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Thread: areated cooler as a livewell?

  1. #1
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    Default aerated cooler as a livewell?


    i want to get into some tournament bass fishing but my boat only has a 16 gallon livewell (14.5' boat). and i was wondering if anyone has ever used a aerated cooler as a livewell and if they work good/keep fish alive. thanks
    Last edited by CK14; 07-09-2006 at 08:57 PM. Reason: spelled aerated wrong
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    CK14 when I first started out doing bass tourney's I used a big cooler with an aerater on it and it worked great. Never had a fish die on me and I used it during the dead of summer in Missouri. Just make sure you have a lot of spare DD batteries, or I recommend buying a 12V pump that runs off of a car battery. Also, after each trip make sure you clean the cooler with baking soda. Also, that blue stuff that you can add in to the water to make it better for the fish wouldn't hurt either.
    "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

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    thanks for the tips. and i have one more question, what size cooler did you get/should i get? or if anyone else would like to answer that would be fine too.
    fishing isn't a sport, it's a way of life.
    a motto i live by :D
    go dawgs!!

  4. #4
    Ranger690 is offline Crappie.com Legend and 2021 Crappie.com Man of the Year
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    I use a 150qt cooler for our catfishing tournaments. It will hold a 50 pound catfish. Most any cooler with a drain, is easily converted to a livewell. The drain comes right out and a livewell pump (from Walmart) will slide right in. A little silicone and the inside nut. Then a piece of tubing run up to a thru-fitting, then a spray nozzle. Nice recirqulatinig rig. I have a 1/4 turn hose shut off valve as my nozzle. Turned to about 1/3 open gives a great spray.

    Get what ever size you have room for in the boat. Here are a couple of pics.






    Dayton

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    Ranger got the set up there. I used a little smaller cooler but if you plan on having a limit of fish sitting in there or a 50lb catfish then yes I would use an 150 cooler.
    "If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

    Dave

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    I have not tried these Oxygen generators yet, but I do know some Bass Boat companies have started putting these in the live wells and may be better than just a aerator because you can control the water temp with ice and the help keep fish alive with something like "Sure Life Please Release Me". I do know these generators will keep the water in the live well full of Oxygen. They make 2 sizes.

    http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...rTarget=browse

    Or

    http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...188&hasJS=true

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    Ranger690 is offline Crappie.com Legend and 2021 Crappie.com Man of the Year
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    Many guys here that fish 12 hour summertime (7pm-7am) catfish tournaments, use an oxygen tank, bubbled thru an air stone to keep the large catfish healthy. It works. I use one too. But last year I also bought one of the 12v Oxygen Generators. I use one in one livewell and the real Oxygen in the other, and saw no difference. All the fish were healthy.

    If you get one of the Oxygen Generators, be carefull what additives you use, as "salt" will corrode the working parts of the unit. Call the Mfg to be sure.

    Also, don't use much ice to keep the water cool. If you make too much of a temp change, too quickly, it will harm the fish.

    Also, don't use home ice or store ice, as the chlorine and other chemicals will harm the fish. You can freeze some water bottles or milk jugs and place them in, un-opened to chill the water.

    Dayton

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    Default Link to Oxygenator Web site FAQs

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  9. #9
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    I would say just buy you a Power Bubbles from the Grizzly Jig Company and install it in your boat. I bought one for my boat for crappie fishing and it works very well. I just put the stones in my livewell and turn it on and leave it on all day it don't use enough power to hurt the battery. The cost of one of these is very reasonable I think mine cost 35 bucks. In the hotter months you may have to change the water a couple of times if you fish all day but that isn't a problem. I don't regret buying mine and I'm sure you would be satisfied with it.

    Crappie X.
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  10. #10
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    papasage is offline Crappie.com 2011 Man of the Year & Moderator GA * Crappie.com Supporter
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    this is the way i did it . like your way just need something from sucking the fish into the outlet.

    ]

    in aperation


    Last edited by papasage; 07-10-2006 at 12:17 PM.
    retired and now i will always fish

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