How to Keep Livewell Bass Alive in Hot Weather

[@DannyBTalks]

RIP Jonathan, but he did make probably the greatest "how-to" video on fish care, helping generations of anglers for years to come, thanks to Wired2Fish.

[@burnham187]

Awesome video. Quick comment about difference between bubbler and oxygenator. Bubbler cools the water because the bubbles(being too large to dissolve in the water)break the surface. It is the breaking/movement of the surface that cools the water due simply to quicker evaporation. The faster the water evaporates the cooler the water gets. This is why easiest way to cool water even up to 10 degrees is run a fan accross the top. It is the quicker evaporation of water that actually cools the water and this is done by surface movement. That can be done by fan, or bubbler. The oxygenator actually dissolves oxygen into the water therefore increasing the oxygen levels in the water. The bubbles are so small that they quickly dissolve in the water before hitting the surface. So this does not as much cool the water but adds oxygen. Now keep in mind the cooler the water the more oxygen will be in the water so surface movement will help not only with cooler water but more o2 in the water. Just wanted to clear up the difference between the two methods. I have fish tanks at home.

[@theunluckyfisherman4845]

Very well articulated. He made it easy to understand when he went into detail and kept me interested for the whole 11 minutes. Good work w2f.

[@Wired2Fish]

Appreciate it. And thanks to Jonathan for taking the time to work with us.

[@joeyrivera6258]

TheUnluckyFisherman

[@scottfrost8956]

100% agree! I’ve fished big tournaments for many years and always knew to use ice in my live wells BUT, I never knew or thought to plug it off and use the same water all day. This makes sense and I will now only use my oxygenator part time. Awesome video!

[@mdbassin9120]

The absolute best way to keep fish alive is simple. 1. Install VT2 vent 2. Install fresh water pump 3. install aerator 4. At the start of the day empty bag of ice and top off live well and add a small amount of please release me or some similar product. 5. Once a fish is caught turn on your aerator and keep it on until weigh in. Do not pump in anymore fresh water unless absolutely needed. Follow those steps and as long as there are no gut hooked fished they will all survive comfortably. Note: if you do not have an aerator installing VT2's and pumping in freshwater intermittently throughout the day can get it done as well.

[@marvinmclellan9]

Brilliant video Jonathan! Learned an amazing amount of critical information. He's a great presenter and you guys should definitely use him again for other really great topics that are usually glossed over in many "pro" videos. Great work WIred2Fish!

[@Wired2Fish]

Thanks Marvin. He's the man and we're happy to have some additional video in the can with Jonathan. A heck of an angler and communicator and an even nice guy.

[@ToothyAnglers]

Putting first fish in before livewell full of h20 and very cool water shock the fish at all? What do with that first fish as livewell fills up?

[@sauve12]

I was wondering the same thing.

[@brockmoran6352]

Great video for the tournament angler! Summertime tournaments can be very tough on the fish, but with a little forethought and care they can be released just as healthy as they were when they were caught.

[@tonycosta9799]

Great info ,going to be doing this from now on

[@sghenley]

Jonathan thanks for this video. I follow this and I don’t have problems keeping fish alive. You will be missed. RIP

[@mikegeer5185]

Thank you Jon Henry for this very informative video. I have learned a lot.

[@tru-prosteamers4034]

Put salt in that Gatorade bottle before you freeze it and it will be a lot cooler a lot longer.

[@rblood8076]

Thanks that's a good idea.

[@tnsteele95]

I think...eventually...all major tournament circuits will adopt something similar to Major League Fishing and weigh the fish on the spot with a boat official on each boat. You can still keep size limits in place to make it interesting and more challenging.

[@johnstrain240]

our club measures fish to 1/4 " and awards points on a sliding scale (a 20" fish that is 1/4 " bigger gets proportionately more points than a 13" fish that is 1/4 " bigger). Points for the best 5 fish are totaled, and we throw in a few bonus points for culls caught during the day. That being said, its always good to know how the livewells work (you may want to keep some crappie or walleye alive, after all!).

[@mikespeiran1230]

Great video and excellent tips for keeping fish alive (I fish in Texas)! Do you ever have fish damaged by that overflow plug hanging out so far? I prefer the snap handle for this reason. Thanks for sharing how you keep 'em alive...

[@BassGeek]

Great information. I always freeze a couple of smaller water bottles they don't take up as much room.

[@darylmackinnon7290]

BassGeek great stuff!!

[@jtmoney606]

My buddy does the same thing when we fish most times he brings a bottle of spirit or 7up with him in case he gut hooks a fish he will pour it on them to stop or slow the bleeding, I would of never knew that.

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

No workee...

[@chaseerry]

Awesome explanation. I had my first fish die in a tournament last week during a 90 degree water day. These tips were much needed.

[@saelee33]

Excellent information. Thank you. Will try it. Keep it more coming.

[@davidjeromedawson]

Dang, that’s one heck of a setup you’ve got there!,Keep your lines tight.

[@DiamondHead2010]

Excellent video The citric acid one was pretty cool

[@Noahlochner0]

Great info, a lot I haven’t considered.

[@NicholasCordero]

Tournament should start doing catch photo release like the kayak tournaments. Mortality rate would be much less. If the fish was only out of the water for 30 seconds. Also you wouldn't Risk taking a fish away from its bed during the spawn and driving it 30 miles away to a boat ramp where it would never it back to its nest.

[@theunluckyfisherman4845]

Even if its not during the spawn, any time there is a 'major' tourny at my home lakes you dont catch a damn thing until 5-9 days after because all the fish are still at the weigh in area lmao. I thought it was just me until i spoke to multiple other anglers at shops & on the water. Taking a large amount of the fish in a lake and moving them to one spot just doesnt sound good to begin with. Then they release them into the potentially hot shallow water.

[@mr.skeptical3071]

TheUnluckyFisherman they'll you back deeper, don't matter where you release them

[@basshooker689_3]

Great info here buddy! thank you.

[@MrMallen1315]

I just wanted to give some clarification on the oxygenator... It's not a bubbler. It's far better and doesn't add heat to the water. Here is a quote from their pager. How Does The Oxygenator Work? First and foremost, the Oxygenator is not a bubbler. Bubblers or aerators draw in ambient air (the air you and I breathe) and pump it through a diffuser into the water. This ambient air contains only 20.9% Oxygen. These bubbles are usually so big that they quickly travel to the surface and escape back into the air. Since these air bubbles are not in the water very long, the oxygen is not dissolved into the water. As a result, you have an inefficient way of increasing the oxygen content in the water. The Oxygenator works by scientifically splitting the water molecule (H2O) into its separate elements; Hydrogen and Oxygen. The Hydrogen bubble rises to the surface and escapes back into the atmosphere, while the 100% pure microscopic Oxygen bubble can’t break the surface of the water and escape, thus quickly dissolving in the water and increasing the Oxygen level in the water. These bubbles are so small they look like smoke coming off of the emitter. The fish’s small blood vessels in their gills are able to quickly absorb this pure Oxygen. The result is quick recovery and a super saturated oxygenated environment for captive fish, even on the hottest of days.

[@kenw9681]

Does an airstone, in an aerator for water, do the same thing?

[@bakervinci163]

???

[@MJ_Bass]

It only adds 3% more oxygen then the recirc pump. And won’t keep fish alive without pumps running. Not worth the coin imo

[@jimmiller4951]

Excellent information . Thank you Sir.

[@andrewpate9157]

Good tips thanks

[@firefighter4free]

Solid advice thanks, very well expressed. Thanks for giving up tips that took you so long to acquire 🦎👑🐟

[@mattgose4998]

Very instructional video learned a lot

[@glenndaugherity6187]

I know this is an older video but I have an Oxygenator on my 2014 Ranger but I don’t believe I can turn it off and on I think it’s always on ?

[@truthwithproof5847]

Good tips.

[@ERone43]

Too bad Ranger doesn’t do vids like this on their website. Very helpful

[@miked8227]

Thanks good to learn some of this stuff. Also learned that you actually care too. I cant even dump my minnows when I’m done. Take them home and keep them alive till next trip. Sure like the fact I can release my fish healthy if I decide to not take em home (walleye, gills, and such).

[@lawrenceatkinson9718]

Where did you purchase ur steering wheel

[@bowskif83]

Thank you for this video this knowledge has really helped me!

[@Wired2Fish]

Glad to hear this William. Good luck on the water!

[@TheBeardedEngineer]

Great video! Just as a point of contingency, typically its not an air pump and stone in boats. Usually the device uses electrolysis (adding electricity to a water molecule to force it to split) to separate the water from its molecular makeup (H2O) to is basic atomic state of two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. So its using the water in the livewell to introduce oxygen and hydrogen atoms into the water. In no way, shape, or form, a ding against the video. Super informative!

[@amaya5851]

What about when fishing a hot water power plant lake? How would you adjust livewell water

[@aydankilby985]

go to 2:55 and look above his right shoulder in the water, theres a big bass is what it looks like

[@kentuckytrapper780]

Great info, thanks

[@Wired2Fish]

You bet Mickey, glad you found the info helpful.

[@mr.skeptical3071]

Great video, but I would think putting bass directly on ice and then filling it up would almost freeze them. I would fill up well with water and ice then put first one in

[@fishydigits8069]

jason h that's why he's the professional

[@marcking9235]

What if the fish is not out of cold water ? I just fished a small body of water and the deepest it was in the whole place was 10ft and the water temp was in the high 70's and the water is clear. Great Video The soda method is crazy but good to know.

[@Wired2Fish]

Good question. In this case, you'll want to find out a system to best match and maintain the live well water to the lake water temp the fish came from. Based on what you're reporting, the regular live well pump (not recirculation) may be the best too, assuming the surface temp is in the mid to high 70's as well. If the surface temp is mid-80's to 90's, then you may need to use the system outlined in this video.

[@marcking9235]

Thanks for advice something to keep in mind. It's a tuff little pond that holds some big bass

[@jakec7906]

Great video, thanks

[@brianallen6524]

4:31 "manual" lmao

[@barrettsimmons8214]

haha that was great!

[@ReelinTension]

Can the livewell additive be used for saltwater fish such as reds,trout and flounder

[@bassnazi4713]

ReelinTension yep, many of them can because they mainly help with the ammonia build up.

[@bmurr7]

Thanks for this video! Very informative and Jonathan explained his process perfectly.

[@Wired2Fish]

+britt murray you bet Britt. It was our pleasure working with Jonathan on the video.

[@carsonmcbride9459]

you need to be putting a 22 pound bag of bass instead of ice

[@jeffshaffer2491]

When using an Oxygenator, do not add salt or salt containing additives to the livewell. Only G Juice is recommended by T & H, makers of the Oxygenator. Salt, NaCl, will be split to Chlorine and will kill your catch. Also, unless you have a poor battery, I would run your aerators on continuous, not timed, in hot weather.

[@robluc86]

What if I dont have an oxygenator? Will my recirculating pump provide enough oxygen. I have a 30 gallon livewell.

[@harrisonwhitley2612]

Does it need to be a cold Sprite/M Dew or can it be warm?

[@chaseedmonston7836]

Harrison Whitley would be good to be cold, if you catch it deep than yes

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

Doesn't work...

[@scottodom4500]

Hey hoss, you might want to research the oxygenator again. It doesn't "blow air across an airstone"... it splits the oxygen from hydrogen atom by electrical current.

[@dlynn2634]

Great emphasis on keeping the water at a cool temp. Don't learn this the hard way

[@wyldbill100]

Sprite...citric acid...good stuff!

[@jeffg213]

i just keep a couple of old milk jugs of lake water in my fridge to add to the livewell 😊. just dont put it in your cereal.

[@izimalta]

Hi there, can this oxygenator be used for a salt water live well? THank you !

[@bassnazi4713]

No, freshwater use only from what I've seen.

[@izimalta]

@@bassnazi4713 yes mate , I've heard it will prodice chlorine

[@bassnazi4713]

@@izimalta oh wow, i knew one vid here had talked about the electric part, which is how it was producing it, by pulling it from the water instead of air, like a bubbler, but the chlorine thing I hadn't come across. I have a boat with them and here in Alabama it can get pretty hot and haven't had any issues, but that may also be why so many promote the G Juice with it as well, which helps that and the ammonia. Which I'm sure you know the hydrogen peroxide method as well.

[@izimalta]

@@bassnazi4713 I read a lot , I also read that the hydrogen peroxide method is not always easy to master or it can be harmful. I don't know mate. Haha , what I know is my squid die in summer :/

[@timothygodwin7575]

I have fished in lakes and rivers that were very deep for years and i have only had 2 fish die in my live well, but i have never put ice in my well. I have always just let the water circulate and my live well water NEVER gets hot, even when its 100°f out i just let the water circulate and it stays cool all day long, no ice needed. I have also found that while it’s true that the deep lake/river water is pretty cold, by the time i hook the fish and it swims all around in the surface water fighting me it gets pretty acclimated to that surface water temp so by the time i reel him in pull him up into the hot air and get the hook out he is very well use to that warm temperature and will be perfectly comfortable in my live well. My live well never gets hot it stays the exact same temp as the surface water which is the temp the fish will be use to by the time he swims up to take your bait, gets hooked, swims around in the surface water fighting, gets reeled in and unhooked. You have to remember that you aren’t instantly pulling the fish from the cold deep water and putting him in the live well within a few seconds. It’s gonna be well over a minute from the time that he leaves the deep till the time he is in the well and it seems kinda mean to let him be use to the cold then pull him up to the surface and make him acclimate to the warmer water and then right when he is just getting re adjusted to that temperature drop him in to that cold ice water. Atleast when he takes your bait he is able to swim from the cold and gradually get into the warm water but if you have ice cold well water then he is going to be instantly plunged from the warm water he just got use to into the ice water. The way i do it the fish swims to the surface to take the bait which allows him to gradually get warmer and warmer and then when i take him out and put him in my well he is already adjusted to the warm water and can just stay in the same temperature environment instead of instantly being put back into the cold water making him go from cold water gradually into the warm and then right back into the cold water without time to adjust or anything. In my opinion the way i do it, while in my well he is in warmer water than he was in at first but he is able to adjust to that warmer water for a few minutes and then he can just stay at that temp. But the way you do it is causing the fish’s environment to change from cold to warm gradually (which is fine) and then back into ice cold water very fast (which is bad) by the way even though the deep water is cold it is not ice cold your well is taking fish from cold water to warm water and then in to very cold water. Mine is just taking fish from cold water gradually into warm water and thats it. The fish doesn’t have to change temperature 2 times drastically like that. It’s not necessary and you are putting your fish at a much higher risk of temperature shock than you need to. My water never ever gets hot, i have a constant supply of fresh oxygenated water flowing in and my fish only have to gradually change temperature once and my fish have always stayed alive and well. I understand that yours stays alive and well too but it can’t be because you keep your water cold. Because i keep my water warm and they still live. If you’re fish were dying without the ice then there must have been something else going on. All I’m saying is you do not need ice in your live well to keep your fish alive. I have never used ice and i have only have had 2 fish die in the well, ever. So if i can keep fish alive with out ice and you can keep them alive with ice then we know that ice has nothing to do with keeping the fish alive and i know that my well stays cool enough for the fish to be fine with out ice as long as i allow it to circulate. But if that works for you then thats cool i just thought i would tell you that you don’t have to do that to keep them alive cause i never have. But you do whatever you want. Btw, the water i fish in is very deep in some places and relatively deep in others just in case any one was thinking that mine worked without ice because i only fished in shallow water but thats not the case at all.

[@JelsmaOutdoors]

07:00 i think the tricks aint workin, bass is starting to go belly up lol

[@jdean1851]

TOPNOTCH TIPS! THANX!

[@MrTommy2Funny]

good tip here on the video and in the comments below

[@scottd7615]

Why would you want to recirculate the water rather than pump fresh water in?

[@Wired2Fish]

Jon Henry does a great job addressing this question in the video. Pumping surface water into the live well warms the water during summer months. Bass caught out of deep water often come from water several degrees cooler than surface temps - this stresses fish and increases mortality. His mission in this video is how to keep your live well water cool and oxygenated during long and hot tournament days.

[@scottd7615]

So if we dont have issues with temperature stratification (warm or hot surface water), is there any reason to recirc as opposed to pump fresh water continuously?

[@howabouthetruth2157]

DlD YOU NOT WATCH THE VlDEO? HE CLEARLY EXPLAlNS THAT, BUT l'LL HELP YA.........HE GETS HlS lCE lN THE LlVE WELL FlRST THlNG lN THE MORNlNG PLUS THE CHEMlCALS THAT GET RlD OF CHLORlNE & FlSH AMMONlA. NO WATER ADDED YET, WlTH HlS WELLS SET ON "REClRCULATE" AND OVER-FLOW HOLE PLUGGED WlTH A BOAT PLUG. THE MlNUTE HE CATCHES HlS FlRST FlSH, HE THEN FlLLS HlS WELLS NEARLY FULL WlTH LAKE WATER, BUT THEN TURNS lT BACK TO REClRCULATE, BECAUSE HE lS DONE ADDlNG WATER FOR THE WHOLE DAY. OUTSlDE SURFACE WATER lS TOO HOT FOR YOUR FlSH lN THE HOTTER MONTHS. THE lCE HE PUT lN FlRST THlNG lN THE MORNlNG KEEPS MUCH BETTER BY REClRCULATlNG THE COLD LlVE WELL WATER ALL DAY. HE ALWAYS USES TREATMENTS TO COUNTER-ACT ANY CHLORlNE FROM THE lCE & AMMONlA FROM THE FlSH. THAT'S HOW HE CAN USE THE SAME WATER ALL DAY. lT lS EASlER TO START YOUR WELLS COLD, THAN TO TRY TO COOL lT OFF LATER. HE ADDS A GALLON JUG OF lCE, JUG & ALL, ABOUT EVERY 3 HOURS OR AS NEEDED. ANY NEW/FRESH WATER ADDED FROM THE LAKE AFTER YOU FlRST FlLL lT lN THE MORNlNG, WlLL RUlN YOUR COLD WATER.

[@theunluckyfisherman4845]

+Scott Duncan probably not but there is almost always going to be some sort of water stratification. This video was based on hot summer months mostly so 90% of the time the surface water will be hotter than the water at say... 20ft. And its difficult to tell sometimes how different the temps are, especially in deep water.

[@eddiegary7817]

hot water won't hold oxygen

[@jl5312]

Could these chemicals be toxic to pollute the water and bass?

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

No dip sh#t...

[@rangerbull]

My ranger pumps water in but doesn’t have a recirculating pump

[@dougschexnayderphd6656]

I use the VENT concept, hydrogen peroxide and about noon a couple of small bottles of frozen water...ZERO dead during summers unless an abnormal deep hook set or gills ripped which have not happened for years...

[@rangerbull]

Doug SchexnayderPhD how much do you put in livewell. (Hydrogen peroxide) thanks

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

​@rangerbull 1 drop per Gallon but you have to have a D.O. meter to know when to add more or it can get super saturated and then way low on dissolved oxygen.

[@tommy3512]

dont forget the belly weights for the bass caught from deep water...

[@Wired2Fish]

Yeah those things definitely work!

[@NeedsMoreVelociraptors]

I kept a bass alive and healthy for 6 months in a cooler on my porch with 2 bubblers in hose water. Not sure how to replicate that.

[@pappapinskie5883]

Pretty sure that's torture bro 😂 lolol

[@oliviaohara3132]

What happened after those 6 months?

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

​@@oliviaohara3132he stopped lying...

[@mattdillion7646]

do you do this when you7 have to "needle" and fish....

[@morerandomvids648]

You said "overflow hole" 9 times. Lmao. Great tip video!

[@tmo4330]

Put them on ice. They won't spoil before you fillet them.

[@liemh9290]

This boat doesn't come with fish massage option? Come on.

[@hunter6099]

How does this not shock the bass? Being so cold.

[@Wired2Fish]

The system is actually about not shocking the bass. The ice lowers the temperature of the surface water to more closely match the water temperature of the deeper water (often 20+ feet) the bass are coming out of. The big mistake guys make is putting bass pulled from deep water into just plain surface water, which is often 5+ degrees warmer. It shocks their system and also has a much lower dissolved oxygen content. Cold water can hold a greater amount of oxygen.

[@hunter6099]

Gotya. But if you catch fish from less then say 5 ft. And put them in, It would shock them right? Are can it still work?

[@bassnazi4713]

John Patterson I know its late but it would still help with the benefit of the added oxygen content.

[@bakervinci163]

You think it’s not necessary to bring in supplemental oxygen with a small tank? We have a guy that fishes in our events that swears by it

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

It damn sure helps alot

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

Your information you gave on the Oxygenator is 100% NOT the way it works... Terribly wrong and it works by splitting the H²0 Molecules as in the O² from the H... Amateur advice somewhat.... Good advice on the other.

[@bassinthenorthtv4949]

FIRST!!!!

[@gryffenbrown5722]

BassintheNorthTV

[@BublisC]

Nice Costas

[@thetugisthedrugfishing3434]

I bet this guy irons his socks.

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

The wrong way...

[@tylerfish6206]

Put a milk jug of water in the freezer and put it in the well

[@skywalker9360]

what's with all the fancy shit? takes the fun out of a good ol fishin trip..

[@theunluckyfisherman4845]

He's a professional tournament angler giving tips to people who aspire to become better. The "fancy shit" is necessary at his level to compete with everyone else. Not to mention he's not out for a "good ol fishin trip". Unless you're gonna eat the fish i wouldnt put it in my livewell anyway.

[@led8541]

great video great tips I've never done that with my Ranger but I will try this year check out my knife videos and soon to come fishing hunting and whatever else comes along videos and subscribe please thanks

[@cerv7077]

Ammonia builds up quickly, especially if the fish are bigger. Best practice, is to do water changes, every week....Why wouldn’t you want to flush old water and add new fresh water!? Balance the bio load and never add chemicals. That’s from an aquarium pet store, people who specialize in keeping fish alive.

[@gradertfamilymakes]

I do salt water aquariums as a hobby in addition to fishing. What is mentioned in this video is almost best practice for an 8 hour day on the water. I would probably kill my entire 125 gallon fish tank by adding ocean water. That is because I closely monitor and dose certain nutrients in the water. This stuff essentially does the same. Providing them with a scientifically balanced amount of electrolytes, rebuilding their slime coat and stopping their bleeding. No better way to do it and be accurate. Especially with these tournament winnings numbers. Lost of money on the line.

[@zekethefishgeek8690]

Ehhhh... kinda.

[@penguin2ab]

dude takes way too long to explain himself

[@undeserved1781]

I understand he's a tournament guy but with all the phones and scales out there I do not agree with hauling fish around all day miles away from where fish were caught . If fish wants to move let them move I'm glad they don't kill all the fish like they did when all this tournament craze started with B.A.S.S. I did not agree with killing fish then either but at the same time guess I did want to eat every fish I caught. All that wore off pretty quick when I had to clean them and I can say I still dont like to clean fish! I do however still love to catch fish but more rewarding to me unhook and look then release as fast as I can so just like the tournament guys I can catch the next one. Guess my point is these guys and I dont include all tournament anglers are pros so even if not pro a short time to weigh photo release does not seem that bad to me. Very few fish kills this way and if I'm not mistaken fish seem able to migrate on their own to water they prefer not wherever weigh in is located and they have to deal all the stress of even the best livewell the world has ever known then have to deal with unfavorable water conditions after release. Last time I saw a launch at a tournament no one fished there. But I've seen alot of dead fish after after weigh in and alot of good producing areas go down. Own the other hand thanks to catch and release I've seen areas produce good fish and numbers on a regular basis. But I'm not interested in weighing every fish I catch nor am I worried about photos of fish streching my line is fine with me. I know some may say fish where there are no tournaments are held and my response to that is unless they own the water I and every one should be able to fish public waters. And I'm not stressing or killing near as many fish. Last of rant please dont litter dont throw line in water be good sportsmen or sportswomen [ just use ethics ]

[@jasontedesco744]

undeserved run on sentences much?

[@th3_crappi3_kill3r]

You could skip this whole process by learning how to fillet and cook bass.