Live Bait Tank

[tide'n'knots]

hi guys, just finished making a live bait tank for my boat, it sits on a bracket at the rear of the boat and can be raised for travelling with a pipe that scoops water and feeds into it as you travel.

Here are some photos.

this is in the down position.

water flows through the holes drilled in the tank and the livies stay alive.

[attachmentid=39403

this is in the up position for traveling. the pipe scoops water as you go along and feeds it back into the tank

excess water simply flows back out the drilled holes in the side.

This is the bracket I made to attach the tank.It bolts onto the back and is held with 2 big wing nuts and can be removed completely when not in use.

this is the locking system I used to secure the tank to the bracket

this shot shows the pipe scoop just under the boat when the tank is in the up position for traveling

top view

The view from inside the boat

The whole thing cost me just over 100 bucks - i reckon thats pretty good value!

[Wantingaboat]

Looks impressive. Have you given it a test run yet?

[tide'n'knots]

Looks impressive. Have you given it a test run yet?

Just finished it tonight so it hasnt seen water yet, however i am pretty sure it will work ok.

[tan the fisherman]

nice work mate - well done - let us know how the water test goes!

[pelican]

Careful when you store it as copper and ally are not good next to each other and will react.

Hope it works for you and that there is enough swimming water when moving in the base of the container to keep them happy

If you wanted to enable shallow running you could use a hose rather than the solid tube and then your pickup wouldn't go deep when art rest.

Love seeing other peoples inventions, good on ya

Edited February 15, 2009 by pelican

[tide'n'knots]

Careful when you store it as copper and ally are not good next to each other and will react.

Hope it works for you and that there is enough swimmig water when moving in the base of the container to keep them happy

If you wanted to enable shallow running you could use a hose rather than the solid tube and then your pickup wouldn't go deep when art rest.

Love seeing other peoples inventions, good on ya

I couldnt figure out how to use a hose without getting something welded to the boat to connect it????

any ideas on how would be appreciated that way i could shorten the pipe!

Do you think araldite would work on a small aluminium tube 1inch long glued to the bottom of the boat ? the hose could be pushed on to that when in use.

pete.

Edited February 15, 2009 by tide'n'knots

[pelican]

Not sure as there is a lot of water pressure ( drag) on the pick up tube and I can't see how it is supported. The chain stores have water pickups you can just screw to transom ( with some sikaflex) and you could attach a flexible hose from that to the pipe going into the tank.

Plastic conduit or PVC plumbing or garden irrigation fittings are a lot safer than copper around a ally boat a scopper can cause corrosion issues quickly. The irrigation stuff is good as they have taps to adjust flow as it is amazing how much water a small pickup can put into a pipe.

Edited February 15, 2009 by pelican

[cupster]

I couldnt figure out how to use a hose without getting something welded to the boat to connect it????

any ideas on how would be appreciated that way i could shorten the pipe!

Do you think araldite would work on a small aluminium tube 1inch long glued to the bottom of the boat ? the hose could be pushed on to that when in use.

pete.

Hi pete..I wouldn't trust a glue for that job,there will be a lot of pressure put on that tube once your underway and sooner or later it'll give.I recon the best option is to mount a bait tank pic up with 1/2 inch through tube and attach suitable size hose to that...cut the pipe couple of inches below the lowest anchor point and join other end of hose there.

That's a clever setup you've made pete but because that copper pipe isn't anchored down low it may bend under pressure or perhaps cause a rocking effect on the container,combine that with the level you've set the overflow and your livebait could be in for a rough ride.

But i'm being way too pessimistic [comes from prev failed attempts] ...they're just maybes' and there's no doubt that if there's any probs with your new setup you'll soon be on top of it.

edit:..just read Pels reply,that's some good advice..i'd go with that!

Edited February 15, 2009 by hooked4life

[tide'n'knots]

Hi pete..I wouldn't trust a glue for that job,there will be a lot of pressure put on that tube once your underway and sooner or later it'll give.I recon the best option is to mount a bait tank pic up with 1/2 inch through tube and attach suitable size hose to that...cut the pipe couple of inches below the lowest anchor point and join other end of hose there.

That's a clever setup you've made pete but because that copper pipe isn't anchored down low it may bend under pressure or perhaps cause a rocking effect on the container,combine that with the level you've set the overflow and your livebait could be in for a rough ride.

But i'm being way too pessimistic [comes from prev failed attempts] ...they're just maybes' and there's no doubt that if there's any probs with your new setup you'll soon be on top of it.

edit:..just read Pels reply,that's some good advice..i'd go with that!

I get what your saying about the pickup and I totally agree, It may bend and shake - wont know until I test it, as for mounting a bait tank pickup that is a much better idea and definately would have done it that way but- HOW!!!!!! do I have to get it welded? I dont think there is anywhere to screw it .

[dogtooth]

Hi Mate ,

As mentioned earlier in the post i would be ditching the copper tube and heading to bunnings or an irrigation place and look at the following .

1 of1 of1 Of2 Of4 of

Now i would be pushing on 10 cm of garden hose onto the 13mm elbow then put a female standard conection onto the end .

Now i would be lining up the saddle clamp with the bottom of your transom so that the elbow is just below the bottom of the hull . Mark , drill and mount . If you have a transducer you have already drilled your hull before so dont worry..

Use sikaflex when screwing bolts or aluminium riviots .

Add a 13mm skin fitting to your bait tank , do the same and mount a small amount of garden hose and female standard garden fitting .

In the up position run hose direct .

put a joiner in each end and plum the hose and add 2 more fittings .

In the down position run hose thru your rear handle

Hope this helps ....

Cheers Dogtooth....... John........

[cupster]

Hi pete, the pickup I'm referring to comes with a mounting plate that sits flush against the transform and is attached with self tappers.

If you decide to go this way make sure you use the appropriate drill bit size for the screws so they fit nice and snug and don't leak.

Also, coat the screws and back of the plate with a coating compound [duralac or similar] to help keep metals separated, I used silastic marine which is a lot cheaper and did the job.

EDIT:just saw dogtooth's post...that pickup would do the same job at a fraction of the price! I'd go with that.

[i really should refresh before replying]

Edited February 16, 2009 by hooked4life

[tide'n'knots]

thanks guys this is a great help, I was dubious about drilling holes in the floor in case of leaks etc but apparently it looks like its the done thing.

I really appreciate the effort you guys have gone to to explain how its done. I will let you know when its finished and post some photos.

Thanks heaps

pete.

[Kiwi Dan]

Hello mate,

i havent read all the replies but are you going to put a lid on it?

If you hit a reasonable wave you dont want your bait jumping out.

[jewgaffer]

Hi Dogtooth Good work on providing the diagrams for a good live bait tank set up and the easy to follow step by step instructions in pics of the assessories required for installation......John, I'm sure other members will appreciate the efforts you've put into this which will help them set up or modyfy their own DIY live bait tank.........

In regards to Petes attempt, theres a lot of merit in it and money savings, but I think there should be more room under the holes in the tank to give the baitfish enough water under them as Pel has made reference to in his reply, I.E. For example, when the tank has to be raised out of the water when moving from spot to spot and travelling etc. and the extra weight would have to be taken into account when securing the tank.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited February 17, 2009 by jewgaffer

[tide'n'knots]

Hi Dogtooth Good work on providing the diagrams for a good live bait tank set up and the easy to follow step by step instructions in pics of the assessories required for installation......John, I'm sure other members will appreciate the efforts you've put into this which will help them set up or modyfy their own DIY live bait tank.........

In regards to Petes attempt, theres a lot of merit in it and money savings, but I think there should be more room under the holes in the tank to give the baitfish enough water under them as Pel has made reference to in his reply, I.E. For example, when the tank has to be raised out of the water when moving from spot to spot and travelling etc. and the extra weight would have to be taken into account when securing the tank.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Hi byron,

I thought about the extra depth for the livies but the problem was that the boat is a very flat bottom and the water dosent come up the sides or back much, so to raise the holes higher means I would have to sink the whole thing deeper under the water and the whole thing would have been to low - hope you get my drift?

Having said that, although I would have liked it to be a bit deeper while traveling I am sure it will be ok - certainly better than a bucket and airator. The only other option was to build an in boat tank with bilge pump but didnt want the hassle of all the electricals etc and the overflow would still need to be higher than the side of the boat in order to run out.

Hello mate,

i havent read all the replies but are you going to put a lid on it?

If you hit a reasonable wave you dont want your bait jumping out.

good point mate, all of my fishing is done in the river or harbour but a decent bow wave definately could cause a problem. I may have to design a lid.

[Kiwi Dan]

good point mate, all of my fishing is done in the river or harbour but a decent bow wave definately could cause a problem. I may have to design a lid.

Especially if you are anchored in the harbor somewhere and I big cruiser or ferry hammers past you. As the back of your boat goes down you may end up getting a heap of water from the next wave filling up the container and pushing all your fish out as well.

[jewgaffer]

Hi Pete

Kiwi Dan's on the right track here......Another idea would be to leave the holes where they are and open up the tank at the the bottom and add an extra bottom section to the tank without any holes in it. Doing it that way, your live bait and/or your catch would do well having added aeration coming in thru the holes with the water changes...... If you do this, the bait tank can be kept lower in the water and sit higher at the top, so that the top of the tank sits up clear of wake etc..... Having done that, you'll probably need to add a length of dowel to a standard fish tank scoop net which would keep your hands away from your live bait and, having a much longer scoop net, would make it easier to direct when you are leaning over the stern area and reaching down into the tank trying to catch the particular live bait you have selected.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[BalmainBob]

Gday Mate,

It loooks like a great set up they you have designed there. The only issue that I would have done differently is your choice of bucket.

The plastic that those bins are made out of will not last very long when exposed to the elements. It will deteriorate and break very quickly as they are not UV stabilized.

I would have gone for a industrial type bucket, the ones that are about 4 to 5 mm thick, like the ones used to contatin acids etc.

With your current setup I would look into painting the bucket with a waterbased, water proof mebrane . That way it will be protected from the sunlight and from the salt water .

I would also place a strap around the bucket at the top and about 1/3 and 2/3 of the way down the sides going around the mounting bracket to limit the mount of movement of the sides to reduce stress on the plastic. Just one last point. The addition of a washer on each of the mounting screws would help to distribute the mounting load and stop the screw heads from pulling through.

Cheers

Balmain Bob

Edited March 4, 2009 by BalmainBob

[dangles]

at the moment a certain boating chain has a 30l/min bilge pump for 15 bucks. You could use 1 of these as an option as well

[tide'n'knots]

Hi guys I have taken all this great advice on board particularly that from pelican, dogtooth,hooked 4 life , and jew gaffer and have gone out and bought anew tank ( same as the old one) positioned it lower in the water , connected a proper water pickup to the transom and connected a garden hose, completely doing away with the copper pipe. I used it the other day for the first time and it worked a treat.

i will post some pics soon! thanks to all for your great info and help.

Pete.

[tide'n'knots]

heres the modified version in the up position

In the down position

as you can see the transom now has a pick up connected and a hose going straight into the side, the whole thing sits lower in the water so when lifted there is more depth in the bottom.

Thanks heaps to all those who contributed with their suggestions.

Pete

[jewgaffer]

quote]

as you can see the transom now has a pick up connected and a hose going straight into the side, the whole thing sits lower in the water so when lifted there is more depth in the bottom.

Pete

The bait tank looks good Pete..... might pay to replace the green hose with black convoluted marine house - {info courtesy of fellow Fishraider "Geoff".... Geoff is helping me install an extra live bait tank and a multi pump back flow system as a fish attractant that I am also getting ready ATM } - Better off overall to use convoluted marine hose which remains firm in the hot sun, whereas even heavy duty normal hose kinks at bends etc under steady pressure from the pumping system...

Cheers

jewgaffer

[tide'n'knots]

The bait tank looks good Pete..... might pay to replace the green hose with black convoluted marine house - {info courtesy of fellow Fishraider "Geoff".... Geoff is helping me install an extra live bait tank and a multi pump back flow system as a fish attractant that I am also getting ready ATM } - Better off overall to use convoluted marine hose which remains firm in the hot sun, whereas even heavy duty normal hose kinks at bends etc under steady pressure from the pumping system...

Cheers

jewgaffer

thanks byron i will definately keep that in mind if I have any problems with kinking!

pete.