Modifying Minnow Live Well on Bass Tracker

[Cane Pole]

These built in live wells are handy, but there is no insulation to help keep water cool. The minnows will die in a short time during the warm days. I am in the process of insulating the "built ins". Hopefully this mod will lengthen the minnow life by adding insulation which should help keep the water cool.. I don't know why this wasn't done at the factory.

This is just one picture. I am putting the rest on my web sight. If you wanna look at more pics, go to my web page and click on live well link.

[L.A. stumpjumper]

Good idea Tom, that ought to keep them cool.

[Cane Pole]

I don't know crap about about foam. First foam cast was full of cheese holes. I am filling them in. Slow process, but it looks like it will work. I got patience.

[PIGINTHEPIGPEN]

That's pretty neat Tom,that should do the trick. You would think Bass Tracker being the number one selling boat for the last ten years. Would have thought about that.

[Big Ed]

I'm sure your foam won't hurt, I'm also new to the board and don't wanna step on any toes or offend. I too own a Bass tracker pro crappie with the built in bait wells. I don't use them all the time for some of the same reason, specially in the summer. I might ask Does your boat have a Recirculator pump for your bait wells?

[possumcop]

The best way to keep them alive is to run straight oxygen. There is a system that I run called fishflo2.com.

[Cane Pole]

I'm sure your foam won't hurt, I'm also new to the board and don't wanna step on any toes or offend. I too own a Bass tracker pro crappie with the built in bait wells. I don't use them all the time for some of the same reason, specially in the summer. I might ask Does your boat have a Recirculator pump for your bait wells?

Yep. That yellow pump is the recirc pump. I am doing away with the pail inserts and putting the minnows directly into the well. Lots more room in the well when the insert is removed and a lot easier to get tthose swimming critters. I made a screen filter out of a piece of 1/2 inch pvc and glued a washing machine hose screen filter to it. I will post pictures of it later. I will insert this device into the return line in the bottom of the well. This will keep minnows and trash out of the recirc pump.

I will carry frozen 16 oz plasic bottles and throw them in the well as needed. (Same as I have done for years with the "not so fancy" minnow buckets). This should work.

Since I got these live wells out of the boat, I am installing electrical quick disconnect plugs. If I have to remove the wells again, I want have to cut and splice wires. I hate splices. They ain't nothing but trouble.

[possumcop]

Listen, it doesn't matter about the water temp with oxygen. Don't worry about the insulation. As long as they get enough oxygen water temp isn't a factor. This is not a hard problem to solve. Fishflo2......................

[jaycee]

I have minnow live well in my G3, PF175 boat. The water is circulated from the lake and I never have minnows die off. In fact, if the minnows l have left over from previous days are sluggish, the new lake water circulated when I get to the lake will actually revive them and they will be very active in just a short time.

[Cane Pole]

Finished the live wells and installed in the boat. I crossed the fill hose with the recirculate hose. Had to remove the forward well and switch the hoses. Took 5 minutes to switch the hoses thanks to the disconnects (hose and electric wire) I added. Total cost was about 22 bucks. Will see how it works when I get on the lake.

I checked out that freeflo2. A little pricey, but looks like it should work ok.

This modification is just what I am doing to my boat. This in not to suggest it is the best way or the only way to solve the problem with the minnows dying. This method should work, and it is economical.