Livewells

[bigdog]

I have come to realize that Champion livewell system can't take the heat. I have tried everything and I still have fish die during the summer tournaments. I had lost very few fish over the past 15 years in my other brand boats. I don't know what the problem with the livewell system is, but I need some help. If you from a cooler climate there is no need to chime in on this, but if you are from the south any information is welcome. Boat will be posted for sale sometime this week if anyone interested.

[Lea]

I have not lost a fish in any of my Champs. Not sure why you are having this issue. Do you have both Aerator and Hydro-air? Many of us freeze water in bottles and add a bottle to the well peroidically to help keep water cool.

Some folks advocate bringing new water in from lake several times thru the day, but when the lake water near the surface is too warm, I was told to fill the well and then turn off Aerator and use only the Hydro-Air and one of the products like "Please Release Me"...

In some of the boats, the venturi for the Hydro-air was under water when well was filled, making it impossible to get air bubbling/spraying. Duane Harper devised a way to fix this. I hope he sees this and will post the pics again if you need to see them.

[sean203dc-champion]

I fish on Kentucky Lake, and it's hot......one of the best things i've found is, if you have a recirculating pump. Fill your livewell, turn on your recirc pump, and add some re-juvinate to the water. The water will stay cooler than that if you keep adding lake water to it. And when it gets real hot, pick up a block of ice at the gas station that morning and put that into the livewell also.

[ChampioNman]

I've yet to loose a fish in my 1989 Vintage 201. I live in the south South Carolina to be exact and once the first fish of the day is caught the live well gets filled. 2 liter bottle of ice goes in, rejuvenade and the Hydro Air pump goes on. I only pump in fresh water if I loose some. I only run the areator in the spring and fall. It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools.

[JackJ]

I'm in West Alabama and I have never had a dead fish in my Champ in the five years I have owned it. Mine is a '97 181 model and doesnt even have a recirc pump.

I make sure I keep my valve open so most of the water drains out each time I move from spot to spot to keep it fresh.

[jerzia]

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by Lea &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote"> Duane Harper devised a way to fix this. I hope he sees this and will post the pics again if you need to see them. </td></tr></table>
http://www.bbcboards.net/zerothread?id=210303

[bigdog]

This is what I do. I fill the livewells first thing in the morning when the water is at its coolest then I run the Hydro Air on manual all day. I also put please release me in the water. I have used the forzen water bottles in the past, but it doesn't seem to make a differance. I think I am going to try the oxygenator and see if it works. Losing fish is costing me money, and it just aggravates me that I have never had an issue in none of my prior boats.

[06champ198]

I had not lost a fish in my 198 until recently. It was extremely hot. However out of 15 keepers caught over the weekend I only lost one. During the tournament I saw Ranger, Stratos, and all other Brands having the same issues.


You are doing pretty much the same thing that I do. Have you tried cleaning your livewells out real good to make sure you dont have something in there that is killing the fish? I would say water temps is probably what is causing you to lose fish not the lack of oxygen. I put a block of ice on each side of the livewell in the morning and again in the afternoon. I also am really careful not to beat my fish up when running around the lake. Really not a problem in a Champ but if it is really rough you can kill a limit real quick.

Good luck.

[ReelBigJ]

What are the specs on your boat.......I'm shopping............fyi I have owned 2 other Champs and never had a problem. A 1988 and a 1996..........

[H2O_Fowl]

Its all about water management. There is a link in the general forum thats a good read.

[Lea]

Thanks, jerzia...that thread could help a bunch of folks...

<table width="90%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align=center><tr><td>Quote, originally posted by bigdog &raquo;</td></tr><tr><td class="quote">This is what I do. I fill the livewells first thing in the morning when the water is at its coolest then I run the Hydro Air on manual all day.

</td></tr></table>

From the responding posts above, I do not get the impression that "the Champion livewells can't take the heat". It appears most do not have the problem you describe. I hope it can be resolved. The link jerzia posted might be of assistance. Especially if your venturi is covered when you fill your well(s).


This may be a stupid question, but I have heard of folks running both Hydro and Aerator simultaneously, which defeats the purpose for the Hydro-Air. Do you turn your Aerator switch completely off after filling the wells?

I also have to wonder if you have good insulation around your well(s). Once in awhile a boat comes along with less than adequate insulation..

[bigdog]

I do not fill them up past the hydro air, because I know you have to see the bubbles for it to work. I also turn the aerotar off once I have the proper water depth in the livewell. I would like to figure out why I keep losing fish. I have done everything I know to do. I have also cleaned them out several times to just make sure that I don't have something in the wells killing my fish. Thanks for all the replies on my issue.

[Lea]

Then, unless it is an insulation problem, I'm at a loss.... Hopefully, someone else will have some more ideas...

[HaulinBass]

I feel your pain on this issue. I too have had Bass die, usually the LM. Spots are tough little bass-turds, take adverse conditions well.
I believe it's a pandemic with ALL bassboat manufacturers. They just don't get it. The live-well MUST BE FULLY INSULATED all the way around not just the lid. If they would just adhere a 3/8" thick foam insulation on the outside of the box. I use all the recommendations for keeping bass alive from the BASS website. H2O2, ice, water conditioner for bass, running my recirc on manual, keeping the venturi above water, fizzing when necessary, using only main lake water to fill. I'm at a loss as well. My water stays much cooler than the ambient temp. I tried the oxygenator, don't care for it due to the dissolved minerals in the Ozarks water causes the calcium to build up on it, plus you can't use water conditioners that contain electrolytes.
And I don't drive in warp speed with the swimmers in the box.
My only other remedy to this would be to attach an O2 cannister to the livewell. <u></u> <u></u> <u></u> <u></u> <u></u> <u></u>

[Lea]

Sadly, any O2 system out there will kill fish if your waters contain the teeniest bit of salt...

Here...Unless we go to lakes hours away, our only choice is to fish our rivers which are tidal... No O2 system is viable.

However, as previously stated, no issues with fish dying for many of us....I wish there was a universal solution...