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_D...-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....





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'!!...

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]

Originally Posted by 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?

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

[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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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.