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  1. #1
    Member tcesni's Avatar
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    Oxygenator in a Ranger RT188

    Has anyone added an Oxygenator to the livewell of their RT188? If so, how was the installation? It looks very tight for space behind the livewell.
    2018 Ranger RT188 SC Black/115 hp Yamaha SHO 4-stroke; Garmin LVS34 - north
    2018 Ranger RT188 DC Black/115 hp Merc Pro XS 4-stroke; Garmin LVS34 - south
    14' Mirrorcraft tin boat (ancient) with a 9.9 Mercury 4-stroke, no electronics; catches fish anyway

  2. Member tcesni's Avatar
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    #2
    I'm surprised that no one has installed a Oxygenator. How about an installation in any other tin boat?

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    #3
    I have a buddy who installed a 16" long bubbler stone on the bottom of his livewell with a 12V air pump. Seems to work pretty well. With that setup, you can mount the pump wherever and just need a hole for the hose to go into the livewell. I was considering trying the same, but with a oxygen diffuser.
    2016 Ranger RT188, Yamaha 115 sho, dual console, 80# Ultrex, hotfoot, networked HB Solix 10 & Helix 9, Mega 360. Powertech NRS3 18p, Atlas 4" jack plate.

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    #4
    I don’t fish many tournaments, however I fished one last Friday. We had five fish in the box by 8 AM & culled all day. The water temps were 84-86 degrees depending on time of day. I left the livewell on auto and the pump running on auto all day. Our fish were VERY healthy at weigh in. I’ve just never seen a need for an oxygen system. At least no where I’ve fished. Are people losing lots of fish?

    I could see the need for bait. In that case I’d just clip one on a battery.

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    #5
    I had come across this deal that seems pretty incredible. At $259, its pretty salty, but I think the video speaks for itself:
    2016 Ranger RT188, Yamaha 115 sho, dual console, 80# Ultrex, hotfoot, networked HB Solix 10 & Helix 9, Mega 360. Powertech NRS3 18p, Atlas 4" jack plate.

  6. Member tcesni's Avatar
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    #6
    I've been fishing tournaments for 40 years and had never had a problem with my fish but this past weekend I had some stressed looking fish that concerned me. Now my 2014 RT188 didn't offer the recirculating pump when I ordered it but I've always carried a 12V bait bucket recirculating pump that I insert into the livewell once I get more than a couple of fish in there and I run the fresh water pump non-stop; and that gets interesting when one of the fish sticks it's nose into the outflow and you look at the back of the boat and water is coming out everywhere! But aside from that, I had 5 fish for 12 lbs. in the box for about 4 hours with 80 F water and was surprised that the largest fish around 4 lbs. wanted to be belly side up the entire time and even had reddish fins - but this fish did look stressed even when I landed it. Would the fact that the fish came out of 15 feet of water cause this? I've caught a lot of hot water fish over the years but usually in tidal water or out of shallow weed beds so the fish would have been used to the high water temperatures. Hence I was thinking about the Oxygenator. I have a buddy who just bought a new Vexus 1880 and he had one installed by the dealer as he's fishing the Santee-Cooper area, definitely warm water for sure. I hated releasing a stressed fish of that size thinking it would likely end up as turtle food.

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    #7
    Hmm maybe that fish needed a fizzing needle? I’ve never gone it but know a lot of guys do it in the Ozarks. Also I’ve seen those weights you can clip on the bottom of the fish to help keep them right side up. I’ve never used them either but see them at the tackle shop sometimes.

  8. Member tcesni's Avatar
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by Redog View Post
    Hmm maybe that fish needed a fizzing needle? I’ve never gone it but know a lot of guys do it in the Ozarks. Also I’ve seen those weights you can clip on the bottom of the fish to help keep them right side up. I’ve never used them either but see them at the tackle shop sometimes.
    I'm thinking that fin clips would have helped so next time I place an order with TW I will buy some. I've never been a deep water angler but being stuck all summer at SML (poor me, huh!) sort of forced me to start probing deeper water. A fizzing needle might have also been useful, haven't ever had to do that before either! The fish that wanted to go belly up seemed pretty lively when ever I picked it up.

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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by tcesni View Post
    I'm thinking that fin clips would have helped so next time I place an order with TW I will buy some. I've never been a deep water angler but being stuck all summer at SML (poor me, huh!) sort of forced me to start probing deeper water. A fizzing needle might have also been useful, haven't ever had to do that before either! The fish that wanted to go belly up seemed pretty lively when ever I picked it up.
    I bet it had something to do with there air bladder, they were caught deeper and used to the high pressure of that deeper water maybe??

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    #10
    I do a lot of crappie fishing and was wanting to do something different than the old pump on the minnow bucket, they are so noisy. I purchased the B15 Marine Metal Aeration System Power Bubbles 12V DC and mounted it in the back of my Tracker. I hard wired it with a rocker switch and put a manifold by it to route the hoses. I have 1 that runs to the front for my minnows and 2 that go to the live well. I used a 3/4 rubber grommet with 2 holes in it, the hoses fit snug in the grommet so no water leaks out. Went in the live well over the gas tank by the batteries. Works really well. Turn it on and open the valve on the manifold to where you want air and don't have to hear the constant drumming of the pump. When you fish all day by yourself, that thing can be mind melting

    Maybe I'll get some pics of my install on here.....

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    Last edited by Crappie Bob; 09-21-2020 at 05:49 PM.