fitting a livebait well.....

[duncan]

I am fed up trying to keep mackerel and pout alive in a bucket (even a really big one strapped to the bathing platform!) and as I fully intend to get out and fish more this year I want to consider sorting something out. I don't even bother getting sandeels 'cos I don't expecct them to survive lon enough to make it worth while.

 

How would you go about it and what pump would you use?

 

My thought so far -

 

I already have a water pick up in the form of the sea toilet fitting so I sort of thought I could put a Y into that rather than drill more holes in the hull .

 

Under the helm seat is a large plumbed sink - great for use as a beer cooler with water and ice but not a lot else. Appprox 3 ft x 18inch wide and 18inches deep. Could I plumb water in through the bottom plug hole and then attach the existing drain pipe to an overflow up towards the top? This would then give constant recycling - is that enough? Would this be better than an aeration unit in a 15/20 gallon bucket?

[Adam F]

I'm no expert, but what I do know is that the most important thing when trying to keep sea fish alive is enough aeration, especially with mackeral and sandeels, and that the water they are in is replaced very frequently.

 

The areation speaks for itself, in that both are fast swimming fish, and therefore use alot of energy, pass alot of water over their gills, so plenty of bubbles is needed!

 

The water needs to be on an almost constant flow as waste from the fish builds up very fast, and the organisms in the water itself will die, causing the water to become polluted, thus killing your bait - by having a constant flow of sea water in and out this slolves the problem.

 

Hope this helps?

 

PS. Did you see last month's BFM? Graeme Pullan detailed 'tuna tubes' they have on tropical big game boats, and suggested these could be used on british boats...worth a look.

 

Also - another cheaper alternative, and to those of us with small boats...how about a coarse fishermans keepnet hung over the side??? Solves all the problems in one go! - Cheap and effective, plus requires no permanent instalations.

 

Adam

[duncan]

yes I say the tuna tubes and had a good laugh - I am sure they would work well with mackerel but they replenish as they fish when we tend to down anchor or drift one rod with a livebait rather than leave the livebait and fish another rod for more bait.

I have got a cloche - stainless inside of a washingmachine - which I had forgotten about! Thanks for reminding me. Looks like cloche inside big tub with aeration and the occasional water change when travelling and over the side when fishing/anchored.

 

Good aeration gear? Source?

[Adam F]

I know that Roger Bayzand uses the inside SS part of the washing machine also, i suppose you cant really get a better method of filtration and areation than the sea itself!

 

When travelling, you are correct you will need a source of areation. Hmmmm not too sure on this one, the battery opertated ones would probable not provide enough power. I would look at th pumps and air stones made for the fish keeping industry, these can be quite powerful. Only porblem is they run on 240v, so either need a convertor, and a 12v version.

 

Maybe send Jimbo a PM, he works at Southern Aquatics, - what he doesnt know about keeping fish alive isnt worth knowing!

[Maverick Martin]

Duncan

 

My boat has a deck wash pump which also runs my livebait wells. There is a diverter/valve with a lever, put the lever one way works the deckwash put it the other way and it feeds the livebait well with a constant stream of lubberly fresh saltwater. You could utilise you saltwater intake for this. The Live bait well has an overflow so the water is constantly changing, the rest is self explanatory.

 

This could be adapted ie: deckwash pump into large round bucket which is fitted with an overflow which can either go out through your scuppers or a through hull fitting. To keep the cost down most parts can be sourced through plumbers merchants rather than chandlers.

 

Which pump, depends what pressure you want but all major players do them. Mine cost about

[shytalk]

martins setup is one of the best ways several of us have this you could get a baby inverter and use a fish tank airstone the other way commercial bass boats do it is to have a tube pinned to the transom with a bend at the bottom faceing forward under the hulland the top connected to the tank via a valve then as soon as you are under way water is forced up the tube and into the tank the excess is drained overboard via an overflow at the top of the tank. the main problems with eels is over aireating them and overcrowding dont put to many in the tank also the other factor is water temperature the cooler the better that is where airstones are useful because the air bubbles cool the water , the overcrowding issue is the same with mackerel we never put much more than a dozen at atime in the tank and never handle them untill they go on the hook , !!!!

[duncan]

thanks everyone - got a great picture now.

 

final question - where to get the sandeels - anyone got an old trawl spare?

[Adam F]

Hmmmm something I was going to ask....How can i catch my own eels??

 

Where do i get a trawl?

Can i get a smaller trawl for a 16' boat?

Can I make one?

I have seen people 'fishing' for them in the sand at low tide in cornwall, can we do this anywhere?

Or do I just have to buy them???