33 express dead bait!

Drewaustin5

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We just bought a 2016 330 express. I fish albacore out of Westport Wa. I put 2 scoops of anchovies in and they were dead the next morning. Does anyone have any ideas to help keep them alive? Pump is 1100 GPH and located under the starboard seat.
 

kirk a

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Assuming you were running the pump and it works, most likely due to chemical residue from previous cleaning. Several good rinses and uses will help.
 
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seasick

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Just to get the facts clear; You are leaving the pump running and are drawing water form the sea, correct?
Some interesting info on this forum' Start at post #10
 

HMBJack

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You may have done nothing wrong.
The bait will die overnight if your harbor had a Red Tide (depleted oxygen) or a high water temp.
 

Drewaustin5

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Assuming you were running the pump and it works, most likely due to chemical residue from previous cleaning. Several good rinses and uses will help.
I never leave anything in there. I rinsed it and let it run before I loaded it with boat. I had a 300 before with a side drain live well not a center drain like the one I have now. Never had a problem with the 300. The anchovies get sucked on top of the drain and it kills them. It’s almost like the drain needs to be moved to the side that way they can get swimming in cricles. The bait just looked confused in there
 

Drewaustin5

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You may have done nothing wrong.
The bait will die overnight if your harbor had a Red Tide (depleted oxygen) or a high water temp.
I got rid of them put 2 more in that morning and they where dying by the time I got to the grounds
 

billyttpd

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How resilient are anchovies supposed to be in a livewell? I have no experience with them. On the East Coast Spot do not last long at all in a baitwell.
 

Drewaustin5

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How resilient are anchovies supposed to be in a livewell? I have no experience with them. On the East Coast Spot do not last long at all in a baitwell.
Well my old marlin would keep them lively over night and through the day. That was an aftermarket livewell not factory. So obviously something is wrong for these small bait to die so fast in these tanks.
 

loubeer

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I’m a little confused and maybe my older tank is designed differently than yours. I have a West Coast 2003 with the stock tank and an added tank. On the stock tank there is the center pipe that threads into the drain. There are side holes in the lower threaded rubber area of the pipe, designed to allow some drainage to clear scales and other debris from the bottom of the tank while circulating. Depending on how far you screw it in, you can vary the amount of drainage you will get from the bottom. If bait is getting sucked into the lower part of the drain pipe, you need to screw the pipe down more to lessen lower drainage.
I’ve found the stock tank to perform pretty darn well and definitely keeps the bait moving in circles.
 

loubeer

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Another thought - 2 scoops may just be too crowded. Try 1 scoop and see what happens.