Live Well

Im working on building a semi custom 70 foot sport fish but cant seem to be able to find any useful information on live well desighn.

Does anyone have a good web site or information on build a live well

Steve Forest

 

What do you need to know?

 

build a square box,, put drain in bottom,, fresh water pump,or recirculation pump ( which means you must change the water alot.,,aerator,,and some live fish.
you can make locker type boxes,,,under seat boxes,,,,what part of the making on the design,,,,the "how" or the "shape" or.......?

 

Steve,
I'm glad you brought this up...been thinking about it a bit. Most sportfishing boats have their wells built into the transom. You know, like this:
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...te=1200587152000&photo_name=Cockpit 1&photo=2

I like them built in so you don't have bulky components all over the place like the cluttered mess that is Greg Norman's old boat:
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...revised_date=1211013016000&photo_name=Photo 2

I think wells in the transom are great, perhaps preferable, when trolling. However, when you're reef fishing on the hook, there's a lot of activity in that area. Often times, when someone is having a good fight with a big grouper, the rest of us have to wait until he moves one way or the other to get a new bait for our empty hook. So, on my boat I put the livewell back by the door to the salon. You can always get to it despite what action is happening, but that's not the perfect location either. One has to turn around and walk back there, dragging dangerous hooks and gear along, evertime you need a shiner.

Therefore, I've been waiting to see a boat with the livewell on the sides of the cockpit...and have not seen one yet. If the gunwhale has to be very wide to house the wells, then it just makes for a nice, wide step onto the boat from the dock.

What do y'all think? You can't put a triangle shaped box in the back corners because it'd be in the way of the hawse and cleats. I hate it in the floor, will fall in eventually. Where else can you go??

 

Jim,

Square is fine for shrimp, crabs & some small fish. Once you start getting into larger baits it will wound or kill the bait pretty quickly. Those that live will not have that spunk to them that can be the difference in a bite or snub.



In your case Tony, I'd go with the well by the salon and have pitch wells in the back of the boat. Quick & easy access, bait is spread out so you can always get to a well.

 

I think you're right. A large, round well up in the front corner of the salon with a couple small pitch wells in the transom with tuna tube inserts. I think I'll be able to hide much of the big well (a 50 gal. round would be nice) under the gunwhale so it appears just a rounded out end of the cockpit component area. Perhaps, the little window to the tank down by the step up to the gunwhale. I'll have to offset the weight just a bit by having the pitch wells kitty-corner the cockpit on the transom.


Steve,
I enjoyed reading your bio on the website. I'm from WI as well...Beaver Dam. Can you imagine a high school in this day and age having a mascot like the "Golden Beavers??"

Here's a nice mold for your livewell for sale. No sandpaper needed:
http://www.nautical-outfitters.com/utr-50.html

 

how come square kills ya bait?,they hit the corners too hard?,,,,im working on being a master baiter

 

Correct. They swim as close to the sides as they can, once they come into the sharp corner they fit their face into it on the turn. Not the brightest creatures as they will do it again and again. Soft corners and they glide through it. Round is best as they just swim in one big turn instead of a series of straights & turns.

 

That looks like the dinghy from his big boat so Greg didn't have to worry about the clutter too much.

 

coolz,,,,thanks nomad

 

And as the boat gets thrown around, the bait gets beat up in the corners.

 

Cheeseheads unite!! Reedsburg checking in. High school mascot also the Beavers.

 

No kiddin'! Great Grandpa left us a square mile of tamarac marsh off 16 (127 actually) half way between Portage and the Dells...very close-by. I still duck hunt the little 40 acre lake (beautiful, circled with wild rice) on the property. All those years landlocked when our passion was for the sea.

Well, I went to high school in the eighties when big, bleached blonde hair graced all the girls. Our mascot was rather misleading as the the curtains seldom matched the drapes.