Livewell Managment

[Strothman]

There were a couple guys at the last tourney I was in that yacking about fish dying in the livewell last time they fished that tourney. First of all I don't think that that needs to be broadcast across the whole group, because I would like to think the guys I fish with are a little more cautious than that. I overheard one of the more experienced guts mention that he had an ice pack in his livewell to help out. So what I ask, does the water get too hot in the well? And what addetives work best to keep fish from loosing weight, and having a good coating of slime? Also, I'm in Southeast Iowa, the lake we fish isn't that warm yet, but it gets very green with algae

[Jar11591]

Water isn't too warm in a livewell because the livewell should be circulated with lake water. Other than that, I don't know. But I'm pretty sure all livewells are filled and circulated with lake water to make sure the temperature is right and there is enough oxygen. Same idea as a bait bucket.

[Raul]

Can the water warm up ? oh yeah, in theory a livewell should pump in from the lake into it and then expel it, but in closed systems this doesn´t happen so the water in the livewell heats up, the problem here is that warm water holds a lot less oxygen than colder water, also, fish excrete ammonia so if the water isn´t exchanged the ammonia levels rise causing swelling of the gill tissue and swollen gill tissue doesn´t allow the oxygen/CO2 exchange to perform properly so your fish slowly suffocate, add to it lower oxygen levels plus an increased methabolic rate because the fish body temperature rises too and then your livewell turns into a diewell chamber. Adding ice and reducing the temperature avoid all that. Adding an aereator also helps.

[00 mod]

Please release me.

 

http://www.sure-life.com/pro_PLEASE_RELEASE_ME.html

 

Jeff

[WRB]

Check out the Sure-Life Labs video on livewell management.

When the lake surface water gets up into the 80's it's too hot to retain enough dissolved oxygen to sustain the bass in the livewell, if the water is being recirculated. To lower the livewell water temps to the low 70's, ice may be needed.

Tom

[Sam]

Install an Oxygenator system and don't worry about the live well other than to check on the bass and make sure the water temp does not increase.

 

Put a sheet of aluminum foil over the well's cover to help reflect the sun's heat.

 

Take a plastic container with you and bail water into the live well to over flow it to get some fresh water in it.

 

Throw in some frozen water bottles to help cool the water.

 

If a fish is bleeding put in some Mountain Dew to stop the bleeding if you don't have any special products to clean the well's water.

 

Just some suggestions to consider.

[topwaterrob]

In the summer I run the fill pumps and recirc pumps a lot to keep the water fresh and oxygenated.  I don't put straight ice into the LW unless emergency, rather a frozen water jug as the ice has chemicals like chlorine etc.  I don't know if it affects them or not but I do it out of caution. 

[Strothman]

Thanks everybody, so what I have got out of this conversation, is if the water is a touch higher, keep a frozen water bottle or something to bring the water temp down a touch. I always have my livewell on the whole time, and circulating constantly, is that the right thing to do?

[Brian Needham]

Please release me.

 

http://www.sure-life.com/pro_PLEASE_RELEASE_ME.html

 

Jeff

this is a GREAT product..... but beware if you are using oxygenators this product will kill your fish deader than a hammer. It converts it to ammonia or salt (cant remember)

livewell additives are awesome just make sure they are compatible to your system.

[martintheduck]

 

 

If a fish is bleeding put in some Mountain Dew to stop the bleeding if you don't have any special products to clean the well's water.

 

 

 

 

Wait.... what?