Title : 1st article Fish Care – Livewell  Preparation


It starts at home or the hotel you are staying at. Right there in your driveway or parking lot. Preparation. It goes a long way towards keeping that ShareLunker alive or taking care of your tournament limit. We need to think along the lines of equipment. Have I charged my batteries properly ? Do my areators function properly ?   Do I have the proper livewell addative to put in my livewell ? Do I need to add ice ? Can I maintain the dissolved oxygen level in the water ?All these questions can be answered right there on the pavement before you leave. Any one of these can cause trouble equipment wise and ultimately lead to the demise of your catch.  156

All of these functions are easily handled. Maintain batteries at their peak charge. Areators can get clogged with gravel or vegetation and need to be replaced. First sign is a “squealing” pump. You can do this yourself or at your local favorite marine dealer.  Also put the plug in your livewell or close the valve so boat ramp doesn’t come in and contaminate your water.  You can add SureLife Catch and Release (2 capfulls) or Ranch House stock salt (1/3 cup per 5 gallons) to your livewell to help fish maintain their health, slime coat and calm them down. Only time you need to add ice is when the water temperature gets to 75 degrees or higher. In the winter like now, it is not necessary. Cold water temperatures hold dissolved oxygen much higher than in the warm months. I will cover summertime issues in another article.

Oxygen levels can be maintained easily in your livewell water by simply making you an oxygen system. A simple oxygen bottle such as the http://www.fishflo2.com system will do it. Or you can add hydrogen peroxide to your water. Most modern bass boats will use around 4 ounces of the 2 % you buy at the grocery store. Instant conversion to oxygen when mixed in the water. And by all means, keep those aerators running constantly when you have fish in your livewell.

Ramps to watch – No tournaments until january

As always, stop by the lodge and say hello ! Regards !