Couldn't wait for the Livewell XL; My DIY PA baitwell

So I have built many many bait tanks in my day. I will fish with anything, but live bait is always what I WANT to fish with whether I am fishing fresh or salt. I live in Tampa Bay Area and fish mostly for snook. I needed the ability to keep lots of sardines and the ability to keep big baits like hog leg mullet or ladyfish. I liked the idea of the Hobie baitwells however I wasn't crazy about the shape. Over the years I have learned that the shape of the bait well is extremely important. I also wanted something wide to give more room for larger baits. So here is what I came up with, I used the bottom of a 55g
Drum, several Hobie bait tank parts, some starboard, lots of SS screws, and some ingenuity to make it come together. It is essentially a hobie bait well but with a different tank. I definitely did not like the shape and size of the Vittle Vaults.









I didn't put any switch, atleast not yet. The battery is in a waterproof case inside the hull. The only thing I am concerned about is with it being so wide is how it could affect stability. However, the center of gravity is very low because at the max capacity it about 11g the water is about 5.5-6" deep. With the standpipe theoretically I should be able to run wherever I need to. I figured for my first actual post I would contribute something someone might find useful. I have already seen tons of awesome things on here. Next project is my storage rack!


UPDATE

So after having the tank in action several times I am very pleased with it. It works like a champ. Pedal forward and it primes, however I always end up dumping water into it to get my baits out of my 35g tank that I transport in. Once the boat is in the water, the last thing I do is fill a 5 gal bucket with all my baits and dump them in with the water. If the pump is on it just primes itself and starts running after a few seconds. I had about 20 large sardines and about10 chunky cigar minnows in it on Sunday, didn't lose one all day. I can't notice any perceptable difference in the performance of the boat. One thing I have noticed about the boat in general is that if you are pedaling fast in the high seat position and hit the rudder hard it feels a bit topsy turvy. I haven't felt any real fear of flipping but I am sure the bait tank only adds to that feeling. The kayak felt about the same when I was unloaded tooling around. Overall, I am super happy with it. I want to find the max capacity but I don't like pushing it and losing all my baits. Better to have 30 feisty ones than 50 lackluster!



A beautiful way to start a morning of spring snook fishing!

Nice! How many crappie and white bass you think something like that will hold? I'm looking for something that will hold fish.
Thanks...

I bet it would hold a dozen crappie. Not sure how big white bass are though... It's running on a 6v battery. I have never caught a crappie with hook and line before I occasionally get them in my net when I am catching shiners in a few ponds. At max capacity the water is about 5.5-6" deep and the diameter is like 22-23" you could put some big fish in it.

Cool! The WB here get pretty big. Larger than anywhere else i have caught them. 16 to 17" is the norm with an occasional 18".
The crappie are pretty small usually. My biggest crappie was 2.6 pounds which is a rarity. The one picture is about two pounds and it is big compared to most of them.
let us know how it handles the livewell. I might go for a even bigger one if yours does ok in the yak...

UPDATE

I like the design. What did you use for the top?

I used a piece of 1/2" starboard. It's UV stabilized HDPE. I used stainless screws to fasten the lid to te drum and then cut the lid out. I then installed a slam latch and fitted it together so it snapped shut snuggly. I love it, it works like a champion!

Really nice design. You were smart to keep it low for a lower center of gravity. The tipsy sensation that you experienced when turning is called free surface effect. It probably does not affect you too much in tampa bay, but offshore in a larger sea you would notice it more. Free Surface Effect is a stability issue that is calculated on larger vessels and is a function of the beam(width) of a slack liquid tank. It is a shift of the center of gravity caused by the shifting of the water inside the tank. If the tank is kept full(no slack area at the top) free surface moments becomes zero. Another way to reduce free surface is to put baffles at the top of the tank to dampen the shifting of water in the tank. Some factors to consider if you want to increase the stability of your kayak. I would say that the only feature I miss about your design is the lack of rod holders. Thanks for sharing your project.

That is very well done! Congrats on a great setup!

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Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

Yes very well done. I really only bass fish but once in a while I'm in the mood to keep a few. I was considering a livewell I could throw a few in if I happen to catch a mess. Usually when I decide I want to keep a few I only catch one or two.

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