Thread: Dead Crappie

Just put 'em on ice and don't worry about it. Alls you have to worry about is limiting out. :D

aj

only thing about running the live well to try and keep cold water in it is that the surface water you are pumping is usually warmer than the depth the fish came from and just like minnows a coupkle degrees can make it or brake it lol.

just what i've been told and seen .

Scott

Originally Posted by fish_4_all

Isn't there a way to set up a live well so that it take sin fresh lake/river water to keep the temps down and keep them alive longer? Just a thought as I have never used one but figured there had to a way.

On my 2008 Lowes my 2 livewells have the normal water pump that does a good job. But with them having on board minnow buckets the water pump was only good when I am on the water. I buy my minnows locally and keep a stock tank full in the back yard. And normally I have at least an hour road trip to and from the main lake I fish at. So I use Bait Saver that I get at Bass Pro. Plus for a few dollars I installed a air pump system in my front livewell that got from BP. It don't use much power and I put a time switch on it with a manual switch. Last weekend wife and I went fishing and we got done and I just turned on the manual switch. We ended up driving the long way home we also did some site seeing. It was a good 5 hours from the time we left the water until I pulled into the driveway. All the crappie were still alive along with the catfish that we caught on crappie jigs! I don't like cleaning dead fish! Since I put the air system in I don't even have dead fish even during the hotest summer fishing trips.

In the summer when it's really hot. I put ice in the live wells
and leave the pump off as the water you draw in is surface water
which is too warm. Put ice in the minnow buckets also.

Originally Posted by DMW1960

On my 2008 Lowes my 2 livewells have the normal water pump that does a good job. But with them having on board minnow buckets the water pump was only good when I am on the water. I buy my minnows locally and keep a stock tank full in the back yard. And normally I have at least an hour road trip to and from the main lake I fish at. So I use Bait Saver that I get at Bass Pro. Plus for a few dollars I installed a air pump system in my front livewell that got from BP. It don't use much power and I put a time switch on it with a manual switch. Last weekend wife and I went fishing and we got done and I just turned on the manual switch. We ended up driving the long way home we also did some site seeing. It was a good 5 hours from the time we left the water until I pulled into the driveway. All the crappie were still alive along with the catfish that we caught on crappie jigs! I don't like cleaning dead fish! Since I put the air system in I don't even have dead fish even during the hotest summer fishing trips.

What kind of air pump are you using? Have you got a picture of the setup by any chance?

Freeze some water bottles and keep them in the ice chest. When the water temperature starts to get warm place a bottle in the well.

As soon as we catch a fish (crappie, blue gill, redear), my husband throws it on ice. Depending on when we get home, he might clean the next day - do you think there is a problem with eating fish handled this way?
Thanks!

Not if there's plenty of ice. Most of the fish we eat out of the ocean have been iced down several days.

Originally Posted by crappiemrs

As soon as we catch a fish (crappie, blue gill, redear), my husband throws it on ice. Depending on when we get home, he might clean the next day - do you think there is a problem with eating fish handled this way?
Thanks!

Keeping plenty of ice on them and cleaning them the next day is fine.. It firms up the fillets and they clean better (less blood). I do it a lot.

Originally Posted by Arkie John

Just put 'em on ice and don't worry about it. Alls you have to worry about is limiting out. :D

aj

Good advice... I only use the live well when fishing a tourney.. That said, keeping the water cool is not the most important thing.. It's more important to keep the oxygen level up.
If you are determined to keep them alive in the live well, get a bubbler system. They sell them at Academy, and Cabela's. Clips on your battery (or you can wire it in to a switch/remote) and you can run Aquarium tubing to your livewell.. Better yet is to install a "Max Aire" system in your livewell. I have one and love it..

Last but not least, putting the bubbler system in will let you drop a stone in your minnow bucket as well.. You'll see a HUGE difference in your minnows ---- "Lively"

Hope this helps