I have had my Gambler for six years and in the last six months i have started to loose fish in the live well. It cost me a second place finish this weekend. I dont understand what is going on the wells are running but it just wont keep the fish alive. I have cleaned the screens on the intake side and i have 550 gph motors on the aerate side.
River Rat
Gambler 2100
Are you getting foam in the livewell? Is the water changing color? Have you tried addding those crystal to help the fish? I bought some a year ago and can't remember the name today (sad huh?)
Anyway...can you see anything that might be triggering the kill? Is it both wells?
River Rat gave great advice. Definitely heade the warning about detergent.
Stay safe on the water.
Mac
No i dont clean them with any kind of soap just a brush a clean water. Yes i have used please release me and they still die if put more than 3 fish to the well or if i have 2 larger fish in one well. This is driving me CRAZY.
River Rat
Gambler 2100
My brother had the same problem onhis 2100 year 2000. We solved the problem by building spray rails (similar to a bass cat livewell) and screwing tthem on to the pump in opening. When the 2100 livewells are too full the water basically stops moving and kills the fish. I hope that this helps. If you send me an IM with your e-mail address I will trt to send some pictures.
River Rat
Gambler 2100
I had the same problem with the99 Intimadator I had and the dead fish were the difference in winning vs loosing. If you don't make any changes you should pump in fresh water while pumping out livewells. That will help. However, It concerned me that even if the fish lived at time of release they may not survive very long. So I ended up installing an oxygen system and haven't had a problem since.......all I do is add fresh water a few times. I have to be careful when I take out the fish they are chaged up with the oxygen.
WD: Are you saying you added an oxygen system to your new rig? If so, what kind/brand?
I actually added the oxygen edge system to the intimidator and removed it before I sold and then re-installed in the 2200. You can do a search for Oxyedge and go to their website. The system works great........it has a regulator that you set based on the LBs of fish in the live well so you don't waste oxygen. The cylinder is aluminum and don't weigh much. I have it installed in one livewell. I have not had a dead fish since I installed the system.
WD could you post some pics of the install on your boat? This sounds like it will take care of my problems. Thanks
River Rat
Gambler 2100
I don't have a digital camera, but I can tell how to intall if you plan on adding the system. It's not too difficult of an installation. The cylinder is about 30" long (they do sell a smaller one) and I used a painted steel fire extinguisher mount (can purchase at safety supply) that bolts to the boat and has a quick release latch with rubber cushions to secure the Ox. tank. 1. You run a 1/4" clear plastic tube (comes with the kit) from the regulator/tank to the livewell. 2. Purchase a gromet (from a rubber supply co.) and slit the gromet, drill a hole (sized for gromet) near the top sidewall of the livewell, install the tube through the hole then the gromet. 3. A stone type diffuser (with kit) has 4 suction cups that stick to the bottom of the livewell, slide the tube onto the diffuser/hose shank and you are finished. I mounted my tank in the large storage compartment.........it fits very well beside the quick draw tackle storage on my 2200 (not sure about a 2100). Note: After I drilled the hole in the top of the sidewall of the livewell I fished heavy wire (similar to a clothes hanger) along the side of the boat until I could attach the tubing, then pull tubing through hole in livewell. If this is not enough info for you we can use e-mail to better explain/clarify.
If you use an oxygenator, DO NOT add release aid. The salt reacts with the Oxygen and releases chlorine gas in the water. NOT good for fish or people.
I have a 2200 and it has a sprayer head in the live well but my partener also has the same boat but the fish don't seem as lively in his but no problem loosing fish in either We also add ice in the summer but also add Please realese me
I clean my livewells with clorox. I circulate it through all the pumps then flush it out about 4 times. It wastes alot of water filling it up and flushing it out but it works. I have had no more problems. I also pump in fresh water regularly and I freeze a couple of gallon jugs of water to carry when the water temp is 85 and greater. I also add the release me stuff. I have only lost one fish since and I don't think it was my boats fault. I brought it up to fast and it wouldn't float right after a minute in the livewell.
21 ft Stroker / 300 Yamaha with Hydrotech sportsmaster
One thing you might want to check is the air inlet tube and make sure that it isn't obstructed.. I had one livewell that wouldn't keep fish alive and found that the inlet tube for the fresh air was looped down to low and was filling with water from the livewell.. I disconnected the hose and cut some off so that it wouldn't loop down and fill with water from the livewelll.. That solved my problem and the fish stay alive just fine in that livewell now where as before they would not...
I have had the same problem that dmorrow described. I am planning to add some sort of spray system to get the water to spray in the front of the livewell. This is probably my biggest dislike about my 2200. I don't understand why they would design a livewell where the aerator wont work if you fill it to full.....
Justin Wood
used to have a Gambler...
I also added a Oxygenater to each livewell and a air pump with the air stones.. Both are very simple installs and I can tell you that the fish are super charged come weigh-in time.. They always have a very hard time getting my fish to stay still and when I put them back in the lake they swim off much faster than any of the other fish..
http://sports.espn.go.com/outd...aunch
http://www.probass.net/protips...1.php
here are some real good ideas. I follow those steps just like they say and have not lost a fish yet. (except the obvious, deep hook in the gills)
I was also having problems with one of my livewell spray bars on my 07 2100.
You can turn it to get more of a spray in the water inside the well. Also here's a neat tip that I read and works great for hot water lakes in the summer or if the water is hot like a power plant lake.
I use two large gatorade bottles clean them out and fill them with lake water. I usually do this when I'm prefising before the tournament. Fill it about 3/4 full and then add Rejeuvenade or Please release me, shake it up good and then freeze it. I marked on the bottles do not drink as it kind of looks like gatorade.
Toss it in the cooler. (I usually make two or four bottles.) When you get to the lake open one up and put it in the livewell with the water. This not only cools down the water but releases the additive at a slower rate. Works great for me.
On my 96 Intimidator I installed the Oxygenator Pro Livewell flush mount BKM-3. I also change out the water 1-2 times using the Flowrite pump out system that was very inexpensive and easy to install. I still use the aerators to move the water around. Since the addition of the Oxygenator I didn't lost a single fish this past summer, and we all know how hot the surface water temps can be in Central FL. If the price concerns you then compare it to all the dollars spent on catching the fish as opposed to keep them alive. Not to mention loosing a tournament because of a dead fish. Also take a look at all the boat manufactures that are starting to use this very system in there boats. The list is growing. If anyone is interested in the Oxygenator contact Matt Peters at 952-881-1330
info@o2marine.com
Modified by 96intimidator at 11:13 AM 12/19/2007
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