Substitute for live well suggestions?

[carlcmc]

I just bought my first boat which does not have a live well. Do you guys have any suggestions as to what I could use? I remember when I was young, my dad had a collapsible wire mesh basket that in the water would expand to about ~2-3 by ~2-3 foot. It had a spring loaded wire mesh opening on the top to load fish into. I haven't seen any of those around and am not sure what to use a live well for the pontoon boat. Is it possible to install a live well on a pontoon boat?

Input appreciated.

[delmuts]

carl i would just buy yourself a good cooler and get one of the new batt.operated aireators(?) for bait wells or live wells. del

[kslipsinker]

I work at Gander Mountain in Lakeville, and we have the wire baskets in three sizes. We also have a large areated cooler that is made to be a livewell.

[Steve Bakken]

We carry a kit that contains all the pumps, tubing, and hoses needed to keep fish alive in a livewell, cooler, etc. It's probably the most popular item we've sold to all the D.I.Y'ers. It's alot cheaper than buying all that stuff individually.

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Steve @ Bakken's Boat Shop www.bakkensboatshop.com

[Valv]

I have many OEM livewells you could use with no problem, at prices slightly above a cooler.

[carlcmc]

what would the advantage of the oem livewell be over a cooler and what kind of price would we be talking? you can email me if you want at

cc91538*nospam*@hotmail.com remove the *nospam* for my email.

[The Chemist]

Yes they still have the wire baskets around. You could try making a live well yourself though. Get a cooler from a thrift store and then you will need some tubing and a pump and some fittings. Then you just pump the water in the bottom and out through the top.

You can use the drain plug as the in port and then drill a hole and make the out port about 2" from the top.

With this you can transport it any where you want. No trying to dig the fish out either carry right to where you are going to clean them.

[carlcmc]

thanks for the reply. What kind of pump would you hook up / filter? Does it just hold the water and then you areate it or do you cycle the water? More info would be appreciated.

Thanks , Carl.

[Surface Tension]

carlcmc, I'd go with the kit also. Get the tank thats more of a square shape as opposed to the rectangular shape. Build yourself a box with lid and cover it with I/O carpet to match the tons carpet. Most livewells I've seen on toons are mounted in front and up against the counsel. Use aluminum angel along the inside bottom to fastened to the floor and against the counsel. All wires are hidden in the consel and close to a power source.

[carlcmc]

thanks for the tips guys.

[Bob/Mn]

For years I have used a home made live well. It consisted of a cooler, a 350 GPH bilge pump, 3/4 inch plastic water pipe for a manifold drilled with 1/16 inch discharged holes,a 3/4 inch pipe cap and four foot of flexable clear plastic hose.
I got a little fancy and built a electronic timer that will turn the pump on for 30 seconds at four different time intervals. All you really need is a cord with some battery clips for power.
To fill the cooler I remove the pipe cap,stick the pump overboard and turn on the power. To empty the cooler just reverse the filling process.
When the water starts to get foamy change the water.

[This message has been edited by Bob/Mn (edited 03-14-2004).]