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Thread: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

  1. #1
    Ausfish Bronze Member OcciferNick's Avatar
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    Jan 2008
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    Caloundra (Aura)

    Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Hi everyone,

    Ive googled this first but couldn’t find an answer hence why I’m asking here.

    My live bait tank is the rectangle type under the bait board. The water is filled by the pump but when I’m moving I lose a lot of water through the overflow and out the top under the bait boards. As the pickup for the pump is a hole on the transom it doesn’t suck water when underway. I have to stop every now and then to refill the tank.
    87F5DF3D-1C34-4797-89BB-1E508089D95A.jpg

    If I fit one of these to the transom
    FF2166DF-F41F-4995-AA7A-AE9420E4171B.jpg
    And just have a hose connected to it going into the bait tank will there be enough water flow to supply the tank? I would probably be travelling between 8-20knots depending the sea and what I’m doing.

    Ive seen these connected directly to a pump but wondered if just a hose would suffice? Does anyone have anything similar?

    Cheers
    Nick

  2. #2

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    They are good Nick but only work properly when up on the plane.
    You would be better off getting the flat one where you mount the pump on top of the plate as that will then work at all speeds, including trolling

  3. #3

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Nick, something like this one, the pump can be the smallest one you can buy. Al at Seatrek here at Caloundra makes them but with a round guard around the base. You could put a timer switch in line so that every five or ten minutes it turns on for a minute or so, this works well at night time when you don't want it running constantly. I found most of my water splashes from under the lid so I just ran some stick on neoprene sealer, reduces the amount of water lost when underway. You could look at an elbow fitting on the overflow that you just turn upwards when travelling, then turn down wards when drifting or anchored, this would reduce the loss of water but with the pump that probably woudn't be necessary.

    Are you coming down this way again soon, I am changing my setup and you can have a look and we could go around to Al's and sort something out there.

    Cheers
    Sam
    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. #4
    Ausfish Gold Member 552Evo's Avatar
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    Jul 2016
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    Melbourne

    Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Have had no issues with this style on my boat. It works at any or no speed. This style is less susceptible to being caught on anything.
    Got a manual diverter valve tucked away so I can use the flow for the deck wash hose as well.



    Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

  5. #5
    Ausfish Gold Member 552Evo's Avatar
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    Jul 2016
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    Melbourne

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Could you install a slider/gate to restrict the out flow of your live tank so when it’s full it stays full ?



    Saltwater fishing, boat mad but has a job that gets in the way.

  6. #6
    Ausfish Bronze Member OcciferNick's Avatar
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    Jan 2008
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    Caloundra (Aura)
    Thread Starter

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Thanks for the replies it has given me things to think about.

    I desperately would like to install a deck wash so having the intake under the boat like Evo is appealing. But until I can afford it I think I’ll add some sort of seal around the top of the bait board that sits over the hole in the top of the tank and install an elbow on the outlet.

    The reason I wanted it to be simple was to avoid wiring etc bit looks like I’ll need to do it properly. Now to start saving for a deck wash kit lol

  7. #7

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Put the scoop on and plumb it to your through transom water inlet. It will work fine.

  8. #8

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Make an automatic setup, get the setup in post 3 that Sam posted but wire it up with a float switch next to it and fix the float switch it just above the bottom of the hull. When you are moving you don't need the pump as the intake pressure forces water through to the tank, but when you stop the boat, it sinks in to the hole and the float lifts up activating the pump so there is no loss of water just because you aren't moving, it's a very simple setup that works well. When you take off again the boat climbs out of the hole and the float drops down and cuts off the power to the pump as it isn't needed till next time you stop.

    Cheers

    Ed.

  9. #9

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    I would keep it simple and go with the scoop and see how it goes. I personally avoid putting any holes below the water line in my boat.

  10. #10

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    I have the scoop set up on my boat. It works fine whilst travelling with plenty of water entering the tank via a sprayer hose at the top of the tank. There is another drain pipe setup in the middle of the tank that drains away water when it reaches the top of the pipe, this pipe can be unscrewed from the bottom of the tank and water will still come into the tank but drain away immediately so you are not travelling along with a full tank of water . I have made up a few of these drain pipes and I can screw in one of a different length depending on what critters I have in the bait tank. Whilst at rest I simply turn on the bait tank pump to add more water. I can just turn the scoop attachment at the back of the boat upwards so no water comes in. The tank also has a clear Perspex front on it so I can see the water coming in or out and view whatever I have in the tank.

  11. #11
    Ausfish Bronze Member OcciferNick's Avatar
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    Caloundra (Aura)
    Thread Starter

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Hi bugsytwoshoes just wondering if you have a photo of your pickup?

  12. #12
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
    Location
    Kalbarri, WA

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Or you can simply use a twin port pump with a bottom intake to do it properly. I've looked at those curved intakes, certainly a cheap way of picking water once you are on the plane, but eventually discarded the idea because if you manage to hit a floating rope at speed, the intake will catch it before the leg does, and rip it out of the transom. It can be an issue over here during crayfishing season. With a twin port pump, the pump supplies your livewell through a bottom strainer inlet, as in one of the pictures above, whether you are moving or stationary. The extra port does not pump, just allows you to use the intake for a deckwash in a tidy manner. The pump is mounted directly on top of the seacock which is screwed into the intake. You can then have a separate deckwash pump of your choosing. A bottom intake, seacock, and twin port pump is not an expensive setup. I'm currently researching this, as I am building a new boat, and can tell you the intake will cost you about $20, s/s ball valve on top of that less than $30, and the pump from $60-100 for a quality Rule or Johnson. If you can't afford the deckwash pump, you just leave the bottom port plugged, and fit the deckwash later at your leisure. They are available with straight or angled intakes, to suit your layout, and you will have a proper setup without bits and pieces hanging off your transom. For the ultimate, you can then add a baitwell timer, which turns your pump on and off so it is not running continuously.

  13. #13

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Ranmar, you just gave me an idea for my setup. I had a scoop and a twin port rule pump but above deck, to get the bait pump to work I used to prime it by temporarily turning the deckwash on and found it sometimes didn't work. I was going to install a new bait pump under the new pod setup I'm getting built and trying to work out where to put everything as space gets limited with transducers, squid lights, trim tabs. Obviously I wasn't thinking and the scoop can stay where it is and the pump can go under the step but it doesn't have to be in line with it as it is a horizontal take off so I can put it out of the way.

  14. #14
    Ausfish Bronze Member OcciferNick's Avatar
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    Jan 2008
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    Caloundra (Aura)
    Thread Starter

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Would it matter if you attached the Staineless Steel or brass one to an aluminium hull?

  15. #15
    Ausfish Platinum Member
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    Mar 2015
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    Kalbarri, WA

    Re: Question about water pickup for live bait tank

    Stainless is OK, but NEVER fix anything brass or copper direct onto aluminium.

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