Live Well Hookup

[joe7670]

So I'm installing the live well back into the V and a little stumped.

It's got that round live well in the floor in the back which was installed on some SeaDrive Cuddy.

I can find no hole in the bottom of the hull where it would pickup water from.
In the live well there is just a bildge pump with a valve that routes it within the well or out of the boat.

You telling me that these things were rigged to manually fill it with a bucket?

Anyone with some info on the original setup for this well?

[willy]

Mine was like that also, my first V old school. The boats came like your unless the customer ordered the live well option and then the dealer would set it up and some came from the factory set up if you bought a boat not off the floor.
Most guys use it for storage only. If I were you I would not do the thru hull pick up required. The reason being that they were marginal performers design wise, they tended to leak all over the floor. I purchased a stand alone that is much nicer and I can put it in or take it out as needed. I have not hard plumbed it though that is a option. Mine is easy to fill with a bucket in two seconds and it drains out a spot on top and I have a hose go over the wall into the splashwell area.

[phatdaddy]

joe, i always wanted a livewell in the deck, until i had one. like willy said, always slopping on the deck, and a pain in the tukas to get bait out of. i've got a 35 gallon trash can with a pump mounted on the transom.

[whatknot]

Well, I'm gonna figure this ****e out if it kills me. I never liked the idea of using 20 gallons of space in the deck for "wet storage". Also didn't like having an external unit sitting on the deck wasting space either. I have a 2 pump system that's going to work great once I install this.

http://www.iboats.com/T_H_Overflow_Drain_Tube/dm/cart_id.396740501--session_id.819236889--view_id.40117

Using 2 rule 500's on a timer running to their own switches.(Not easy to figure out)
The timer can run from full on to 30 seconds on every 5 minutes. They both kick on an off at the same time or when I'm running with the seacock open I just turn on the "out" pump.


I know yer gonna say it, yes it's a drain to the batteries, but I have had no problems with it and I run a stereo and an amp and a plethora of other stuff too.

Think it was pretty bold of wellcraft to call it a "fisherman" and not have a working livewell.....

Will post pics this winter. Fishing is just getting red hot in Savannah.

[reelapeelin]

I agree w/Willy about not using the floor tank...it's really poorly designed w/beveled sides and is great at sloshing water out...plus an in-floor-tank is a pain I remember from a friend's Rabalo...it was larger, better sealed, didn't slosh, but a PAIN to retrieve live bait from...

Another way to go w/live bait requires no thru-hull or over-the-splashwell plumbing at all...all it needs is 12 volts and is completely self-contained...fill w/water to get started, plug it in and it recirculates, aerates and filters the water...here's one I made several years back....

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/reelapeelin/Image003-1.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y90/reelapeelin/IMGP07862.jpg

It's mostly used for freshwater live herring, gizzard shad and trout, but I've used it many times in saltwater for porgies, shrimp, mud-minnows...no need for all the raw-water plumbing...plug it in and GO FISHIN'!!...:party:

If you want more info on how to do this, or how to buy an already made just let me know...

[joe7670]

PM'ed.

I always thought that they needed new water to operate, but I guess not.

What to use the in floor live well hole for? Only idea that comes to mind is another fish/beer box. An other ideas?

[reelapeelin]

PM'ed.

I always thought that they needed new water to operate, but I guess not.

What to use the in floor live well hole for? Only idea that comes to mind is another fish/beer box. An other ideas?

I sent ya a PM w/more pics on how to do it...long read...good luck and lemme know if you need any more info...basically what the system does is draw water from the bottom of the tank, returns it to the top, then down thru a filter and aerates it as it shoots it back into the bottom of the tank...basic stuff and works really good...BR set up a simular tank recently and used the Danco aerator...that thing is really key because it aerates so well that a large volume of water isn't needed to keep LOTS of bait happy :party:

[whatknot]

That's a real nice professional looking tank. But, for saltwater I myself would def need water to be exchanged. If I put 20 pogies, menhaden, whatever- in there, they would be dead in no time flat.

[reelapeelin]

That's a real nice professional looking tank. But, for saltwater I myself would def need water to be exchanged. If I put 20 pogies, menhaden, whatever- in there, they would be dead in no time flat.


In all the times I've put Porgies, shrimp or whatever I've never lost a single bait...keeping the water aerated, filtered and circulating is key...

[joe7670]

I would guess it may work like an aquarium.

Boat was taken for PDI today and I will see how the in floor works and greatly consider this as an option.

[RidgeRunner]

It sounds like you are very close with the new Opti. Pictures?
Baitwells are a hot topic. No disrespect to reel or anyone else but I could not agree more with whatknot. It may have something to do with the water temperature or the bait. Greenbacks (threadfin herring) are my live bait of choice. They like swimming in circles with a steady flow of fresh saltwater, look at them wrong or put too many in the livewell and they are dead. My experience with mud minnows is that they require next to nothing for survival, shrimp, porgies, pinfish too just don't let the water get too warm. I ain't saying it can't be done but I never saw a recirculating system that would keep greenies alive.
As for the in deck livewell, hate it. The space there is good for fish on ice. I would say beer but I like easier access to the beer:beer:.

[joe7670]

Pictures to follow very soon. Just got back from PDI where all went 100% ok.

[reelapeelin]

It sounds like you are very close with the new Opti. Pictures?
Baitwells are a hot topic. No disrespect to reel or anyone else but I could not agree more with whatknot. It may have something to do with the water temperature or the bait. Greenbacks (threadfin herring) are my live bait of choice. They like swimming in circles with a steady flow of fresh saltwater, look at them wrong or put too many in the livewell and they are dead. My experience with mud minnows is that they require next to nothing for survival, shrimp, porgies, pinfish too just don't let the water get too warm. I ain't saying it can't be done but I never saw a recirculating system that would keep greenies alive.
As for the in deck livewell, hate it. The space there is good for fish on ice. I would say beer but I like easier access to the beer:beer:.


Must admit never had greenies in my tank although we used to get 'em at the bouys in my friends catamaran...kept 'em alive w/no problem in his tank, but I would like to try 'em in mine sometime just to see...a C-Note says it'll keep 'em happy!!...

[RidgeRunner]

Come on down to Florida in June or July and you got a bet... One stipulation, if you win you have to take me to dinner and I get to pick where and what we eat.
Down here the flow and the filtration of the water is important but the water temperature is a bait killer.
My mom's boat does not have a livewell. I carry a similar system to yours when I am in her boat. We don't use greenbacks but it keeps shiners alive all day if we add ice to keep the water from boiling. We keep shrimp alive in a six-pack cooler with ice on the bottom and a layer of newspaper on top of that. This leaves the livewell free to put our catch. Two out of three of my livewells will keep speckled trout alive indefinitely.

[Blue_Runner]

RR - so you put your live bait in a cooler on ice and your keeper fish in a bait tank? SWEET!

Just messing, really though, do you keep the trout alive in order to cull the smaller ones or is it to keep them fresh without having to have very much ice on board?

I've put flounder in the livewell in order to cull smaller fish before. I'll back up Reel on the c-note bet for the greenies. If you can keep gizzard shad alive you can keep ANYTHING alive.
One stipulation, if you win you have to take me to dinner and I get to pick where and what we eat.

WTF? :head: :you:
How about if Reel loses you pay for all the gas!! :sun:

[RidgeRunner]

Blue, I think culling is against the law in FL. I can't keep up with all the new game laws. I just like to keep the fish fresh in the livewell, some days the fish don't cooperate so if we don't catch a good mess we can release one or two live fish without harm and never bloody the knife.
The shrimp stay alive on ice for 4 or 5 hours, if the fish cooperate, you have your keepers in 30 minutes and the rest of the day is catch and release. We are only allowed 1 snook in the slot, 1 redfish in the slot and 5 specks in the slot per person. Snapper laws are more complicated. My routine changes with whatever species I am targeting.
I know that aquariums works pretty well so I would not be interested in the fuel bill for Reel.LOL Dinner is my way of hedging the bet;) I need to Google gizzard shad, never heard of them..
Come on down to Fl and I will buy dinner and drinks and we can test theory while catching a few.
Let the C-notes fly..

[reelapeelin]

Come on down to Florida in June or July and you got a bet... One stipulation, if you win you have to take me to dinner and I get to pick where and what we eat.
Down here the flow and the filtration of the water is important but the water temperature is a bait killer.
My mom's boat does not have a livewell. I carry a similar system to yours when I am in her boat. We don't use greenbacks but it keeps shiners alive all day if we add ice to keep the water from boiling. We keep shrimp alive in a six-pack cooler with ice on the bottom and a layer of newspaper on top of that. This leaves the livewell free to put our catch. Two out of three of my livewells will keep speckled trout alive indefinitely.


Water temp is why mine's INSULATED...keeps these fragile herring happy in hot summer months, so if I ever get down your way, I'll pack my tank...you anywhere near Franco in Sebastian?...sounds good on the restaurant...locals ALWAYS know best!!...

[willy]

All right Oz, Joe, Ridge if there is going to be live well testing you are going to need an unbiased observer. let me know. I love Fla.

[reelapeelin]

All right Oz, Joe, Ridge if there is going to be live well testing you are going to need an unbiased observer. let me know. I love Fla.


OK!!...sounds like a tank-testin' comin' comin' up next summer!!...

[joe7670]

Lakeland... west coast gulf fishing or east coast?

I don't know about keeping bait alive in my floor tank yet, but I think it'll do good with Ice and Beer!:beer:

[reelapeelin]

Lakeland... west coast gulf fishing or east coast?

I don't know about keeping bait alive in my floor tank yet, but I think it'll do good with Ice and Beer!:beer:
Lookin' on the map looks like east or west...west might be a preferable direction cause after we get done w/tank-testin' we can stroll on over to The Blue Martini in Tampa..Willy, you don't wanna miss this place...and possibly we could persuade The Great One into coming up from Sebastian and joining us, too...

http://www.bluemartinilounge.com/

Click on Gallery

[joe7670]

Nice! Sounds like a V meeting in Florida in the works.