How To Set Up a "5 Alive" Tourney Livewell in Your Jonboat

There's an old TV commercial that goes, "When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen." I'm here to tell you that when Tim Ackal talks, people likewise would do well to "put their listening ears on" (sorry, but I couldn't help borrowing that Judge Judy phrase). As this seasoned Navyman and avid bass angler gladly will tell you, "I do not lose fish and am proud of this fact." Here are the details of why he's able to make this boast--it's a primer for those with jonboats who want to keep their 5-fish limit alive during tournaments.

By Tim Ackal

My livewell is rather large. It extends from one side of the boat to the other and is probably 12 inches deep. In the bottom of the livewell is a drain hole that I plug with a piece of PVC pipe, which I can pull out to drain the water when needed. This pipe also serves as an overflow--if the water rises above the top, it just drains out without my having to do anything, a feature that I like to have.

A 500-GPH pump fills my livewell with water from the lake or river in no time. I also have a 750-GPH recirculation pump. When I catch my first fish, I fill the livewell, then turn on my recirc pump and leave it on all day.

Here are some tricks that I use to keep my catch healthy throughout the fishing day:

     * I check on my fish every 20 minutes...because equipment will fail.
     * I always check the intake filter on my recirc pump for debris, which can suck up against the filter and cause the pump to slow down. I want that thing "rockin' and rollin'," so I keep an attentive ear on it at all times. I absolutely hate losing any fish.
     * If it's hot, I will drain the livewell and add fresh water from time to time--just because it is hot. I even freeze small bottles of water and will add one of those when it's really hot. Note: I never open the bottle and let the frozen water thaw and go into my livewell because chlorine in tap water can hurt your fish.
     * I always add "Please Release Me" to my livewell.

Here are some other things to consider for keeping your fish alive:

     * When you gut-hook a fish, DO NOT try to remove the hook. Fisheries biologists advise to leave it there, and the fish will get rid of it on their own.
     * Don't ever mess with the gills of a fish.
     * Don't handle your fish anymore than necessary. Don't let them flop around on the deck of your boat too much because they get stressed and lose their protective slime, which can lead to further issues.
     * When fishing soft plastics, especially Senkos, one way to avoid gut-hooking fish is to become a line watcher. Fish, especially big ones, many times will inhale a bait without your ever knowing it unless you're watching the line. Kevin Mills will tell you the same thing. I bring this matter up because we're now getting into the time of year when people fish more soft plastics...and, unfortunately, we see more gut-hooked fish.

If anyone reading this article would like to get hooked up with Tim for additional info, just email me, and I'll forward your contact info to him so he can get in touch with you. My email address is kenneth34@cox.net.