How does a livewell work?

[Eager Beaver]

It is a 1989 and it does have the black corrogated tube which is the overflow. I will tug on it and then try to unscew it and I hope it comes out. If it does, problem solved. You are very helpfull, thanks!!

If I put fish in it I assume it will need to be flushed with clorox to get rid of the fishy odors. Or do you just let it dry? (I have always used a stringer for fish and when it is time to go I put them in the cooler.)

I just empty mine out and take a hose and flush it out and then stick the hose down the drain hole to make sure it is clear and open. Then I use a sponge and dry mine out. I open all the compartment doors and then put the cover on it. It is good to go the next time I go fishing. EB

[GCD]

It is a 1989 and it does have the black corrogated tube which is the overflow. I will tug on it and then try to unscew it and I hope it comes out. If it does, problem solved. You are very helpfull, thanks!!

If I put fish in it I assume it will need to be flushed with clorox to get rid of the fishy odors. Or do you just let it dry? (I have always used a stringer for fish and when it is time to go I put them in the cooler.)

Never Ever use detergents to clean your livewell!!!

Either let it dry, or if that isn't good enough, use baking soda to clean it.

Never let fish die and float "belly up" in your livewell, if one goes "belly up", put it on ice in the cooler immediatly!

The only thing I ever do to clean my livewell is to hose it out with the garden hose and sprayer nozzle.

[FroggerZack]

I have a 2002 model and it has threads on the over flow tube so try to unscrew before tugging on it and possible damaging the tube. Just rinse and dry before storage and put something in between the live well top/door to allow air to flow when covered. I usually us the throw cushion.

[CrappieKillerJigs]

i have a 06 and mine just pulls out...tracker changes stuff like we change under wear

[Bo Bryant]

Older panfish specials had the black overlfow tubing that you pulled up. The water would then go out. I had one of those. Not sure about the new ones. My Tracker 178 has a plug you can pull.

Bo Bryant

[fishinRod]

If I put fish in it I assume it will need to be flushed with clorox to get rid of the fishy odors. Or do you just let it dry? (I have always used a stringer for fish and when it is time to go I put them in the cooler.)

DO NOT PUT CLOROX IN YOUR LIVEWELL!!!!!!! flush it out with fresh water or just let it dry

[Wiskers]

That style live well system is dangerous! I had a boat like that once & had a big mess of cappie & bluegill in the live well. While I was fish'n a fish got stuck on top of the pipe and blocked it. The pump was running & when I looked back my darn boat was full of water! I mean FULL!!! Darn near sunk my boat.

Scared the crap outa me! You couldn't have drove a thumb tac in my butt with a wreck'n ball! :D

[Flatwater]

Ok at first I thought the previous owner had glued the pipe in, but I got it free, so I spin and spin, no threads, I just pull it off a 2 inch aluminum pipe nipple. so I guess I can only drain it down to about 2" then I can bail some out and then sponge whats left, and just hose it out, leave it open to dry.

Another quick question, I saw an Attwood A500 aerator pump on clearance rack for $5. So I got it. It can be connected 3 ways. One is to pump from the livewell right back into the live well as a recirculation device. Will this keep the oxygen level up enough to keep fish alive?

[Hitek]

Ok at first I thought the previous owner had glued the pipe in, but I got it free, so I spin and spin, no threads, I just pull it off a 2 inch aluminum pipe nipple. so I guess I can only drain it down to about 2" then I can bail some out and then sponge whats left, and just hose it out, leave it open to dry.

Another quick question, I saw an Attwood A500 aerator pump on clearance rack for $5. So I got it. It can be connected 3 ways. One is to pump from the livewell right back into the live well as a recirculation device. Will this keep the oxygen level up enough to keep fish alive?

As long as you do not pack too many fish in there. Try to get it where the water will fall through the air before falling into the livewell water. Also, get a bottle of keep-alive ar rejuvenade and you should be fine. I recirc my water in the summer months instead of bringing in new water.

[Hattiesburger]

Recirculation will help to keep oxygen content in the livewell water up to level high enough to keep fish alive. However, it can be very tricky and is dependent on several variables. The primary consideration is how much volume does the well have and more importantly how much surface area does it have. Surface area is important because the larger the surface area, I'm talking about how much of the water comes in contact with the atmosphere, the more exchange occurs with oxygen. It helps when recirculating to allow at some point for the water to splash against the sides or spray up into the air to invigorate the fluid as much as possible. This allows for more oxygen transfer into the water. The other big factor for keeping fish alive in a well is temperature. Cool water holds oxygen better and makes for more efficient breathing by the fish so keep the well closed and block the sun from warming it if possible. I've even added ice to my well to help keep the fish alive. Of course the more fish you put into it the harder it will be to keep oxygen in the water. In summary, it is difficult at times to keep fish alive in a well. I mostly use them for bait but if I do use mine for fish I try to ice the ones I will definitely keep and recirculate with fresh water being added regularly.