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What type of hose to use

Hookafish

New member
I am replacing the hoses on my livewell. The problem I have is the livewell is in the front of the boat and the aerator pump and drain are both at the back so I have a long run around 16' each or so. The intake looks to be 3/4 and the drain a 1". Also the drain line runs to a thru hull fitting through the transom. Should this thruhul be plugged while underway or open to just let the water drain out after draining the livewell? it Appears to be above water level just wondering how everyone else does it. Also I don't understand how the aerator pump works I would assume it would be left on to circulated fresh air and water to the live bait, if that were the case water would be comeing in and out until done fishing. Or is it set up to just fill the livewell with lake water and than just drain when done for the day if so I guess I'd need an air system to keep the bait alive. Thanks in advance this is my first boat and it's a fixer upper so figured I'd ask.
 
My boat had a rubber grommet around the drain hole and i have a piece of pvc that is a tight fit in the grommet...when i am going to run the boat and want to keep water in the well i just insert the pvc..it is long enough to keep water in the well...other wise the water will drain when the boat is moving enough (in your case) to clear the drain above the water..that may be desirable in some cases..on a short run it will drain and you can pump fresh water in when you stop and get a complete change of water..some may let the pump run continuously but i do not...if i was fishing tournaments where its imperative to keep fish alive i probably would...if you are going to keep bait in it i would make sure the bait is big enough not to get in the drain hole...rotten shines stink..live wells are the most overrated things in boats as far as i am concerned unless you are fishing tournaments...i use ice and only use the live well on fish too big for the cooler...i keep the pvc in the drain and dont run the pump...i dont want to haul a load of water around all day..it depends on water temp and oxy content...i fish in south louisiana and the water temps get pretty warm in summer...
 
Thanks for the reply, mine seems to be set up as yours. The drain connects in the bottom of the livewell and has a small PVC pipe with the rubber insert looks to work as an over flow. The intake is set high on the side with a 90 degree connector to spray water to fill. I guess I could install a small pump inside to circulate the water. The bilge hose I see on line looks like cheap plastic material just want to be sure to use something that lasts as it looks like it's going to be a chore to pull the new in as I pull the old out.
 
you may want to talk to s bass tournament fisherman about how they use a live well...i think they may have something they use as an additive to the water..i dont know if they add a 2nd pump to circulate water or not...keep in mind that you are pumping water to the live well that is the same temp and oxy content as the surface water you are fishing...depending on where you are located that water may be warm...dead fish in warm water means feed the turtles...by the time they are dead they are bad...especially bass...
 
"Poly" bilge pump hose is typically used as it is relatively 'cheap'....trident makes good hose and you should get 20 years out of it as long as it is installed and supported correctly...but it will be with a much bigger bill....
 
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