Baitwell water in the summer?

[Pete D.]

Just wondering what you lake commuters do for cool water in the summer time. My buddy fills his baitwell up with tap water (non-chlorinated) before he leaves for the lake and keeps the water cool throughout the day. (I know I have heard Mike talk about the following): I was wondering if I could put a 2000 gph aerator in at the transom and pump water up from the 30' deep area? Probably too much static head to get good results like this? I am already at my trailer and tow rigs upper end with my rig and do not feel comfortable adding water before my drive. Maybe I will just fish artificials in the summer

[mwardncsu]

See this post. Plenty of cool water down deep. The main thing to watch for is depending on where on the lake you pull it, it may not be well oxygenated so make sure guy fill and run the pump / aerator a while before adding bait if you are up the lake arms above where the thermocline sets up.

smlfishingforums.proboards.com/thread/1219/deep-water-pump-rig

[Pete D.]

Thanks mike that's what I was looking for. Do you think a regular hose with a 2000 GPH pump will be too slow? That pool hose will take up a ton o room in my rig.

[mwardncsu]

I had a 50' garden hose and a 800 or 1100 gph pump before I messed up the pump and it was slow. Could have chopped off some hose I guess.

The pool hose I use is the smaller if the 2 sizes but it does still take up a good bit of room when you have 30-40' of it on the boat. I did it in sections to that the rest of the year in don't have to fight that much hose.

[mwardncsu]

Ice also helps. Get down as deep as you can manage with a pump and then cool the rest of the way with bagged or block ice. Just make sure it's from a dechlornated source - the ReadyIce that you get at the grocery store or Gas stations around the lake seem fine.

[Pete D.]

Thanks mike. This will save me 300lbs of haul weight to and from the water. When the water temp hits 70 ill probably just use surface water and ice.