Livewell Screen Ideas?

J.W. · February 25, 2024, 11:11:28 AM

I desperately need to add a livewell screen to my intake, which is normally an easy thing, but War Eagle decided to be different...

The intake is just an aluminum tube that is welded into the transom that has clear tubing that runs from it to the livewell pump. There are no threads. The hole is the same size as the bilge hole that takes a 1" plug.

Anyone know of anything that would be a push-fit into that aluminum tube?

Here's a picture (I don't know why it came out sideways):
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Captsteve · February 25, 2024, 11:34:31 AM

You could probably cut round piece of scrreen and just push it in.

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.

J.W. · February 25, 2024, 05:00:28 PM

This is what I came up with. Hopefully it holds up ok.

I made a threaded insert for each intake (I have two) out of a 3/4" x 4" PVC riser for irrigation. It's basically what you'd call a nipple if it were iron pipe, and is threaded on each end. I cut it in half so I'd have two 2" inserts, sanded down the non-threaded end and added some heat until it fit right into the holes. Siliconed them in and screwed on some T-H Marine screens until they fit flush against the transom.

Inserts:
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Finished (I hope):
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Captsteve · February 25, 2024, 07:12:54 PM

Looks professional

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.

J.W. · February 25, 2024, 08:15:41 PM

Quote from: Captsteve on February 25, 2024, 07:12:54 PMLooks professional

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.

Until they blow out as soon as I get above an idle

Thanks, Steve. I'm hoping they'll be ok. I was getting my aerator all clogged up with dead vegetation that was getting sucked in. Hopefully these will keep most of that crap out of the livewells.

Captsteve · February 25, 2024, 11:58:45 PM

A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.

Smallie_Stalker · February 26, 2024, 12:37:49 PM

Great job! Looks like they came with the boat from the factory.

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Mike Cork · February 27, 2024, 08:42:40 AM

That looks great. The only issue I can see is sliding off a stump and cracking the tube. My screens on my glass boat are dented badly because I back the boat into stumps trying to fish around cypress trees

but they still work

caddyjoe77 · February 27, 2024, 10:28:33 AM

looks dang good!! Nice work!

J.W. · February 27, 2024, 10:30:03 AM

Quote from: Mike Cork on February 27, 2024, 08:42:40 AMThat looks great. The only issue I can see is sliding off a stump and cracking the tube. My screens on my glass boat are dented badly because I back the boat into stumps trying to fish around cypress trees but they still work

100%. I am worried about that, too. Hosston already cost me one transducer sliding off a stump.

That's why I just siliconed those PVC pieces in instead of using the serious glue like the 3M 5200. My hope is that if they do crack, I'll be able to pull them back out. I couldn't come up with another good solution. I have no idea why they did those intakes with no filter or screen, but they cost us a dead fish at a tournament on Caddo once before. I had the recirculating aerator on, but I didn't realize it had gotten plugged up with little bits of dead salvinia and stuff. No oxygen was getting in the water, and a 4 lb over went belly up before I realized what had happened.

Donald Garner · February 27, 2024, 11:13:17 AM

Quote from: J.W. on February 25, 2024, 05:00:28 PMThis is what I came up with. Hopefully it holds up ok.

I made a threaded insert for each intake (I have two) out of a 3/4" x 4" PVC riser for irrigation. It's basically what you'd call a nipple if it were iron pipe, and is threaded on each end. I cut it in half so I'd have two 2" inserts, sanded down the non-threaded end and added some heat until it fit right into the holes. Siliconed them in and screwed on some T-H Marine screens until they fit flush against the transom.

Inserts:
You cannot view this attachment.

Finished (I hope):
You cannot view this attachment.

Looks great just like a Factory installed job.

J.W. · March 04, 2024, 09:14:43 AM

So far, so good. I did some running around on Caney this weekend and they're still there. They seemed to keep all the bigger trash out of the livewell, but I did see smaller pieces of vegetation get through that might would plug my recirculator holes over time. I think I might add some window screen mesh to the pump that runs my recirculator, just for extra insurance. That would be easy to pop the bottom plastic off that pump, remove the screen and clean if I need to.