Should I Keep My Livewell?

[TruthWalleyes]

1987 16' Alumacraft Lunker - ReDesign Project

I've torn everything out of my alumacraft, and will be replacing all flooring. I am also going to incorporate a rod locker, casting deck, and several things into my new boat design.

I'm 99% catch and release, and fish VERY few tournaments each year...like maybe 1 crappie tourny.

I'll bring home what i can eat for the day.

So, i'm asking myself if i should put my livewell back in my boat. It is a 11"x46" livewell so to me i could use that area as storage or something of the like.

Also, with the dang bait laws going into effect....I'm really leaning on not putting the livewell back into the boat.

So my question to you is:

Livewell In or Out??

I can post pics of the rebuild if some would like to see.

Thanks,

Andy

[jentz]

In todays world and new regs,I wouldnt,just one more ticket point/cleaning trouble.I ice my catch if I am keeping any,Just bring a cooler and plastic bag,Keep the fish off my Pop,

[harvey lee]

If you keep zero fish, no problem except it could hurt the resale value if you decided to sell it in the future.

Someone else may not be interested in the boat without a livewell.

Just something to think about.

[reinhard1]

i have two livewells in my boat. the one near the front of the boat i rarely used so i use it for storage {tackle mainly]. saves room in the rest of the boat. always bring too much stuff.

as far as the other livewell, the new regs dont bother me a bit. why should it? just drain the water when the day is over. not much different than pulling the plug on the boat. all the DNR is going to look at [if you are checked] is that you let it drain out. so if you used a livewell in the past why change. unless you put the fish that you keep on a stringer, cage, or in the cooler as said before.

to me livewells are useless except in the early part of the year and again in the fall when the surface water is cooler. if i do keep fish during the summer months they go in the cooler as another poster has said in a plastic bag on ice. i use my other livewell for storage during the summer months as well. good luck.

[jwmiller33]

I'd leave it in and just use it as storage. That way you have the storage space and if you ever are in the need of a liveway (say you decide to enter a tournament) you still have that option.

[PerchJerker]

I'd leave it. Since you're redoing the boat yourself, use plumbing that allows you to easily plug and unplug both the pump hose and the overflow hose. Then you can use it for storage, maybe even dry storage, but you still have the option to use it as a livewell or baitwell. Much more convenient than bringing along a cooler anytime you might want to keep bait or keep fish.

Also, what about putting in a smaller livewell, maybe 30 inches long or so???? Maybe that would give you more of what you want with your boat.

Good luck with your remodel!

[yaggie]

I would also suggest to keep it and use for storage. However, if and when you use it for storage I would suggest you disable the livewell pump. Its pretty easy for someone to accidentally hit the switch. I usually use one of my livewells for storage during the summer months.

[fasternu]

Personally, I wouldn't even consider buying a boat that DOESN'T have a livewell. If you just want storage, just fill it with whatever you want to store. That way you can always have a livewell if you need one, or if you want to sell it someday.

[amateurfishing]

I'd leave it. Since you're redoing the boat yourself, use plumbing that allows you to easily plug and unplug both the pump hose and the overflow hose. Then you can use it for storage, maybe even dry storage, but you still have the option to use it as a livewell or baitwell. Much more convenient than bringing along a cooler anytime you might want to keep bait or keep fish.

Also, what about putting in a smaller livewell, maybe 30 inches long or so???? Maybe that would give you more of what you want with your boat.

Good luck with your remodel!

+1

is was the first thing that came to my mind, depending on size of your current livewell, maybe you could downsize to the size that would be appropriate for your needs. i have a giant live well at front of my 84 crestliner & personally think 60% is wasted space, i just use it for storing tackle on bow until can redesign someday. im not sure if you are just asking bout non usage of live well or looking to accomodate additional storage, if it is about additional storage, you can always use an unused livewell as storage. in any case, i would not give up the storage room at all, that is always vital on a boat, if you dont want livewell, definetely reuse as dry storage, but i guess i would look at it this way, even if u retain livewell, you have it for when u want it, can use it for extra dry storage when u dont add water, and retain value better with livewell.

[TroutYammer]

I tore my livewell out and replaced it with a portavle cooler. Very handy, flexible, mobile and modular approach. I can choose to bring it or not bring it. If I feel like keeping some fish I fill it with ice and put the fish right on the ice next to the brewskies!

[TruthWalleyes]

Thank you for all the responses.

I wouldn't have bought the boat 4 years ago without a livewell, but i have since changed my ways about selective harvest. I also don't see myself selling this boat, rather giving it away in a couple of years if/when i upgrade....I've been trying give rather than sell with most my unused stuff lately.

All the points you guys brought up are something i've considered and debated myself also. Yet, even after you've all suggested to keep the livewell and use as storage if necessary, i'm still on the fence..

Guess it'll be decision time when my marine plywood shows up in a few days... Does cabelas or other local box stores sell livewells? If anything i will look hard into a smaller livewell because i want the storage space...

I never really took a pic of my boat, so here are two before pics, and two after i gutted the boat.

I'll post pics after remodel is completed.

Front of the boat.

Back of the boat, and a buddy with a green carp.

Gutted!!

[Raider4ever]

I lucked out. My livewell switch on the console bit the dust last fall. I used the 'well three times in the four years I have owned the boat. No great loss. What I am going to do is just put one of those drain plugs for the back of the boat into the hole (same size in my Crestliner) and viola, a ton of increased storage. I did it a couple of years ago with the baitwell. Just made sure I turned the fill nozzle all the way off. Now it's my "junk drawer" (spare hats, sunglasses, safety glasses, spark plugs, M&M's, Peanut Butter/Cheese crackers, wrappers, old line, etc.

[Gordie]

My boat never had a livewell when I bought and I had to have one so I started with one of those great big 100 quart white coolers and it was great.

I plumbed a pump in and drain it was great kept bait alive for aclong time and if I decided to keep fish for dinner it would keep them alive and fresh until I got home even on the hottest days when I had a hour or more drive home. Then the floor needed replaceing a few years later so I built a better live well out of a stainless steel tank that I had even insulated it and got one of those nice livewell lids from the .net

now that the laws have changed for bait and for having to drain water out of the livewell when we leave the lakes I decided to take it out I replaced the floor with a new Aluminum floor this time and made a ton more room in my boat for those long nights on the river its way easier to spread out the zero gravity chairs for all the comfort needed to fish those flatheads.

As for a baitwell well I went back to the cooler and have extera water in the truck for once back at the landing and if I keep fish I will put them on ice from here on out.

Gotta change with the times so I guess my boat did to. I really think that I am better off w/o the livewell.

Truthwalleyes if you can do it go aluminum for your floor you will not regret it ever. 11 0r 12 gauge will work great and rivet it into place sounds like a pain but the weight difference and the no rot factor is well worth the time and money.

[TruthWalleyes]

Well my marine grade plywood showed up yesterday. The aluminum floor sounds like a great idea, but i should have thought of that before i bought the wood i guess. Gordie. What kind of cost did the aluminum floor add...I've got $150 in plywood, maybe the cost is a wash - I haven't picked up the plywood from menards yet, but i did pay for it.

[BoxMN]

FWIW - we tore out the livewell and rod locker on our 82 Classic 16. But purpose was for duck hunting. It is used every weekend during summer for fishing and tubing though, and very nice to have more openness.

I know I posted these pics before here, but they go with this thread:

82 Classic 16 rehab pics

Good luck with project, keep posting pics

[Gordie]

Well my marine grade plywood showed up yesterday. The aluminum floor sounds like a great idea, but i should have thought of that before i bought the wood i guess. Gordie. What kind of cost did the aluminum floor add...I've got $150 in plywood, maybe the cost is a wash - I haven't picked up the plywood from menards yet, but i did pay for it.

Sorry TW I paid 215.00. for a 5'X 10' sheet of 11 ga.

but I should never have to replace it again as long as I own the boat or even the next guy that owns it.

For me it was really a no brainer because what I put my boat thru each year the river silt really does a number on the floor and then once duck hunting hits that anothe r full of muddy and slop in/on the floor.

I have stuck another 200 into a concrete floor coating instead of carpeting so now All I have to do is wash it out with the garden hose or pressure washer.

[TruthWalleyes]

Nice gordie. My rebuild is coming along nicely. I've got $320 in plywood already. $150 in aluminum and that will double before i'm done. All riveted. 9' Rod locker (10-12 rod capacity). Radio & 2 speakers. Roughly an 80" casting deck. More than enough storage....and locks on everything that opens to keep them crooks out.

Oh, and the live well is OUT.

[lugnut]

haha BT is now famous

[TruthWalleyes]

haha BT is now famous

HaHa...Small world!