits to convert a cooler<br />and they also have a certain chemical pack you<br />add to water to keep them alive longer.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

A few years back, well, I guess its been more like 25, I used two of those metal covered Colman coolers to make two livewells in a 15' Seaswearl boat that I converted to a bass boat. I was another ZMOZ back then, about his age too. I used a small bilge pump and plumbed it with 3/4" PVC. I ran a lenth of pipe from the pump up the side and over along the back edge and drilled 1/8" holes along it to curculate the water. I put switches on my dash, and plugins on both sides of the boat so I could remove them. I had to fill with a bucket, and pick them up and dump them to empty, but they worked great. Id take a little water out and replace it if it was a hot day.

 

[TwoWatt]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

Sorry. I have to ask.<br />Why do you want to catch & keep the fish for 4-5 hours with plans on releasing them? <br />Also you didn't mention which type of fish you were keeping. <br /><br />For me..... I usually only catch & keep panfish. My plans with them usually involve a frying pan & hot oil. <br />What I use to keep the caught fish in is one of those wire fish baskets with a floating lid. Throw 'em in that & they go back into the water. If I feel I don't catch enough, I throw them back. They are usually all still alive hours after catching them. <br />Just remember to pull them back in the boat if you move the boat.

 

[rc581]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

i have to ask too. why are you not just releasing them right after you catch them? what is it about the 4 or 5 hours? ..... just curious

 

[roscoe]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

Around here, it is illegal to keep fish, then throw them back later, to prevent culling. <br />Once you take possession, its yours unless you immediately return it to the water.<br /><br />Only exception is certain tournament situations, which require a permit.<br /><br />You are not even allowed to take possession of some fish, just lifting it into your boat is a violation.

 

[TwoWatt]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

roscoe: I've searched but couldn't find a good definition of "culling" Could you explain what that means? <br />Also, would you consider my method would break any such laws? The only fish that die in my basket are the ones that have swallowed the hook. <br />Well, now that I re-read your post. I guess it doesn't matter

 

[Boatist]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

TwoWatt<br />Culling is where your catch your limit then catch another and keep the bigger fish and throw back a smaller one. Always done in bass tournaments out here. Legal here except can not return a dead fish. If the fish dies you must keep him and loose the pentality weight.

 

[Boatist]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

Cigarxtc<br />A large ice chest works very well. I would not recommend a areator, better to use a small bilge pump or the the live well pump or kit. Temperature control a must to keep fish alive. The pill do help the fish.<br /><br />If you have a swim platform mount your ice chest there. Get a Live will pump and mount it in the boat or on the swim platform and run a hose to the ice chest. Put a overflow hole or fitting in the ice chest. To really make it nice run 12 volts to it thru a live well timer and your all set. <br /><br />For me only two times I keep fish I plan on returning. If I am fishing in a tournament and here must keep your fish alive if you want to have a chance to win. Only other time is when I catch a fish and damage a gill or something I think will likely kill the fish. In this case still must return fish if fish is not a legal size but if legal I will keep fish and see how he looks at the end of the day.

 

[TwoWatt]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

Thanks Boatist. I guess I didn't know the term because my DNR simply calls it "sorting fish" <br /><br />2004 DNR Indiana Fishing Guide <br />

Dead and dying fish cannot be released back into the water. However, sorting of fish may be allowed within the bag limit if fish are in a healthy condition when released.

While I am here. I had a question about the bass fishing tournements maybe you(or someone) can answer.<br />What do they do with the fish at the end of the day? Release them if healthy? Do they filet & eat the dead ones? Just curious.

 

[Boatist]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

TwoWatt<br />Every tournament is different but at least out here two common things done. Most common is you weigh the fish near a boat ramp then return all live fish to the water or sometimes to a big livewell on a deck boat and they take fish to a good spot to release them.<br /><br />Sometimes California fish and game will have a livewell truck and they take the fish for planting in another area.<br /><br />I like it when fish are returned to the same waters after weigh in.<br /><br />Some tournaments will have a fish fry but very few. Dead fish sometimes can be kept but more often taken and given to some group like a shelter. One time Fish and Game took all the dead fish to see how each fish was killed. One thing that came out of this was they stopped all tournaments after June 1st as the 100 plus degree heat lead to a lot of dead fish.<br /><br />On Culling most tournaments out here will have a 7 fish limit for 2 fisherman while the fish and game code will allow 5 per person of 10 fish, so you never have over your limit.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

I keep a large cooler in my boat and keep pailing out water and adding new. Pretty primitive but it works for me. When a fish is in a live well it stresses out pretty bad and chances are it will not live if released. I have found many half dead walleyes because people catch one and dont want to clean it. Just do catch and release and take a picture and get the fish back in the lake as fast as possible. If it was a big fight to get it in the boat hold it in the lake by the tail moving it back in forth until it has enough strength so swim away on its own.

 

[Starcraftguy1]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

Why would you want to keep fish in a livewell for 5 hours if you are just going to let them go anyway?Sounds like torture to me.Sorry,I just saw this,I hope that it can put some sense into somebody.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

You do realize that this thread is from May 2004

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

You do realize that this thread is from May 2004

Yep I saw that but my two cents (like the avatar says ) is that coolers as livewells get hot due to the sun and in-cooler aerator pumps put heat in the water. Maybe not such a big deal for bass but trout and salmon can't take the heat. found this out first hand- evening- cold water in cooler, no sun, run aerator till I returned from my kids school event, got back: fish dead and water warm- about 95-100 degrees. Fresh water circ as another poster from five years ago stated is much better for preserving fish.

 

[87 caravelle]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

heres what i did. 10 gal storage bin=$10. old bilge pump from wrecked boat= freebie. 2 feet rubber tubing=$2. 90 deg. pvc elbow and nut that theads to it= $2. couple rubber washers=$1. drill hole in side of bin to accept the elbow then insert elbow with rubber washers on either side for seal, then thread nut to hold elbow tight. now run tubing from pump to elbow. drill holes to allow overflow, ithink i did about 15 7/16" holes, but could use more. i got and old battery and stuck it in the boat behind the jump seat and ran a fuse and two-way switch. then straped it to my ladder w/ camo ratchet straps. simply toss the pump in lake turn on switch and there ya go, a live well! we mostly use it for llive bait though and it kept shiners, minnows and small perch alive from sun up to sun down. we turn it on every 10 mins or so to keep fresh water and o2 in there and dont forget to pull the pump in before you take off to another hole .

 

[87 caravelle]

Re: What can I use for a makeshift livewell?.....

oh yeah if you do this ^^^^ make sure to drill yer hole above the drain holes to allow "bubbles" into the bin.