Live well on a 1801?

[T-Bro]

Folks,

I am in the process of rigging a 2003 1801 that I bought this winter and have had a washdown pump added by 3A Marine. I asked them to install the through hull in such a way that it can also be used to feed a bait well that I might install eventually.

The boat has the stock cooler seat and I am too cheap to buy the livewell / leaning post option. Any ideas of a good plan to keep peanut bunker alive? Any good ideas about where to install it? On the west coast, small wells are often placed on the swim step and plumbed from the outside. I have seen some 20 gallon tanks from Cabelas that look to be a solution.

Thanks for your ideas.

T-Bro

 

[Outta Here]

Great boat!

You might burn up a washdown pump (intermittent use and noisy) used as a livewell pump. "Y" off the thru hull high-speed p/u and use a dedicated livewell pump.

I ran a piece of teak app. 1"x3" between the 2 jump seats just to clear a raised up motor. Place your 20 gal tank against it, and you can tie off to the teak if you like. Use a short hose to connect livewell (supply at bottom of tank always) to a faucet connection on the side of the transom cut-out. A short piece of 1.5" bilge hose off top of tank will drain in Parker scuppers.

When you're not live bait fishing, the teak strip will place a cooler perfectly.

Now a question for you...is a "bunker" a Yankee Menhaden? If so be sure you have a round tank!

 

[T-Bro]

Thanks for the idea, sounds like a good location for the tank. Do you have any pictures to show how it is plumbed, or what the teak piece looks like?

Thanks,

T-Bro

 

[Outta Here]

Sorry, no pics.

 

[T-Bro]

So,

Your solution was to place a piece of teak between the jump seats, which prevents the tank from sliding to the transom, where it could interfere with the operation of the motor trim. If I understand this correctly, you plumb a hose from the bait pump (located inside one of the jump seat lockers, which is in turn connected to the same through hull I used to supply the washdown pump. The supply hose enters the well at the bottom, and exits from the top, where it drains into the shallow well in front of the scuppers?

This positioning of the tank probably still allows access to the rear hatch where I can get at the bilge bump in a hurry if there is a problem. Does it allow you to squeeze behind the rear of the cooelr seat and the front of the bait tank?

Thanks again for your suggestion,

Todd

 

[Outta Here]

Close...

Tilt the motor full foreward and install the 1"x3" or so teak strip (you could use a piece of stainless or aluminum pipe) between the seats as close to motor as possible. If I remember, it will secure to the sides of jump seats top corners. The purpose in this board is to keep the livewell off motor cover. There is almost no room to stand behind livewell.

You will not have access to the hatch, as the livewell sits directly over it. In an emergency, you can slide it foreward.

Here's a clearer pump alternative. Use a Rule duel port pump, it screws directly to your cut-off which is screwed directly to the high speed p/u. Must be mounted below water line. Use 1 port to feed the washdown pump (you can mount anywhere). The other port is your live well supply. Run a hose from pump in bilge to thru side of jump seat, terminate with a hose bib. Here's where you can use a short hose to your livewell.

Try www.livebaitlarry.com for reference

Hope this helps

almost forgot, there's plenty of room to "squeze between the cooler seat and livewell", and, yes use a cheap plastic 1.5" thru-hull as a drain at top of livewell tank. Installed backwards (flange out) gives you a place to clamp the short piece of bilge pipe to your Parker's recessed transom area. IF you fish with small baits, or heavy scales, you may have to improvise a screen at drain. Again, check livebaitlarry's site.

A hardware store will have a fitting you can install in bottom of live well to secure inlet hose to.

Catch 'em up!

 

[Megabyte]

Now a question for you...is a "bunker" a Yankee Menhaden? If so be sure you have a round tank!

Good one!

Bunker, Menhaden, Elwife, Pogy...
How may more names do we have for this oily, bony bait fish?

BTW - A round tank is a must. These baits are very sensitive to their environment.

 

[Outta Here]

Now a question for you...is a "bunker" a Yankee Menhaden? If so be sure you have a round tank!

Good one!

Bunker, Menhaden, Elwife, Pogy...
How may more names do we have for this oily, bony bait fish?

BTW - A round tank is a must. These baits are very sensitive to their environment.

Do y'all live bait for stripers like we do for kings? Slow troll? If anyone has a Parker CC, there's some things you can do to improve a Parker CC livewell.

 

[Megabyte]

Do y'all live bait for stripers like we do for kings? Slow troll?

No live bait. We use artificials... Everything from umbrella rigs to parachutes to tandem bucktails. Troll speed is 2.5 to 3 kts.

 

[T-Bro]

Most of my stripers are caught on the fly. On Martha's Vineyard, there are enough bass that this is a good way to go. However, I am not so much of a purist that I wont look at other techniques. For example, I want to get my kids into it, so we have been using white plastic worms quite effectively. Trying to get them into the spinning rod scene for blues and bonito.

Live bait is more a thing from my childhood in SoCal, catching tuna and bonito on anchovies and sardines. However, we used live menhaden (bunker) for some great Spanish Macks last fall and I thought it would be good to have a well if this opportunity presents itself again.

I just have to have my daughter learn to throw a cast net . I probably need to send her to FL to learn how to run the boat, tell lies, and catch the bait. Must be an academy there?

T-Bro

 

[Megabyte]

T-bro, We catch our Spaniards on #0 Drones or Clarkspoons...

 

[T-Bro]

My only experience on the west coast was with green back and scad macks and we used them for big tuna bait.

This sucker was one of the better things I have eaten, just cooked with a tomato, cilantro and shallot sauce!

T-Bro