I get lots of traffic to the site looking for information on jon boats and jon boat customizing. One of the sub-topics that seems to be popular is what to do about livewell space. Whether you're fishing a tourney of some sort or just wanting to keep your fish fresh until you get home, a good livewell is a nice addition to your boat.
I'm fortunate in that the jon boat I customized, a Lowe 1648M, came with a built-in 20 gallon livewell. It wasn't overly functional though, having a mere drain plug in the bottom to both fill or empty as needed. So I had to do some retrofitting to get the set-up I wanted.
I started by drilling a hole through the right side of my hull, just below the waterline and installing an inlet for the livewell fill pump. This is actually placed just in front of the livewell location within the boat to assure the shortest route to the livewell along with the bonus of keeping all the plumbing "hidden" by being under the front deck. Be sure and use a lot of silicone sealant along with a rubber gasket to avoid any future leaking.
Next, I installed the pump and ran the wiring while the floor decks were still off the boat. The inlet went into the top corner of the well and again, a healthy dose of silicone and rubber gaskets were used to seal the inlet. Also be sure and tighten the hose clamps well when you run the tubing from the pump to the inlet, but don't overtighten either. The plastic fittings can be cracked if you apply too much pressure to them.
Since I do fish an occasional tournament or two from time to time, as well as keeping crappie in the well on my fall trips, I wanted to add a recirc pump for additional aeration. This was accomplished by mounting a second pump with separate wiring inside the livewell opposite of the primary fill pump. You can actually put it anywhere the piping fits. I also raised my pump a couple inches off the floor of the livewell when installing to avoid collecting a lot of the regurgitated pieces of "stuff" fish seem to expel at times when confined to a well.
After using this recirc pump last fall, I think I'm going to modify it from the little cap sprayer that it currently has to a spray bar mounted at the top inside of the well. It seems like the little cap is always getting either blown off or knocked off on most trips. You could seal it shut onto the top of the tube, but then you can't easily clean out the pump. I think the spray bar will be the way to go on this.
Finally, I ran all the wiring back to my control panel and hooked the two pumps up separately to their own fused rocker switches. This allows me the maximum freedom to run and operate the setup as needed, and it can all be done from where I sit and run the main engine.
You can find all the supplies you need to convert your well at most any boating or marine center. Many times they come supplied as an entire kit such as THIS ONE from Cabela's. You also don't have to have a built in well to do this. You can easily convert most any portable, insulated cooler into a great jon boat livewell using the same basic procedures and supplies. For instructions and examples of how to do that, check out the following links to web pages detailing this process:
I can't put my finger on it but I always enjoy your boat manufacturing posts. Must be the tinker in me, along with fondly remembering my beginnings. Good job Brian.
Posted by: Rich Ziert | March 02, 2009 at 07:58 AM
As you know I fish a couple tournies a year and all I use is a big cooler and a bilge pump. Im not real big on the livewells that come in most jon boats as there is no real insulation in them to provide better fish management. I love my big cooler, never had a fish die during the day on me and know of some folks that have transported a few fish long distances in them?????? Id suggest adding some insulation above and beyond what most think would be fitting. Im a very big advocate of taking care of my fish and making sure they are as well as they could be given their confined situation. I try to change out water when its warmer(70+ degree water) at least 4 or 5 times a tourney, ALWAYS RUN MY PUMP(batteries DO recharge) and keep the lid cracked to let in fresh air.
Posted by: Josh McDermott | March 02, 2009 at 05:54 PM
Oh yeah, look to head out to Geist on the 14th or 15th as I will be out there both days in preparation for the next month of duty!!!!!
Posted by: Josh McDermott | March 02, 2009 at 05:56 PM
Good point on the insulation factor - and running the pump all the time! Got those days penciled in...I'll probably do Saturday :)
Posted by: Big Indiana Bass | March 02, 2009 at 07:03 PM
I do the same thing as you Josh. When I'm in my little "eagle creek" boat I take a big cooler and a bilge pump. Every hour or two I'll drain half the water out and refill w/ fresh from the lake.
Posted by: Jason McGowen | March 02, 2009 at 07:10 PM
i just got a custom live well installed myself. it's aluminum and came with a filtration system. easy to install and doesn't harm the fish. keeps everything cool even on warm days...i absolutly love it. it is made by a newer company called fishmatepro.
Posted by: Catfish Fever | May 13, 2009 at 03:22 PM
FYI fishmatepro does not appear to be in business any longer .
The biggest issue I've seen discussed all over on jon boat building sites is about the livewell. If your'e boat didn't come with one built in, it's an issue that few have solved on their own.
I've looked at all types of livewell ideas and thought about using a cooler, but coolers take up room. So I talked to my local boat repair shop. They are not busy in the winter as can be expected and so I sent pics of my Jon to them. They came up with an idea to install a livewell in the middle seat. This way I give up no space in my boat for a livewell and make double use of the seat just like a manufactured one. Cost for fabrication, installation and all plumbing will be around $500.
Customlivewells.com has some nice tanks for around $250, but it doesn't include shipping, or plumbing or installation.....figured when it comes to cutting holes in my boat, I'd feel better with having someone with a little more experience handle it.
The rest of my boat mod decking I can handle myself no problem, but a livewell and plumbing just seemed like more than I wanted to tackle with limited metal shop tools.
BTW...you're jon is a great build. You were fortunate it came with a built in livewell tank. It gave me great ideas, specifically the side table for the switch panel and storage. That's perfect for my Locator.
Posted by: Kevin McMahon | January 05, 2012 at 07:24 PM
Thanks for the comments Kevin, and for the info on your customized livewell. As I mentioned, it's a highly trafficked topic, so your info should be very helpful to others.
Posted by: Big Indiana Bass | January 05, 2012 at 09:41 PM
One quick question: Did you put the screened intake of livewell on the side of your boat rather than installing at the stern? If so, how do you like it? I worry about the bump out screen hitting the guides on the trailera and also the drag pulling on it when under way by motor. My builder wants to put it on the stern, which means a hose all the way to the back of the boat. Thanks.
Posted by: Kevin McMahon | January 06, 2012 at 06:00 PM
I went screenless. Intake is on the side of the boat as shown in the pictures. It might be possible to install a small faucet filter or similar inline into the intake side without going the screw-on screen cage route. I don't use my livewell a lot, and many of our reservoirs are void of submerged vegetation, so it has never been a problem in the 3 years I've ran it this way. If something did block it up, it would be a quick disassembly from the side when back on the trailer to remove if needed. I'm guessing you'd probably bang the traditional screen cage up pretty good if you installed it on the side instead of on the back. No guarantees either way though.
Posted by: Big Indiana Bass | January 06, 2012 at 10:04 PM
Thank you. I wondered about that. Someone told me of an "inline screen". I like your system because of going directly out the side because on my boat I have no way to hide the hose routing it to the transom as my floor deck goes right to the ribs. Here's a link to the inline screen which can be cleaned as needed. http://www.ebay.com/itm/JABSCO-46400-0000-TOILET-HEAD-PUMP-INLET-STRAINER-3-4-HOSE-/380379318096#ht_976wt_1037
Posted by: Kevin McMahon | January 06, 2012 at 11:27 PM