What's your livewell process in summer?

[Actionjack]

I know theres a 100 different ways guys operate their livewells, just curious what you've all seen for success when it's hot.

Do you fill up your livewell as full as they will go or do you fill it beneath the recirc pump nozzle so when the recirc runs it stirs in more air/bubbles/surface agitation? I am torn between which is better, more water in the livewell surely increases the water quality and oxygen it will hold, but I would think having it below the recirc nozzle will help add oxygen in by creating all of the surface agitation?

Do you run recirc or pump new water in on a timer?

If running recirc, when it's hot do you have it on a timer or let it go continuously? I've always ran mine on a timer trying to conserve battery, but I'm running 2 31 AGMs now in parallel so I'm probably safe to run continuous now.

I've always had a good program on running recirc, pumping in new water a few times during the day and Rejuvenate but had a fish die this past weekend now I'm questioning all things in life again.

[mrdeath]

I always fill the livewells first thing in the morning while the water is the coolest it's going to be all day. Then I run recirc on a timer the rest of the day and typically this works just fine. I also add whatever type of additive I have at the time.

Having said that, this past weekend I had 2 fish die and have no idea why. The 3 that lived were all very healthy and lively at weigh in time and all of them were in there for over 5 hours. There were also quite a few other guys with a dead fish or two, so I'm thinking it was just a timing thing. Fish were newly post spawn and stressed. Not sure there's anything I could have done to prevent it.

Water was 82 degrees, so not hot but not cool either. I've had no problems keeping them alive in water warmer than that before. A lot of guys will add ice, but I've never had to do that before. I'm thinking about it now though after having dead fish.

[bhjr.]

I always fill the livewells first thing in the morning while the water is the coolest it's going to be all day. Then I run recirc on a timer the rest of the day and typically this works just fine. I also add whatever type of additive I have at the time.

Having said that, this past weekend I had 2 fish die and have no idea why. The 3 that lived were all very healthy and lively at weigh in time and all of them were in there for over 5 hours. There were also quite a few other guys with a dead fish or two, so I'm thinking it was just a timing thing. Fish were newly post spawn and stressed. Not sure there's anything I could have done to prevent it.

Water was 82 degrees, so not hot but not cool either. I've had no problems keeping them alive in water warmer than that before. A lot of guys will add ice, but I've never had to do that before. I'm thinking about it now though after having dead fish.

Your BBC name surely fits you. Fish will not survive in the same water all day long! I run fresh fill and recirculation all day long. My recirc chops in air as it’s working through vents in my gunnel.

[limitlong]

I freeze a couple of two liter soda bottles that are filled with water. Add them to the live well before leaving the house. When I get to the lake I fill the live well then run it on timed recirculate all day. The only fish that die on me are the ones that get hooked in the tongue. Fish that are hooked in the tongue usually die within just a few minutes.

[bpicinc]

I will run the fill mode during the heat of the day. also have 6 frozen water bottles in ice chest if needed.

[PJ-Rohlf]

Your BBC name surely fits you. Fish will not survive in the same water all day long! I run fresh fill and recirculation all day long. My recirc chops in air as it’s working through vents in my gunnel.

I do the same on timers.

[happykamper]

when I catch my first fish I fill the live well, put on recirculate with a timer, I keep my second live well for a larger fish or two. occasionally I will have 5 larger fish but that does not happen too often. I do keep an eye on the water and the fish, if the water looks pretty used I will turn the live wells back on for fresh water.

[skeeterator]

I never use recirculation, always putting fresh water in all day using the timer.

[Greenwing1]

I never use recirculation, always putting fresh water in all day using the timer.

+1

[r83srock]

I run on fill so it’s pumping fresh water all day. Occasionally open lids to let any possible gasses out. I put my pumps in manual and never shut them off. If I add ice I keep a thermometer so as to not drop water temp more than a few degrees. I hardly do that though. The only additive I use is please release me but I don’t use that often either.

One thing I do is keep the livewell clean. I shop vac any crap that’s in there out. I use 50/50 water vinegar and spray it down and dry with a rag. Haven’t had a fish die in years. The last time one did the water temp was 88 degrees that day.

Smallies are way more sensitive in the livewell than largemouth, imo.

[r83srock]

I should add, I do turn the valve to recirc if I’m in muddy shallow water.

[dean c]

I never use recirculation, always putting fresh water in all day using the timer.

+2 (only recirc when running)

[DrewFlu33]

Fresh water pumping in and VT-2 vents, I've not had any issues. Usually I do my auto timer with the time set to the shortest interval which I think is 1 minute between 1 minute runs. If it's really hot or the fish came from deep water, I'll go ahead and leave the pumps running constantly.

The only time I'll do recirc is if I've got the boat out of the water (i.e., before weigh in), or I enter an area where I'd rather not be pumping water in. This is often around gas docks or in really shallow water where I don't want to suck up sand or other debris.

I did encounter a different situation recently where I had caught some smallmouth in cooler water early in the morning and, later in the day, was fishing for largemouth in much warmer, dirtier water. It was a dramatic difference--the smallmouth had come from the main river in something like 71 degrees that was tannic but clear, and the backwater area where I was catching largemouth was in the high 70s or even surpassing 80 in some places and quite dirty. I didn't want to pump that hot, dirty water onto the smallmouth so I left the livewell on recirculate and put a couple frozen quart-size bottles in to keep the temp down. They did well with that, though I think the VT-2 vents also help make recirculated water not as bad since they allow "bad" gases to escape?

[Lil Mo]

During heat of summer, I keep mine pumping in freshwater almost all the time. I also have a couple of air stones in each that are attached to a bait well pump to diffuse some oxygen. I only run recirc when I’m running or once I’m on the trailer. If it’s going to be really hot or if it’s an all day tourney, I’ll freeze some water bottles to put in the wells.

[bhjr.]

I never use recirculation, always putting fresh water in all day using the timer.

I'm using both at the same time. Adding fresh water and oxygen at the same time. My recirculation pump pulls in air and chops it into micro bubbles. Both are on the same timer.

[mactlman]

I always fill the livewells first thing in the morning while the water is the coolest it's going to be all day. Then I run recirc on a timer the rest of the day and typically this works just fine. I also add whatever type of additive I have at the time.

Having said that, this past weekend I had 2 fish die and have no idea why. The 3 that lived were all very healthy and lively at weigh in time and all of them were in there for over 5 hours. There were also quite a few other guys with a dead fish or two, so I'm thinking it was just a timing thing. Fish were newly post spawn and stressed. Not sure there's anything I could have done to prevent it.

Water was 82 degrees, so not hot but not cool either. I've had no problems keeping them alive in water warmer than that before. A lot of guys will add ice, but I've never had to do that before. I'm thinking about it now though after having dead fish.

recirc is for nasty water around ramp and boat on trailer,, never use recirc all day long?!!!

[Topwater 2]

VT-2 vents and recirculation, fish are live and fighting to be first for weigh-in.

[jdwo2212]

Ive always filled em. Then turn on recirc constant for reat of day. I do have max air system (triton). Bout half way thru the day ill pump out bout half the water and put in fresh. Never lost a fish yet in 5 seasons like this.

[Mcjenson]

It’s funny hearing all the different methodologies here. Personally, I’d water temps are high and I’m catching deep fish, I fill early, use ice, and leave recirc on constant. I don’t want to pump “fresh” 80+ degree water on a smallie that was probably hanging out deep in water that is under 70 degrees.

Also to the OP, you definitely want your recirc to be above the waterline for better mixing. I’ll throw plugs in the overflow just so I don’t lose water during the day though.

[BassinPaPaw]

Why do you all not pump fresh water in, and let them sit in the same nasty water all day?? That doesn’t make a bit of sense.