# Portable Livewell Question



## Captain Ahab (Jul 12, 2009)

Anyone build or use a temporary live well? One feature that is not on my 16" MirroCraft is a live well, which is fine, I either CP&R or eat what i catch so right to ice. however, was thinking of doing a few tournaments and I know I need to keep the bass alive

thinking of making something out of a cooler - pump in and outflow with an aerator 

Any ideas?


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## poolie (Jul 12, 2009)

Russ (russ010) is out doing his Active Reserve duties this weekend, but I know he will probably chime in. He's built at least one portable and I believe is building a bigger one for his new boat.


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## Brine (Jul 12, 2009)

Capt,

Get a 120qt cooler and buy livewell aerator kit. A bottle of "Please Release Me" and keep a 2 litre bottle of water frozen to keep the water cool.

Don't overthink it. 

No need to drill any holes in the cooler. Just drop the pump overboard to fill it up and run the spray bar overboard when you're ready to drain. 

I built a little plexi top with a hole cut out to fit on top of the cooler when the lid is open to keep fish from jumping out, because my boat is as narrow as my cooler. 












Good Luck


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## Zum (Jul 12, 2009)

Nice and simple Brine...do you ever have to change the water?
I imagine you could just bail a couple gallons out and put some fresh stuff in maybe with some ice on a hot day.
Hows did you attach the spray bar and is it a homemade spray bar?
I'm kinda thinking along the same lines as the Capt.,in need of one myself.


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## poolie (Jul 12, 2009)

Hey Brine,

Is that 'Please Release Me" stuff something that can be purchased at like Walmart or is it a mail-order item?


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## bassboy1 (Jul 12, 2009)

Most tackle stores, and sometimes Walmart have please release me.

I have a similar livewell as Brine, just even simpler. Mine is an old Rubbermaid tote with the lid riveted on, and a smaller hole cut in the lid, with an aluminum lid hinged in place. Same general idea, pump leading up to a spray bar. Of course, I fill mine with a bucket, but it does work, and I haven't lost a fish yet.


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## ben2go (Jul 12, 2009)

Here is Russo1o's build.It could be done to a cooler.I know Russ has. https://www.tinboats.net/index.php/Projects/building-a-livewell.html


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## Brine (Jul 12, 2009)

Zum said:


> Nice and simple Brine...do you ever have to change the water?
> I imagine you could just bail a couple gallons out and put some fresh stuff in maybe with some ice on a hot day.
> Hows did you attach the spray bar and is it a homemade spray bar?
> I'm kinda thinking along the same lines as the Capt.,in need of one myself.


Yes, I usually change 2/3 of the water once during a 6 hr tournament.
The 2 litre bottle stays mostly frozen frozen until after the water change so it still cools the new water that's put it. 
The spraybar is sold in a kit with 2 suction cups (pictured) that the spraybar fits into. 



poolie said:


> Hey Brine,
> 
> Is that 'Please Release Me" stuff something that can be purchased at like Walmart or is it a mail-order item?


Yep, that's the stuff. I get mine at Bass Pro Shops,



bassboy1 said:


> I have a similar livewell as Brine, just even simpler. Mine is an old Rubbermaid tote with the lid riveted on, and a smaller hole cut in the lid, with an aluminum lid hinged in place.



The rubbermaid totes seemed too flimsy for my taste, not to mention I like the fact that the cooler is built to insulate. The other bonus is when I need a 120qt cooler, I have one. It's aslo nice to be able to lift the entire lid open for cleaning and it also makes it easy to get a visual on all the fish to make sure everyone is doing good rather than looking through a hole.


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## Henry Hefner (Jul 12, 2009)

This isn't portable as is, but since it is different from most of the other setups I've seen here, maybe it will give you an idea. This is how I did it on The Minnow Bucket.


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## bassboy1 (Jul 12, 2009)

Brine said:


> The rubbermaid totes seemed too flimsy for my taste, not to mention I like the fact that the cooler is built to insulate. The other bonus is when I need a 120qt cooler, I have one. It's aslo nice to be able to lift the entire lid open for cleaning and it also makes it easy to get a visual on all the fish to make sure everyone is doing good rather than looking through a hole.


Quite frankly, I built it to fish one tourney, back in November, when the insulation wasn't an issue. I had really planned on building a nicer one later on, so I just made this one on the cheap to get me through the one tourney, but for whatever reason, it has worked so nicely, I didn't change it. I thought the Rubbermaid would be too flimsy, but once I riveted the lid on, and cut a smaller hole in the lid, it is actually stronger than I thought. Mine is probably put through a little more abuse than y'alls are, as I fish in 30 - 50 boat tourneys on Allatoona, where I am blasting off with around 40 or more 18 - 21 foot bass boats with 150 horse or better. Thus, I am bouncing over 4 + foot wakes in a flat bottom boat, as the wakes of 40 boats in a fairly narrow channel start to combine, and just make huge wakes, and even through that, I haven't had it sag at all, which really surprised me. 

Since all my tournaments have been either winter tourneys, or night tourneys, for whatever reason (just happened to fit my schedule best that way), the temperature hasn't been an issue. I usually have the liveliest fish at the weigh in as well, provided I can actually catch some fish to bring to the weigh in. :roll:


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## fish devil (Jul 12, 2009)

:twisted: Keeping the water cool is critical!!!!


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## ober51 (Jul 12, 2009)

fish devil said:


> :twisted: Keeping the water cool is critical!!!!



Outside of the suggestion of keeping a one liter frozen bottle in there, what options are there to do this?


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## Henry Hefner (Jul 12, 2009)

ober51 said:


> fish devil said:
> 
> 
> > :twisted: Keeping the water cool is critical!!!!
> ...



You can refill often from the lake. It doesn't "cool", but it replaces the water that is warming up in your boat from the aerator pump and sun. Fresh water also eliminates the percentage of waste and brings oxygen.


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## ober51 (Jul 12, 2009)

Henry Hefner said:


> ober51 said:
> 
> 
> > fish devil said:
> ...



Ok, kind of figured such, just wanted to make sure the fresh water was keeping it cool enough.


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## Henry Hefner (Jul 12, 2009)

ober51 said:


> Ok, kind of figured such, just wanted to make sure the fresh water was keeping it cool enough.



I'm no ichthyologist, but I figure if it was living in that temperature water, you ought to be able to keep it alive at that temperature.


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## ober51 (Jul 12, 2009)

Henry Hefner said:


> ober51 said:
> 
> 
> > Ok, kind of figured such, just wanted to make sure the fresh water was keeping it cool enough.
> ...



But the water in a cooler is in a much smaller space sometimes in direct light so I thought maybe there might be additional measures taken.


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## Henry Hefner (Jul 12, 2009)

ober51 said:


> Henry Hefner said:
> 
> 
> > ober51 said:
> ...



You are right, but I know of no other option than adding something to cool the water or keeping it fresh. If it is hot weather, I have my live well taking in fresh water almost constantly, so the water has little time to warm up. In hot weather I will have ice in my ice chest, and while you shouldn't add ice directly to the live well, I usually have a ziplock bag on hand that I can fill with ice to put in the water.


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## Brine (Jul 12, 2009)

ober51 said:


> Outside of the suggestion of keeping a one liter frozen bottle in there, what options are there to do this?


A two litre bottle



Henry Hefner said:


> I'm no ichthyologist, but I figure if it was living in that temperature water, you ought to be able to keep it alive at that temperature.


Cold water holds more oxygen. If you catch a bass in 15 foot of water where I fish right now, the water temperature is much cooler than the water at the surface. If you've ever swam in a lake and felt a cold spot at your feet, you'll know what I mean.


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## Henry Hefner (Jul 12, 2009)

Brine said:


> Henry Hefner said:
> 
> 
> > I'm no ichthyologist, but I figure if it was living in that temperature water, you ought to be able to keep it alive at that temperature.
> ...



See? I told you I weren't no ichthyologist! Thanks, Brine!


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## Captain Ahab (Jul 13, 2009)

Great info guys! One more question - do you think i need the spray bar or will an aerator do the trick?


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## Henry Hefner (Jul 13, 2009)

Captain Ahab said:


> Great info guys! One more question - do you think i need the spray bar or will an aerator do the trick?



Are you referring to the commercially available nozzle that goes on the water outlet? If so, it allows you to control the amount of water flow, so it is a good option. I started without one, then found one on clearance and added it later.


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## Captain Ahab (Jul 13, 2009)

Nope - I mean an air pump bubbler


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## Brine (Jul 13, 2009)

Captain Ahab said:


> Great info guys! One more question - do you think i need the spray bar or will an aerator do the trick?



I like the spray bar. If you are going to use the livewell for bait as well, I've heard that the jet of water can harm delicate bait fish. The abiity to use just one pump to fill and empty the livewell is what is appealing to me, and we have have been successful at releasing healthy fish for 3 years with it.


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## russ010 (Jul 13, 2009)

Dang I have missed alot since I've been gone... I've read all the posts, but let me just go off on my own little tangent while the thoughts are still in my head.

I've tried 3 different livewells, and all work given their time of day and place, so I'll go in order of build.

1 - Rubbermaid cooler. I have a 22gal that I made into the livewell which is on the home page. It does good when the water doesn't need to be really cooled, like night (still put an ice pack or something in there though during the hot months) or during the winter when the water is cold enough that you don't really need circulation and oxygen is not being depleted as fast. I gave the guy who bought my 1236 the rubbermaid livewell I made, and during our tournaments in the heat, it's hard as crap to keep the water cool, but the ice packs or frozen bottles help. Aeration is definitely needed during this time because unless the water temps are kept between 65-70, the oxygen goes faster and it speeds up the metabolism of the fish - fast metabolism equals smaller weights at the end of the day at weigh-in time. 

2 - 90qt cooler. This was my upgrade and it was definitely a good one. The insulation makes a ton of difference, not to mention less flex of the rubbermaid. Aeration is still needed all day when you get into the hotter months, but you don't go through as many ice packs with the cooler and the water stays nice and cool.

3 - 150qt cooler. WAY TOO BIG... it works great though, but it's just huge. Same as above with aeration.

Ok, now for the tidbits...

1- Ice. 
Don't put ice from a bag in your livewell unless you are using "Please Release Me" as an additive. Ice has chlorine in it which the fish do not do well with, but the Please Release Me takes care of it. When I fill my livewell, I do it first thing in the morning when the water is at its' coolest temps. I have a frozen 2-liter bottle in there, and let the water run over it so that it cools it off even more. After about 2 hours, I start putting in the plastic reusable ice packs - they stay frozen longer than the 2-liter bottles and they are smaller. They work the best in my opinion of keeping the temps down.

2- Aeration
I use a spray bar in all of the portable livewells, and in the warmer months, I keep the aerator running all day long. I don't change the water in my livewell during the day because the water temps are cooler and the water that you're putting in your well comes from the surface which is generally much warmer than where the fish are. Seldom to I get any foam in my cooler, but if I do, I only do about a 20% water change and I also use "Foam Off". A couple drops of that stuff takes care of the foam. One thing, if you do keep getting foam, open your lid just a little bit so that fresh air can come in, and the ammonia can go out. Foam on the surface will not allow oxygen to get into the water, so in essence you're suffocating your fish.
I use atleast 500gph bilge pumps or aerator pumps. I have actually found out that the fish and water seem to do much better with 800gph which is what I use on everything now.

The new livewell I'm putting in my boat will be permanent. I'm not going to put a spray bar in this one... I'm using one of the "Keep Alive" systems which blows in pure oxygen and circulates the water with it. If you've ever been to a place where you can get pure oxygen (great for hangovers) and see what it does to you, just imagine what it will do to the fish. (https://keepalive.net/portable.htm)

3 - Additives
I have used "Please Release Me" and "Catch and Release". Both are made by the same company, and they are both pretty close to each other except for the price and effectiveness in my opinion. Catch and Release is more expensive, but it doesn't seem to do as well as the Please Release Me - and I've used them both an equal number of times, and each time Please Release Me has won out... no more Catch and Release for me.

I'm sure there's stuff I'm forgetting to mention, but for what you need, I think a 120qt cooler, a 500-800gph bilge pump or aerator would serve your purposes well. I'll try to get some pics up of my new cooler set up.. I finally did it right. I put plexi glass along the top, fish have this amazing jumping capability and they don't like the cooler as much as the water they came out of!


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## russ010 (Jul 13, 2009)

Captain Ahab said:


> Nope - I mean an air pump bubbler



ok for baitfish, but not for bass.

For baitfish, get a 5gal bucket and put the bubbler in it, but whatever you put them in, make sure it has rounded corners... they like to nose but the corners.

I saw something that said there should be a current in the water (circular current) so that they keep swimming. You can do that with a cooler by putting a spray jet coming in the side with an areator to keep the water moving


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## Zum (Jul 15, 2009)

I have an old cooler in the basement.22".11".12"deep.
I thinking it may be big enough but probably not.
I catch the odd 20" fish my PB smallmouth is just shy of 22".
How much room(inches)should I have in front of the fishes face/tail?
I thinking 2"s is alittle small but I don't want to have to catch the fish all over again in the livewell either.
Do you think I should have 6 inches of length space...extra?


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## Brine (Jul 15, 2009)

Zum said:


> I have an old cooler in the basement.22".11".12"deep.
> I thinking it may be big enough but probably not.
> I catch the odd 20" fish my PB smallmouth is just shy of 22".
> How much room(inches)should I have in front of the fishes face/tail?
> ...



I don't think it matters so longs as the fish fits without touching the sides.


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## skindenny (Jul 15, 2009)

Here is my tip of the day.....when you fill your bottles of water to freeze, add the fish saver/keep alive into the water and then freeze it. Then when you put the frozen bottle in your livewell, take the cap off and as the ice thaws, the fish saver will be let out into the livewell water.


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## russ010 (Jul 15, 2009)

Zum said:


> I have an old cooler in the basement.22".11".12"deep.
> I thinking it may be big enough but probably not.
> I catch the odd 20" fish my PB smallmouth is just shy of 22".
> How much room(inches)should I have in front of the fishes face/tail?
> ...



In figuring out how many gallons of water your cooler will hold, it's calculated by multiplying width x length x height. This needs to be in Feet, so divide all of your numbers by 12, multiply them all together, then multiply that number by 7.5.

22 / 12 = 1.83
11 / 12 = 0.917
12 / 12 = 1

1.83 x 0.917 x 1 = 1.678

1.678 x 7.5 = 12.6 gallons

You generally want a ratio of 1lb of fish per 1 gallon of water... so in essence, you could hold up to 12 lbs in your cooler... now you don't fill the water all the way to the top because you need to have aeration, so you can probably have your depth be more like 7.5" (top of the water line to the bottom of the cooler. This will give you about 8lbs of bass that you could hold. This is just a standard from everything I've read in calculating how much water you need to hold to keep bass alive, but I think you'll be fine as long as you keep the ammonia off and the aerator running all of the time. In the colder months, you don't need to worry as much because the water is cold and their metabolism won't be as fast as in the hotter months.

It's not bad to have less space... you just need enough room for the fish to sit and be surrounded by water. The less moving they do, the less energy they expend which means they require less oxygen. You might have to do more water changes depending on the number of fish you put in there though just to take care of the ammonia the fish put out. 

Here's some good reading... https://www.texas-bass.com/SE/documents/Cons/bass care.pdf


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## Brine (Jul 15, 2009)

skindenny said:


> Here is my tip of the day.....when you fill your bottles of water to freeze, add the fish saver/keep alive into the water and then freeze it. Then when you put the frozen bottle in your livewell, take the cap off and as the ice thaws, the fish saver will be let out into the livewell water.



I've read the same, but I'm not a big fan of releasing tap water / chlorinated water in the livewell.

I prefer to have the livewell prepped before the first fish goes in.


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## russ010 (Jul 15, 2009)

I saw the husband and wife combo who make this stuff (or atleast sponsor them) talking about this on their video... 

Go to the bottom of the home page and click and watch the movie - it's still pretty informational

https://www.sure-life.com


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## Zum (Jul 15, 2009)

I live in the country,dug well,no chlorine
Thanks for the reads.


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## ben2go (Jul 15, 2009)

Zum said:


> I live in the country,dug well,no chlorine
> Thanks for the reads.




Wells are another problem unless you treat the water with an RO system.Wells contain heavy minerals that can cause wellness issues with some species of fish.


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## Zum (Jul 16, 2009)

ben2go said:


> Zum said:
> 
> 
> > I live in the country,dug well,no chlorine
> ...


Heavy minerals...thats must be where I get my nice glow from


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## Captain Ahab (Jul 16, 2009)

Good thing we only have lite and light minerals around here


Our rocks float!


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## Fish Taco (Jul 17, 2009)

russ010 said:


> I saw the husband and wife combo who make this stuff (or atleast sponsor them) talking about this on their video...
> 
> Go to the bottom of the home page and click and watch the movie - it's still pretty informational
> 
> https://www.sure-life.com



Only if you can stand to listen to the heavy metal music in the background the whole time. 

Nothing like a head-banging infomercial... Good information, really stupid post production and music.


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