glass boat - bait tank to LIVE bait tank??

[cooky]

I hear a lot about Live bait tanks and my boat has 2 existing BAIT tanks (see photo) that each have a drain hole in the bottom that drains out the side of the boat. Can these (or one of them) be converted to LIVE bait tanks and how is this done?

Cooky

[Hagar]

G'day Cookie
Any water holding tank can be used for live bait mate . The issue is keeping them alive for long enough to be used as a bait . You need to be able to change or oxygenate the water or they will die . You could plumb your two tanks to a small bilge pump supplying water from low on the transom thru a spray tube ( oxygenates ) with overflow out bigger pipes . Regular water changes would see your livies stay alive . Water heating up kills them also .

Alternatively if you don't want to go cutting holes in your nice looking boat buy a 33 to 44 litre esky and connect that to your small bilge pump supply / overflow setup or just change the water regularly and use a battery powered aerator to oxygenate the water . Simple and works . One of the Ausfishers here ( Willo ) uses this esky method for livies with success .

Chris

[Heath]

My Cruise Craft has the exact same setup with livewells in each corner. Very easy to plumb them up.

The following pictures show how mine are setup.

First Pic - 2 x Through transom pickups

[Heath]

2 x 500gph pumps with ball valves inline.

[Heath]

When the floors in, it's all hiden out of the way.

[cooky]

You're a legend Heath - thanks for that - very helpful.

I can do the same (little harder to access lower transom in mine).

Just wondering if I can stretch the friendship though and ask where the entry points are in the bait wells and where you exit the water to? Where did you mount the switches to make it all happen?

does it all work well? ;D

[Heath]

What you have to do, is put an overflow in each. A couple of skin fittings, a length of flexible hose & a couple of hose clamps is all that is needed. Then you need to decide weather you want the inlet of the tanks up the top of the tank or at the bottom. One tank came plumbed on my boat with the inlet up the top. OK for yakkas but no good for slimys or pike. So when I plumbed the second tank I made the inlet down the bottom. This ensures oxygenated water through the whole tank & also gets the water moving in a circular motion which slimys & pike like. They face into the current as so to speak & expel minimal energy. You could mount the pump or pumps inside the boat or on the outside, I did mine on the inside to keep the rear looking good. You could go through the hull aswell if you liked. I run each tank with its own pump. That way if a pump shits itself I still have another tank to run. If you run off one pump for both tanks you don't have that luxuary. I'm sure others will give you a whole lot of other options. ;)

[Heath]

This one shows where the drains exit. basically just into the engine well.

[Heath]

The overflows from the tanks exit at the same point on both sides. The other skin fitting in the pic is my bilge outlet.

[Heath]

excuse my hand drawing ;D This is how both tanks are plumbed.

[Heath]

The switches for the pumps are on my switch panel, up the front. Where all my electrics & lights are controlled from.

Works a treat. Keep yakkas in the tank with the inlet up the top & my slimys & pike in the other tank. Keeps big slimys alive all day long. Most I've had in there is about 15 or more, with no issues.

[Bashir]

Heath, You're a legend! I have the same pump at home and I was gonna sell it, but I think I've worked out how I can do my setup the same as yours as I have a very similar pick up on the signature.

[NQCairns]

Hi Cooky, no way i can add to heaths brilliant post [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]. I just wanted to show sympathy regarding the shocking weather you faced on the maiden voyage, must have really tested your boats handling, isnt it always the way. ;D ;D. nq

[cooky]

yep - as you can see by the photo I was finding it really hard to control the sea sickness.

Hull handled it very well though - was very smooth

[Dr_Dan]

;D ;D Was that off Townsville cooky?

Next time will be a real stinker!

[cooky]

not off Townsville (that's where i live), but a few km in open water out the back of the Palm Island group.

[cooky]

Heath - sorry to bring this up again, but a couple of quick ones?
- where is your bilge pump located? and what size is it?
- out of the two sides - which is the better set-up?
- should you have a dual battery set-up to handle these pumps running for long periods?
- is there a way I could use an existing bung hole as an inlet utilising a valve of some sort

I seem to have a weird stern set-up in relation to bungs - my boat has 4. one on left side, one right, one centre bottom, and a large bung hole centre (but a bit higher). The only area that seems to drain with bilge is the one with the big bung hole (500 rule). and this area seems to be only the fuel tank area - say 150litres of space - maybe the boat builders don;t expect water to get into any other chambers?

[Heath]

My Bilge is just behind the 2 bait pumps. You can just see it behind them in the picture below. Its a 400Gph Johnson pump, which I will be upgrading sometime soon, as its very noisey & I have no confidence in Johnson pumps what so ever.

[Heath]

- out of the two sides - which is the better set-up?

Both setups have their advantages & dissantages. With the inlet at the top you loose a portion of your fresh water straight out the overflow. The whole tank does not get oxygenated and high oxygen dependent fish such as slimys and pike do not far well. The water in the tank does not take on a circular motion which these fish also seem to like. They like to sit with their noses into the current. Advantage is that I can turn the pump off & the water will not drain past the overflow level.

With the inlet at the bottom, I address all the issues above. However I do have to leave my pump on when stationary or at low speed or the water will drain out. I suppose I could use some sort of one way valve, but have never tried it.

So as too which side is better, I would have to say the one with the inlet at the bottom.



- should you have a dual battery set-up to handle these pumps running for long periods?

I would recommend it. I do have dual batteries because I run the risk of flattening one running the pumps & electronics. The safety factor of having 2 batteries just in case one does cark it is also a consideration when fishing offshore. I think you will find most guys that fish offshore have dual batteries.



- is there a way I could use an existing bung hole as an inlet utilising a valve of some sort

I dare say you could, but it may be a bit restrictive. No harm in trying before drilling holes in your transom. The boat wouldn't have bungs there for no reason, so there is the possibility of water getting in there somehow. My cruise craft also has bungs for the side pods to drain, as can be seen in the bilge photo. Have never had water come out there though.

[NQCairns]

Cooky you have full length to transom and height to floor stringers either side and a bung to drain each sealed compartment, bottom centre bung is the drain for the cavity under your fuel tank which is probably sitting on a glassed - in board that sits atop of the short height centre stringer, each side of this board buts onto the outer stringers and the back end to the transom (top of which is your bilge).
The large bung sits a top the base of this board, same height as your fuel tank base. This bung probably only drains your bilge no other portion of the boat. Not a bad idea the big bung hole i might consider it for my project, it means that a person could (you dont)have a spillage/deckwater hole under fuel tank that only drains to hull and is at all times remote from electrial devices ie bilge pumps - bloody good idea :o :o ;D actually you have sold me on it ;D ;D . nq

[cooky]

could (you dont)have a spillage/deckwater hole under fuel tank that only drains to hull and is at all times remote from electrial devices ie bilge pumps - bloody good idea actually you have sold me on it . nq

heh NQ - what does this mean in laymans terms (think 12 year old)?

[NQCairns]

Sorry about that, it more relates to me than you, your manufactured boat according to regs should have a sealed box the fuel tank sits in so any leakage will be contained away from sparks etc. My tanks will be in a sealed box as yours is but will have a hatch to give complete access to me and unfortnately to any rainwater/saltwater etc. In theory I could design mine like your bung settup that will drain any fluids toward the centre transom hole without even the remotest risk of explosion etc hope that made more sense.nq

Ps I spent hours nutting it out, i also posted Qs on forums world wide over the last year or so on how to make some idea actually work in this regard without major compromise (labour needed to suck/evaporate tank cavity after rain or a wash)I got a lot of ideas but they all allowed fumes/fuel to acces via the bilge where I would be running pumps etc
What a bargain this site is! #[smiley=laola.gif]

[cooky]

well I helping even when I don't think I am.

[NQCairns]

You bet Cooky! The simplicity is perfect although it will limit my deck bilge size but thats a small compromise, It is a bloody big drain hole for your deck bilge (good). From what I have read your boat manufacturer has a rep for doing things well.
The longer I take to finish this boat the better it gets ::)
Thanks nq

[cooky]

NQ - another rough day on the water ;)

this was taken near Salamander Reef past Cape Cleveland, Townsville at around 11.00am Monday.

I used a lot more fuel than usual that day - weather hasn't been that smooth for me lately so had to travel everywhere as fast as possible. :o

[cooky]

just to prove I really am stupid


It is a bloody big drain hole for your deck bilge (good)

why is this good?

I would like this information for conversational value (ammo) - when another one of my mates states "mate I think you should add a few more bungs! :)"

don't know if this is of interest to you - inside the bilge area.

[cooky]

[cooky]

the bottle and screw aren't fixed features :)

[NQCairns]

Cooky, nice pics, getting hot on the water this time of the year when the wind is quiet, It keeps me form useing the cc tinny due to a lack of shade.
I am looking forward to doing the same types of trips again in a reef sized rig of my own, been a while now due to misguided judgement on how long a boat actually takes to rebuild well :'(.

You have a polly tank, I will do the same also, probably from the US.
I guessed wrong on how they fitted the tank in your boat, it wouldn't be allowed to be sold new in the US, I expected there to be a glass divider between the bilge and tank, it's a fairly basic boat building safety regulation. My tank will be a bit further forward with a sealed divider then the deck bilge.

I like the big bung for ease of water in water out without the dramas of a couple of scales etc ganging up and stopping the show.
Also good (if removable from the inside) for the deckie to give the boat a scrub on the way home with the deck wash or buckets.
Also good for parking the boat with the bow up for a period, no dramas related to leaves cloging it and the boat filling with literally a ton of water, only takes a day up here I noticed.
Also good if a person is unlucky enough to take some water aboard it can be dumped fast on the move with both a big bung and a bilge pump.
Enjoy your quiet days on the water, looking forward to crowding the situation in the future ;D nq