mobile livewell

[cranky]

we use a boogy board with a net in the middle at the moment....if there are no fish in it we turn it upside down so the net is on top and there is no drag but as soon as you turn it and put fish in you need a 70 lb trolling motor to pull it...when i use it during comps i normally leave it in the middle of the dam and take the fish to it rather than dragging it around

so i am thinking of designing a light mobile livewell out of fibreglass or using aluminum and a set of really small pontoons...but the pontoons are what kills the price of anything i build.

i want to design something that glides thru the water and at the same time circulates the water...without having to use a pump and battery...and at an affordable price

 

 

 

[AYOBA!]

115pvc pipes closed at the ends for pontoons ?

 

[Herman Nel]

Hi Guys!

Look at the thread below of a portable livewell I built a while back.

http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=15380&forum_id=32

It really works like a charm...2 weeks ago i brought some small saltwater fish back from Ballito to Nelspruit ( that is about 8 hours they were in there ) for a friend for his saltwater aquarium. - I bought a permit from Parksboard in case anyone wonders...

Why dont you built something similar and fix it on top of an inflated tractor "tjoop"? It will float and have less drag, plus you can add anti stress doepa etc to the livewell!

Regards

Herman

 

[cranky]

herman your idea is great but i dont want to fit a pump...as soon as i use a pump i need power for the pump a timers etc.

i like the pvc pipe idea with end stops as pontoons...maybe i could heat them and squash the ends so they become ,more streamlined

the live well must hang in the water so that there is always oxygen for the fish like the net and boogy board...this works well it just needs to be stream lined so that it is not a mission to tow around...i am thinking about making a nose like a mono hull and fitting it to the front of the boogy board and leaving the back as a net...why because you dont travel more than 5 km/hr yet and with the back open the water will exchange without the need for a pump...yet it will be streamlined to tow

the nose will need to be higher than the boogy board in front because we also have a problem with it nose diving then it really gets heavy ...

and once again it all about the budget...it must be a cheap but good quality like our new kickboat.

i wouldnt want to spend more than R500 on a livewell for a mobile livewell so thats the target price...i think there is a need for a mobile livewell which is light moves easy in the water and works efficently...considering the amount of small vessel comps 

 

 

 

 

[Herman Nel]

Hiya Cranky! I hear waht you say, the airraitors I use only uses battery power form large torch type batteries.

Lets say you use a 40 liter odd size RECTANGULAR container with a lid ( the type you can buy from Pick and pay , Builders warehouse , Game etc...) = R 200

1 Airraitor battery pump , from either a petshoppe or a fishing tackle shop = R 50

2 batteries for the pump = R20

Old med size tractor "tjoop"  = Free at most tyre fitment places, just ask nicely...

If you squeeze the 40 Liter container into the centre / hole in the midlle of the tjoop , the tjoop changes shape and takes on the form of a canoe...well almost... thus making it more "aerodynamic" or rather "hyrdodynamic"?

I will build one as we are going to have a kickboat series of sorts here in Mpumalanga soon!

Hope this helps!

Herman

 

[DWB]

Hell will all the crocs in your area i would not be participating... LOL the only thing you'll be doing is kicking crocs away...

 

[Herman Nel]

Hallo Deon!

Die krokkies worry my nie, dis die seekoeie...as een van hulle jou pik los dit gewoonlik 'n lelike merkie...LOL!

Ek neem aan dit sal by damme soos Inyaca , Da Gama , Vygies , en so paar privaat waters wees...

Groete

Herman

 

[basslover]

Hi Cranky, here is some tips and help...

You can try both these links...

http://bass-n-tubes.com/gallery2/v/rigging/

http://bass-n-tubes.com/gallery2/v/rigging/Tournament-Livewell/

 

[cranky]

thanks...i had a look the follow me bag is similar to what we use at the moment...but man what a mission to tow that thing around...i also dont want to add any more weight to my kickboat...

i want to come up with a follow me livewell but just designed in such a way that it cost less than R500 and tows easy

 

[Herman Nel]

How many fish do you or are you allowed to keep....5 ?

I have got a plan....!

 

[DWB]

I think the density of your netting will determine the resistane. So instead of something like shadenet use something with bigger holes that will give less resistance.

what about these ropes with the clips on (i can't remember the name right now) i used that on my little boat and the fish were still fine afterwards...

 

[Herman Nel]

Ok so here is the plan!

I call it the "BASSTUBE"!!!!!!!!

20 cm dia pvc pipe, about 50 cm long, plastic gardening mesh in the one side ( front side ) and a mesh bag with a drawstring on the other side ( back side ) , rope passes through pipe and attached to the float tube / pontoonboat / kickboat , lead weight fixed to the bottom of pipe to make sure it hangs right in the water and holes drilled in pipe for extra water flow...

Very low drag coefficient, water always flowing over fishes' gills and no airraitor/bilge pump or anything required! Fish goes in head first obviously facing the direction you are moving ( behind you).

I am gonna make one tonight to "show and tell" tomorrow!

Ok I'm off!

Regards

Herman

 

[Herman Nel]

Ok, so you might need one on each side,maybe even different sizes for different sized bass, remember this is meant for one pipe one fish only! I guess you can fit about 4 of these per small watercraft?

Herman

 

[cranky]

this is what i use...i tow it upside down until i get a fish which means most of the comps i dont have a problem but when i do get a fish i normally leave it in the middle of the dam and just take any other fish to the net

 

[cranky]

we folds down nice and compact and then it tows ok.

it was rory or chris or came up with this idea.

 

[cranky]

i had a look at some bait boats which the carp fisherman use...now that is a plan...to build a livewell which i bring to my kickboat when i get a fish.

i have considered building one under the seat of the kickboat...but normally when we fish small dams there is plenty weed...lily pads etc so it will get stuck all the time or be out the water.

 

 

[basslover]

We have had some problems with the same stuff with our comp, so the guys came up with a follow me bag that you tie to your float tube or kickboat, not a lot of drag but the grass is a big problem, i really wish someone could come up with a good idea for a follow me bag that would change competitive float tube fishing....lol.
cranky, Herman i think you are the guys just to do that...lol
Here is a pic of the follow me bags that we use at the moment.

 

[cranky]

one of my biggest concerns with having the livewell out the water is the heat...when the livewell is belong water level it stays cooler as soon as you lift it up out the water it heats up...especially on those 30 + days

but once in the water it gets caught on everything...

 

[Herman Nel]

Here is the link to the basstube I built!

http://www.sealine.co.za/view_topic.php?id=48779&forum_id=32

Greetings

Herman