Live well in Jon boat

[Brawley25]

Hey I'm new to the forum and have a boat I am building and I'm wondering what anyone who has put a live well in there boat used. And how they done the plumbing as far as water intake and draining. Thanks in advance

 

[RStewart]

Welcome aboard! Search livewell and you will find a lot of info. There are quite a few livewell builds here.

 

[Whaler]

I am interested as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Johnny]

each boat is different - making this difficult to address
to one boat without seeing any photos or plans.
there are pumps, drains, plumbing, etc that must be
installed correctly to suit an individual's needs.

go to the old YouTube and search for "Live Well in Jon Boat".
this will give you some ideas of the hardware, space and plumbing
required to have a properly functioning live well.

take into consideration that this will be one heavy addition
to your boat...... so careful planning must be given to its size and location.

example: if you make your live well 1'x1'x3' = 3cf
One gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds.
One cubic foot of water contains 7.5 gallons.
The weight of one cubic foot of water is 7.5 gallons times 8.3 pounds,
which equals 62.3 pounds of water per cubic foot.
a live well that holds 3cf of water will weigh approximately 187 pounds.

so plan accordingly



numbers are approximate and rounded off.




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[Dowellz]

I'm in the same boat as you. <~~~ see what I did there lol.

I'm have also been researching and it's hard to find good videos of quality builds of livewells. Be great if I could find a write up with detailed pictures of the whole process. Let me know if you find some good info. Back to working on my boat

 

[marshman]

I think it's pretty hard to beat a good 50-70 quart cooler strapped in place.. Fill it with big gulp cup in the morning and aerate with a ready made all in 1 aerator with alligator clips...

I've kept 5 alive no problem all day.. If it's summer time, have frozen water bottles in the drink collier and toss one in every so often...

I used a 120 quart cooler once and it was a lil big and too heavy for the boat I was in.. Slowed me down a lot..

 

[marshman]

If you're set on a permanent fixed livewell, check on YouTube... That fire ant guy seems to have a pretty good system with pump in/pump out and recirculate...

 

[marshman]

There's these Toho rig livewells....

 

[mbweimar]

All the right answers have been given already. There are so many different configurations and applications out there, its hard to give much more help without knowing more. Some pics of your boat would help. Also, what will you use your livewell for? I'm working on plumbing my livewell as we speak. I've designed mine to hold dozens of pilchards (similar to shad, but saltwater) and full size mullet (10-14"). I'd be glad to answer any questions you have. But some research will have to be done on your part.

Here's a link to an interactive livewell builder. This is where I got my inspiration for my livewell.
https://flow-rite.com/marine/livewell-builder

It's all in your hands now. But remember, when it comes to livewells...water flows down hill. And always make your drain larger than your intake. Good luck!