Livewell Question

[Patrick13116]

It is a somewhat amazing coincidence I saw three people from this site out fishing over the weekend then found this site the same day by accident. Though maybe not since you guys are probably always out fishing. The reason I found this site is I was live lining spot for the second time ever and the first time sucesfully. I was using a floating bait bucket to hold the spot but it is difficult to drag through the water and I have to lift it out every time I try to move. Then if it falls while moving the water drains out and the fish die. I found this site while looking into a DIY livewell for my kayak. I have found two basic options as follows:

1. Pipe a bilge pump into a cooler/container and drag the pump through the water. Advantages: No priming needed. Cheaper. Disadvantages: You have to drag a bilge pump through the water.

2. Install a livewell pump inside of or attached to the outside of a cooler/container and run tubing from the pump to the water. Advatages: Pump is out of the water and possibly contained inside the livewell. Disadvantages: Need a complicated installation of a hand pump with one way valves.

My question is can I use one of the $30 livewell pumps with the through hull fitting run through a scupper hole? If a rubber gasket can be found to seal the pump to the scupper the scupper can become part of the plumbing and nothing is adding drag while paddling. It it works it would eliminate both priming and dragging a bilge pump through the water.

Then tubing would be run from the outlet of the pump to a PVC pipe with holes drilled in it to create a spray bar. A large bulkhead fitting can be used as an overflow drain. A small bulkhead fitting can used as an end of the day drain.

Please let me know if any of you have a DIY livewell and how you did it.

[Redfish12]

Pretty coincidental! Too bad you weren't there in the morning to see the rest of the group, there were a lot of us! Did you launch from SPSP? Where did you hear about fishing the bridge?

As far as the livewell goes, there are a lot of options.

I currently use this - http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/st..._SearchResults and I have a back up pump on the lid as well. These pumps are notorious for short lives and the salt really kills them after a few trips. I've got 7 trips on one right now and I consider it a win. I usually just put it on a 5 gallon bucket (I had it on Saturday) and it keeps about 15 or so spot alive for several hours.

Here are a few other links you might want to check out
http://kayakfishinggear.com/baittankhow-to.aspx

http://www.kayakfishingsupplies.com/...rts/Categories

I know there have been a lot of how to's out there for making bait tanks on other sites. I'd check out the west coast groups because other than spot we don't really have much of a need for a bait tank around here. Menhaden would be nice to keep as would alewives but they are both pretty delicate. I'm going to try my set up this weekend for alewives at Smith Mountain Lake and I can let you know how it fares.

[Patrick13116]

I launched from the parking lot by Hemmingways. I heard about fishing the bridge from a fishing chart I bought at Bass Pro. This is my first season fishing on the Bay from Kayak. I launched at Sandy Point twice in May and caught very few fish. I had been launching from Romancoke and paddling to Bloody Point. I caught fish, mostly croaker, but that is too far for me. I'm not in great shape, I had to stop several times to "fish" along the way. I saw the little beach by the bridge and decided to give a try. I was worried that my car would get towed from the parking lot at the restaurant.

I saw the live wells in your links while I was searching. The ones with the bilge pump you drop in the water should work and are simple to construct but I'm worried about dragging the pump behind the kayak.

[jet]

I launched from the parking lot by Hemmingways. I heard about fishing the bridge from a fishing chart I bought at Bass Pro. This is my first season fishing on the Bay from Kayak. I launched at Sandy Point twice in May and caught very few fish. I had been launching from Romancoke and paddling to Bloody Point. I caught fish, mostly croaker, but that is too far for me. I'm not in great shape, I had to stop several times to "fish" along the way. I saw the little beach by the bridge and decided to give a try. I was worried that my car would get towed from the parking lot at the restaurant.

I saw the live wells in your links while I was searching. The ones with the bilge pump you drop in the water should work and are simple to construct but I'm worried about dragging the pump behind the kayak.

the pump you see in hobie's livewells and dealer made livewells online can be purchased from walmart for less than 20 bux...i think...

i'll get the info to you, they are very simple to make. i'm pretty sure there are instructions online how to make them too, i'll see if i can fine it. i think it's a pet food jar they use.

btw, how long did it take you to paddle to bloodly point from romancoke?

i still need to launch from romancoke, arent you launching from rocks there?

[richardbb85]

I launched from the parking lot by Hemmingways. I heard about fishing the bridge from a fishing chart I bought at Bass Pro. This is my first season fishing on the Bay from Kayak. I launched at Sandy Point twice in May and caught very few fish. I had been launching from Romancoke and paddling to Bloody Point. I caught fish, mostly croaker, but that is too far for me. I'm not in great shape, I had to stop several times to "fish" along the way. I saw the little beach by the bridge and decided to give a try. I was worried that my car would get towed from the parking lot at the restaurant.

I saw the live wells in your links while I was searching. The ones with the bilge pump you drop in the water should work and are simple to construct but I'm worried about dragging the pump behind the kayak.

i turned a cooler into a livewell with a pump n tube, and it worked just fine. I used it in the back of my jetski and dragging the pump going 30-40mph was not a problem. So i am sure dragging behind a kayak should be okay. I duno if it's a good thing or not, i got my gf hooked onto fishing......she always wants to tag along when i go fishing.......now i can't take my kayak out solo!!!!!!!!

[jffoley]

... I duno if it's a good thing or not, i got my gf hooked onto fishing......she always wants to tag along when i go fishing.......now i can't take my kayak out solo!!!!!!!!

I'd say that's not a bad thing. You'll get more opportunities to be out there! My wife is not so much into fishing but enjoys being out on the water. Mostly from the boats, though. And she's a real good helper. In the spring trolling season she can keep the boat straight, hand me the net and snap a pic!

A lot of guys on this site are trying make the 2nd Saturday of each month a regular M&G for whoever can make it. My wife "understands" that's a day I go solo. She even said that's serious fishing time for me so go knock myself out! Gladly!! Maybe you can get your GF to "understand"

[Patrick13116]

Launching from Romancoke is easy. There is a paved path to a wood ramp leading down to a sandy beach. You drop the kayak on the grass, drag over to and down the ramp, and off you go.

The trip to Bloody Point took hours. I would lauch at 6 am and be down there around 10 or so. Like I said, I would stop several times to "fish" for 20 minutes or more each time. If possible I would try to drift part of the way.

[DOGFISH]

Live Well

The anti-siphon valve is not that complicated. They are used on boats for a variety or reasons. One inch to 1/2 inch sizes are easy to buy at West Marine in the plumbing isle. Some tubing and some hose clamps are all that is needed. The smaller size would drop into a rear scupper hole. That way you would not have to drag the pump, only the end of the valve. The pumps being used on the live well systems are only small bilge pumps. There are actually live well pumps that would fit down through the scupper hole, if thats the way you want to go. Johnson pumps make a nice model. Then you would only have to tighten up a through hull fitting from the under side. Look in the West Marine catalog under live well pumps. However, keep it simple. Remember, when you start to attach things to your kayak, such as through hull fittings, they may have to be taken off, when your not using live bait. Room is at a premium on a kayak. I tend to go through this reconfiguration drill for my different fishing trips. A five gallon bucket or an old coller would work fine, with a pump, some hose fittings and work. Just do some research before you start. You tube is also another place to look. The spray bar is easy to rig.