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Thread: Cooler livewell

  1. #1
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    Default Cooler livewell


    Anyone have any experience/ tips for using a cooler as a livewell. I have see the plans online and just curious as to how well it works? I have a jon boat I use for hunting and don't have a live well in it. I always just throw my fish on ice in the cooler but have started to think about fishing some tournaments where you have to keep your fish alive. Thanks

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    Just this year I made a live well out of a cooler. I found of of my old coolers about the size I wanted got a battery operated Mr. bubble bait aerorator screwed a couple brackets to the front and drilled a hole to run the the hose into the cooler and it has work perfect for me. i haven't lost a fish yet and the the whole thing cost me about $12.00.

  3. #3
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    Livewell Aeration Pump System KIT 19481 2 YR Warranty | eBay

    Be sure you have a way to do some frequent water changes, a small pail of some sort will work.

  4. #4
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    Thanks. The bubble box sounds like a good idea. I was thinking of using a bildge and PVC piping to circulate the water.

  5. #5
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    I use a gravity fill live well in my 1542 jon boat, pretty simple just drill a hole in back of the tramsom and run a flex hose to the live well , another hole in the livewell or cooler put thru the hull fittings and there you have a self filling livewell that will put about 7-8 inches of water in the livewell . lots of modifcation to that just to suit you. Becarefull when you move as you will suck the water out and fill with new water. A stand pipe will keep the water in. I also use a small pump to bring in new water. It works pretty good. I'm one for drilling holes where ever I want.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by PaulL View Post
    Thanks. The bubble box sounds like a good idea. I was thinking of using a bildge and PVC piping to circulate the water.
    I use a large cooler for my "removable" livewell...(the cooler livewell allows flexibility in where the livewell sits in the boat...determined by which method of fishing (or boat layout) I'm using my boat for on that particular day of fishing)...

    I do use the boat's bilge mounted water pump for "fresh water supply"...with a timer...(these timers are still available from BPS I think...this one is 14 years old ...and I've only replaced the included fuse for the timer 1 time in 14 years)...



    The boat's bilge mounted water "supply" pump (to the cooler) ...is plumbed thru the boat's bilge compartments to a brass "quick-connect" located at the front edge of the rear bench seat on the port side ...



    This brass "quick connect" is then plumbed to the lid of the cooler...where another brass "quick connect" attaches the water "supply" to the cooler lid...



    I then use a 12v pump attached to the lid of the cooler to pump the excess water out when the cooler's water level gets to a fill line from the "supply" bilge pump....



    This pic shows a "float activated" Atwell to pump the excess out...the problem with this design is the excess water being pumped out is the surface water of the cooler (which is the most aerated water in the cooler)...

    I have since replaced this "float activated" Atwell with a 12v RV water pump...which will pull "head" ...

    This 12v RV pump allows me to to pull "dead" (un oxygenated) water from the bottom of the cooler...which keeps the entire water volumn in the cooler replenished with "fresh" oxygenated water...

    I use a "Water Witch" Electronic Bilge switch (mounted to the inside wall of the cooler)..to automatically control the "On-Off" sequence of the 12v RV water pump ...which automatically controls the rising water level in the cooler ...

    Water Witch Bilge Switches

    This "Water Witch" switch is a "water detection" double contact switch that detects when water crosses out the 2 contact points of the switch...and then is timed to shut off a certain number of seconds after the switch no longer detects water across the 2 contact points...

    I have the plumbing designed to not only "supply" and "remove" water thru the cooler...

    But also for the plumbing to be re-arranged to "recirculate" the existing water in the cooler for the road trip home...



    Another benefit of using the 12v RV water pump (that will pull "head")...is the ability of the RV pump to empty the water from the cooler when done with the livewell for the day...

    NOTE: the 12v RV water pump I now use to remove the excess water from the cooler is not visable in any of these pix...because these pix are from my "original" design using the "float activated" Atwell for water removal...the 12v RV water pump I now use is mounted to the cooler lid just beside the plumbing shown on the cooler lid

    This setup is totally revolving fresh water thru the livewell all day...
    *Totally automatic...
    *Totally flexible in where is sits in the boat...
    *Totally versatile in changing to recirc for the trailer ride home...
    *Totally self-emptying when desired...

    Rickie
    Last edited by rnvinc; 08-27-2013 at 10:07 AM.
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  7. #7
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    I use an old cooler, a bilge pump, piece of hose, and a livewell sprayer. I built mine for about $25, but I already had the cooler. Hook all the parts up like you think they would go, attach the hose up the side of the cooler and run the wires to the battery. Water should start spraying and make lots of air for the fishies.

    This is what I use for my bait when running trot lines in the AR river. That is usually about 200 green sunfish, so you know it has to keep a couple fish alive in small amount of water.


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