Homemade Fish Livewell

[CalabashFishman]

I'm not sure what you would call this. I made it out of PVC, Strong Plastic Black Garden netting, and 1 pool noddle.

Pretty much it just sits in the water and holds live bait. There is a cut in the netting up top so I can load fish.

The only thing I had to do which wasn't in the plans was add 12 oz sinkers at each corner because when the tide runs here, it runs. 6 ft or more on a normal day.

Here's a picture. Let me know what you think.

[Moveable Assets]

That should do it! Nice job!
cool:

[Moveable Assets]

That should do it! Nice job!

[sjogren]

Round is better , baits swim into the corners and get weak.
Try to keep it out of current ,they beat their little tails off pinned against mesh.

[tolmaz]

ditto-----go round

[Robja]

Round would be better particularly if you put pogies in it. So far as the slit bait will get out particularly if you have otters. They will agitate the bait in the pen and they will head to the surface and some will go thru the slit. We pen bait often before a KMT tournament in a net pen with a cinch knot on top and the otters still manage to raid it from time to time.

[clt_capt]

I'll third the round pen. There are some plans here - http://www.swordfishingcentral.com/f...-bait-pen.html

We've had issues with otters and birds - there was a heron on the dock that used to think the bait pen was a buffet. We wound up putting a plastic lid on it.

[34SILVERTON]

I'll third the round pen. There are some plans here - http://www.swordfishingcentral.com/f...-bait-pen.html

We've had issues with otters and birds - there was a heron on the dock that used to think the bait pen was a buffet. We wound up putting a plastic lid on it.

nice job

[Robja]

Calabash,

A couple of years ago in Saltwater Sportsman or Sportfishing Magazines they had a good article on Bait motels. The one they had was about 6' in diameter and had weights on the bottom and instead of floats on top it had a trailer tire intertube on the bottom with a fill hose run to the top so that when you want to get the bait out you inflate the tube and it floats out of the water.

[CalabashFishman]

Yes. A lot of people said its better round... after I made it haha. I still havent mastered at bending PVC to make it round. haha.

I will take a look at those plans up top. ^^^^

We do have a BAD problem with otters, but only in the winter time. This livewell is only in the water during the busy season. I usually just keep pinfish and small fish like that in there. There only in there for 7-8 hours max. Since at the end of the day is 11 pm and the beginning of the day is 6 am. haha

But thanks guys. Maybe the next one will be round.