Baitwell setup

D

drJ

Seaman
Joined
Jan 9, 2007
Messages
57
I want to turn two in deck storage holds into baitwells. what i was planning on doing was running a line from the bottom of the transom to the baitwell for the main drain and have th overflow drain out the side of the boat . i was also going to use one of those flow-rite live well valves so i could recirculate the water. Do you think this system will work. My main concern is will the water drain out of the thruhull in the transom below the waterline. i have it setup from the factory in another boat of min just like that and i dont know how it works but it does. Also. i would rather have a seacock but i dont know if water can drain through a seacock.Does anyone know if it will? I know many new offshore boats have livewells in the floor. how are they setup? Also can water be sucked up a seacock or a transom thru hull while on plane? I have heard by some people that i can and by others it cant.

thanks in advance for your help
 
C

Chris1956

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
28,141
Re: Baitwell setup

DrJ, Normally baitwells have a thru-hull water intake (brass) mounted on the bottom of the hull near the rear. This has a seacock accessable from the cockpit, and then a hose to the a pump of some kind. The output of the pump is plumbed to a spray head which is directed into the baitwell, to oxygenate the water. The baitwell has a drain in the bottom (plastic thru-hull fitting) which accepts a removeable tube. The drain hose must drain via gravity, so the baitwell must be a few inches above the waterline, or you need another pump to drain it(not a good idea). The drain in the baitwell accepts a tube which allows the baitwell to fill up and all the overflow drains out.
 
tashasdaddy

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Baitwell setup

the center console i had had a pick up and drain/over flow thru the transon. so i had 3 thru hull fittings, the bilge drain, the pickup with the pump just in side the transom, hose to well, and drain overflow back to transom. the drain had a plug you put in, and turn the pump on and the water filled to the overflow, there was a T in the drain line for the over flow. you could put a seacock( ballvalve) on both lines at the transom, for emergency. the well did not fill until the pump was turned on.
 
M

mspring

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
140
Re: Baitwell setup

I built a baitwell in the back of my bowrider where one of the the back seats was. I just removed the seat cushion, cut a circle in the bottom of the seat, and installed a 13 gallon plastic, white trash can I bought at Walmart. I plumbed it basically the way Tashasdaddy said. I can fill my baitwell full of mullet and they stay alive even on the hottest days.

Keep in mind in Florida our bait, mullet and greenbacks seem to die really easy if the baitwell is not aerated properly. Dont even think about using an aerator bar that jets streams of water down into the tank because it will blast the scales off the mullet and greenbacks. That is also why most peaple use round or oval tanks with no obstructions inside for the bait to bump their noses on.

I tried one of those coolers with the aerator bar in my jon boat with mullet and greenbacks. First their noses turned red from where they would hit the corners of the cooler and then they would loose their scales and soon die.

For my intake I used one of those brass strainers and installed it on the bottom of the hull near the keel pointing forward so it helps prime my pump while the boat is moving. I have three seacocks in my plumbing and they work great. You will need to install check valves also so the water in your tank wont backflow and empty your tank.

Also cut a piece of foam rubber or one those ac window unit filters and put in the bottom of your tank so it will filter scales, shells, and sand from clogging up your drain lines.
 
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