Bait Well

sscruggs · #1 02-05-2008, 03:25 PM

I've been fighting with my baitwell for about 6 mos and I'm about to throw in the towel. It's the factory installed version on a Center Console. Under the seat infront of the console. I've heard they never work that good anyway. I have 100 gallon portable but it's aerated, it works ok but I'm guessing one that turns the water over would work much better.

1. Why can't I get mine to work (it overflows)
2. Should I give up and turn it into a dry well.

randlemanboater · #2 02-07-2008, 08:32 AM

Hey SSCRUGGS, I don't know much about the CC's (center consoles) as I have a CC (cuddy cabin) but the problem has to be that you are pumping in more than can run out.

I had a different boat one time that had a livewell on it. It had a spray bar for the water inlet. There was a valve on both ends of the spray bar so you could adjust the amount of water comming in and whether it just went straight through the spray bar out the end (for filling the well) or sprayed a lower volume.

That may help.

Also I would check to see why its not flowing out as well as it should.

Stinky_Hooker · #3 02-07-2008, 11:43 AM

I done away with mine on my 18 years ago...I hated it. I built one in my leaning post.

jasoncooperpcola · #4 02-08-2008, 12:18 AM

We have an 83 V-20 Cuddy. The only way our deadwell would work is with two pumps, one to pump water in and another to pump it out. We finally stopped using the damn thing because it put too much water in the bottom of the boat. We bought a 40 gallon Kodiak livewell that sits on the deck and did all the plumbing on it. No problems ever since.

THEFERMANATOR · #5 02-08-2008, 12:41 AM

Up to around 90 or 91 the livewells were all in the floor just in front of the transom area. The problem was the floor was at the waterline or just below it. So it is physically impossible for water to run uphill and drain out. So they just drained to the bilge and your bilge pump pumped it out(BAD IDEA). I don't know about the cuddy's, but the center console's switched over and put the livewell in the leaning post type set-up so there would be good drainage. From your describing on your's, it sounds as though the console seat was converted over to a livewell. You may have an issue with your drain hose's routing and possibly getting an air lock from what your describing.

Geekie1 · #6 02-08-2008, 09:28 AM

I had a leaky 60 gallon fuel tank in my V20 cuddy. The layout in the floor was the 60 gallon tank was just forward of the engine well and the live well was just ahead of the 60 gallon fuel tank with a bulkhead separating them. I installed a 24 gallon permanent tank in the live well so I could finish out the season before pulling the 60 gallon tank and installing a new replacement tank.

I only used the Wellcraft built in live well several times and thought that it was pretty much useless. The main problem was if you were out fishing in any kind of snotty conditions, water would slop out of the live well and the floor was always wet. The only way I could make work at all was to have the water level so low the bait was walking instead of swimming. In any case, I stopped using it and it became storage for things like a small Danforth anchor, fenders, etc. It was never dry, and I couldn't store lines in it because they would get moldy with all of the dampness. The anchor rode on my small anchor was pretty much black instead of white nylon.

Having 84 gallon capacity of fuel onboard seems a bit much unless you are planning to run to the canyons, which are about 65nm at sea each way from Cape May NJ. I have no intentions of doing that unless I get a boat that has that range designed into it. (about a 30 footer) Last season, before replacing the 60 gallon tank, I used the 24 gallon tank exclusively. The range of my V was severely reduced, however, I made many trips to the middle of the Delaware Bay which was about 10 nm each way and still arrived home with about 1/3 of a tank.

I am now thinking of getting rid of the extra 24 gallon tank and installing a semi portable live well in the live well cavity that will extend sufficiently above the floor so the water slopping problem will be solved. Also, I think if it is deep enough, I can put enough water in it to keep the bait alive without the floor being constantly wet. I think plumbing the new live well will be alot easier as well.

Geek

whatknot · #7 02-08-2008, 10:05 AM

Well, I can't stand the thought of not using the 18 gallon in deck livewell on my 85 CC. (closed transom and bracket) I'm trying the 2 pump method as stated above by jasonc. I found 2 rule flow control valves that will be inside the tank for keeping a correct water level. Jason, when you stated (above) that "We finally stopped using the damn thing because it put too much water in the bottom of the boat." did you mean on the deck?

What size was your tank and where was it? Has anyone else tried to rig the tank I have this way? Determined to make it work...aaarrggghh

THEFERMANATOR · #8 02-08-2008, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatknot

Jason, when you stated (above) that "We finally stopped using the damn thing because it put too much water in the bottom of the boat." did you mean on the deck?

He's refferring to the fact that WELLCRAFT intentionally made the livewell dump into the bilge. They were designed that way. If your bilge pump fails, you can actually sink the boat if your livewell is on. I also seen where a guy replaced his livewell pump, and didn't put a shut-off valve on it when he installed the high speed pick-up on the bottom of the hull. Needless to say his boat sank offshore. Whenever he was running on plane he was filling his bilge with water.

whatknot · #9 02-08-2008, 12:14 PM

I've plugged the drain in the livewell and I do have a shut off valve. Thanks for the warning though. Nice titties....

jasoncooperpcola · #10 02-08-2008, 09:03 PM

I meant the sob leaked water both under and on the deck! We even put a thick bead of NP1 around the top of it where it meets with the deck and it still leaked. I posted a picture of the pumps we used on our big livewell. I also included a picture of our big livewell and how it is plumbed. Its plumbed so that we can fill it with one pump in the bottom of the boat. The pump mounted on the tank empties and recirclulates water by turning certain valves on and off. And i am also including another picture of the deadwell thats in the bottom of the boat. It is located in front of the gas tank. We cut two holes in it to clear trash out of the water channels in the bottom of the boat.