Make a oxygenated baitwell

[RedHillsTurkeyCalls]

Keeps bait alive better than I thought it would.

Kept about 4-5 dozen shiners alive in July last year. Very active when hooked.

Cut the plexi baffle with my CNC.

Think I want to do a bigger cooler now.

Has pros and cons.

Foams a lot, got a timer to wire to see if I can cut it down some. But I've been told the foam helps carry the bad byproducts out of the water keeping them more active.

It's portable, when not livebaiting it can stay home.

I didn't want to start putting holes for intake and outflow thru the boat just yet and the hang over the side stuff looks gawdy as heck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NOp3oRCcR8

[Steve Stinson]

I made a similar one out of a large cooler since my SeaArk didn't have a livewell in it. Andrew and I wanted to fish a benefit bass tournament at Lake Talquin for somebody whose home burned down. They let us fish and the cooler system worked better than some of the built in livewells in the bass boats, but some tournaments forbid after market live wells that are not plumbed into the boat. You can get a liquid additive at Bass Pro Shops that will keep the fish alive longer and cut down on the foam issue you mentioned.

- Steve Stinson

[RedHillsTurkeyCalls]

Thanks Steve...I'll check that stuff out.

If I was to ever put in a plumbed well it will definitely have the oxygenating setup. Outside water pickup and overflow drain, PLUS the venturi.

Been heartbroken too many times

[dombern34]

on my last boat I ran the keepalive system. google it. it's pure oxygen that you're putting IN the water instead of recirculating the oxygen that's already there. it's the same air system that seaworld uses and it's pretty awesome. 1/32 on the regulator will last for over 300 hours. best part about the whole thing, you don't have to run your pumps anymore. I was shocked at how well it worked. fished Louisiana and kept 9 redfish alive all day and felt pretty sure I could've done more.

[big bend gyrene]

on my last boat I ran the keepalive system. google it. it's pure oxygen that you're putting IN the water instead of recirculating the oxygen that's already there.

Googled the subject and one of the videos it recommended was this one on adding hydrogen peroxide... VERY curious to test it and see how it works. I run a small frabil unit for my baitwell and it performs fairly well, though in the very hottest part of summer I do find I'll lose spot tail pins by midday if I keep any. Cheap as a bottle of hydrogen peroxide is if it helps at all, sure be easy to keep a bottle on board.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8K0AjcFqK0[/video]

[Salty Gator]

Bbg, ice in a ziplock willl help a bunch( ziplock because chlorine will kill bail”.. I’d bet a freezer pack would also work
BTW, do you like spots? I’ve never caught a thing on them, but my fishing buddy thinks they are just as good as a pin. Sorry to hijack

[big bend gyrene]

Bbg...do you like spots? I’ve never caught a thing on them, but my fishing buddy thinks they are just as good as a pin. Sorry to hijack

Salty, I most DEFINITELY prefer regular pins, pigfish, and squirrelfish to spot tail pins... but do typically keep them for a couple of reasons.

First, my SOP is to launch and then spend an hour or so fishing sabikis inshore for bait, with a count goal of at least 30 baitfish in the well. Sooner I hit that count, the sooner I run, and my philosophy is if I use up 30 baits it's likely going to have been a fun trip regardless how many I actually land. I can't remember ever having had spot tails make up the majority, instead usually with maybe 5 or so of the 30 being spot tails pins. I sure wish I could rewind the clock to keep data on how each bait performed but I haven't, though almost sure ALL types I've used have been hit, be it likely in varying degrees.

But here's honestly the biggest reason I've likely been keeping them... as they die off I don't have to feel guilty using them as chum! Half-joking, but preferring the other baits I usually don't use the spot tails early and as they die much more quickly / easier than the other baitfish I do typically start cutting them up as they die and using them to chunck pieces and / or put in a chum bag (along with canned jack mackerel).

Appreciating past posts had people confusing what I call spot tail pins with tomtates, I've used tomtates out of necessity in the past when the grass die off inshore had pins hard to come by and had pretty good luck with them. If offered a bucket full of live tomtates versus live spot tail pins I would take the tomtates in a heartbeat.

[RedHillsTurkeyCalls]

Bbg, ice in a ziplock willl help a bunch( ziplock because chlorine will kill bail”.. I’d bet a freezer pack would also work
BTW, do you like spots? I’ve never caught a thing on them, but my fishing buddy thinks they are just as good as a pin. Sorry to hijack

Mainly just use it for shiners, Inshore fishing.

We'll keep a few pins if we're targeting big trout.