Hobie Live well? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

dsafety · 09-21-2009, 07:07 AM

The last time I went out, my little Thresher bait tank crapped out. It turned out to be a loose wire and I have fixed it, but if not for the generosity of some fellow kayakers who kept me supplied with bait, I would have not been able to fish that day.

The Thresher does a good job most of the time but is can only handle a small amount of bait and not really suitable keeping fish alive while waiting for a weigh boat.

I have been thinking about upgrading to a larger tank anyway so maybe now is the time to do it. Since I have a Revo, my first thought is that I should get a Hobie Live Well. Most of my friends who use this tank like it but some say that there are a few problems with this unit.

The price is quite high so before I pull the trigger, I thought I would ask the community for some input. If you have a comment about the Hobie tank or some other recommendations, please post.

Bob

forefrazier · 09-21-2009, 08:03 AM

Bob:

There was a recent post that seems to answer your question here:

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...hobie+livewell

Billy V · 09-21-2009, 11:31 AM

I did buy the Hobie tank and have used it 5 times since.

There are subtle differences from the Thresher tank. IMO each have their strong and weak points.

The Thresher Tank.

The Good.
Its as durable and simple as a Hammer!
My Thresher run on a 6V 12AMP battery was completely silent.
It could support 10 Mack during a fishing day without any problem (as you will be down to around 7 in no time anyway if you change out baits for the liveliest model).
When peddling you did not feel the tank weight behind you, and there was no sloshing that could cause a surging feeling with forward movement.
The pump never clogged, and could be easily placed back on board for a surf landing.
Fits inside a Milk Crate, perhaps the best benefit of all. You can take the entire General Store with you, and it fits neatly inside the crate.
You can install 4 very solid rod holders with PVC.

The Bad.
The over board pump does create some drag, and you will feel a slight pull to that side.
Some thresher tanks have the discharge slit on the same side as the intake, but this can be easily changed if you want.
(an elbow with clear plastic tube will route the water flow to the bottom of the tank.)
No, you can not keep a live Calico inside the tank.

The Hobie tank.

The Good.
Fits nicely in the Hobie well, and has nice fit and finish, the connectors inside the tank look to be sealed well.
Has a lid! This does keep the bait calmer.
It has a very large capacity, and the water level is adjustable.
It will support 25 Greenbacks without a problem. (I tested this)
The water oxygen level seems better because the pump is located on the bottom of the tank. The bait stays lively.
You could probable keep a Calico alive for a short while, if it is not too big.

The Bad.
Its noisy, you hear the pump, and also hear the water draining out.
My intake tube has clogged every time I have used the tank, in spite of having used a coarse screen inside of the pick-up tube.
(this was due to small slime particles clogging up against the screen, not grass.)
You sometimes have to unhook the tank restraints, lift the tank (filled with water and bait), and remove the Pick-Up Tube to back flush to clear the debris.
The tip-off is when you do not hear the sucking sound the drain makes anymore, then you know somethings wrong and must be cleared. So there is a warning, and a fix, so to speak.
-You can do it if you are agile and careful. I have done it with a full bait tank and (3) rods in the rod holders. (You need to face backward in the seat, no problem for me.)
When the tank is reasonably full you feel the slosh and surge with forward motion. 7 or more gallons of water is heavy, and the tank is long, and big, so the water moves fore and aft with powerful peddle strokes. You can change this with a modification in your peddle stroke. A smoother longer stroke helps.
You should remove the pick up tube before surf landing (I do) even though it only hangs down 1". The Beach will tear it up.

My decision was to buy both, and I will continue to use both.
There is not one clear Best Tank in my opinion.

dsafety · 09-21-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy V

The Bad.
Its noisy, you hear the pump, and also hear the water draining out.
My intake tube has clogged every time I have used the tank, in spite of having used a coarse screen inside of the pick-up tube.
(this was due to small slime particles clogging up against the screen, not grass.)
You sometimes have to unhook the tank restraints, lift the tank (filled with water and bait), and remove the Pick-Up Tube to back flush to clear the debris. .

Thanks Billy,

I have heard this complaint from almost everyone who has the Hobie tank. It seems to me that there should be an easy way to fix this problem. Has anyone tried to figure out a way to reverse the direction that the water flows briefly to blow out any debris from the intake side? Sometimes if you reverse the polarity of a motor, it will run backwards. If that is not possible, maybe some sort of a valve system could be used to accomplish this. Adding a "fill and drain" option would probably do the trick.

I have not played with one of these units yet and do not know how the plumbing is set up. Since you have one, take a look and let everyone know what you think about this as a possible solution.

Bob

j mo · 09-21-2009, 01:16 PM

You may want to consider the benefit of having a rounded bait tank over a squared off tank as well. My tank (home made) is similar to the thresher, Ive found that the corners in the squared off tank dont keep sardines very well as they beat themselves to death wedging their noses into the corners ....

That being said ive never heard anyone swear at a bait tank more than josh

.

Billy V · 09-21-2009, 02:43 PM

You can add one more thing to the Hobie list.

The ON-Off switch is not sealed, and salt water can easily enter the switch.

I have globbed grease on the switch shaft to try to prevent the salt water from entering. We will see how it holds up.

A new switch is $10.
-----------------------------

It does hold much more bait than the Thresher, and it will live happier if the water flow is not diminished too much from the clogging.

The clogging starts as soon as the particles build up on the protective screen.
-I am tempted to run the tank without the screen to test the volume of water flow, verses with the screen.

--and to see if the pump still clogs as easily.
---------------------------------------
I'm sure the water Volume is diminished with the screen. The problem I suspect is that if you run the tank without a protective screen, and it clogs, will not be able to see, or clear the actual pump impeller while on the water.
-Even a strong back pressure from blowing water (or some other device) into the pump discharge may not dislodge a piece of debris.
(But I do have an Idea)
If you carry a short length of Clear Plastic tubing with you. You can slip it over the pump discharge and Blow pressure back through the pump. Air pressure, not water, but it still might work to clear a clog without having to remove the intake tube (pain in the as$).
--I will try this the next time I use The Hobie tank. Feel free to test this proposed remedy for yourselves and please report your successes, or failures.

If I had run the tank without the screen yesterday and had a clog it would have been disastrous as I was holding 25+ Greenbacks in a full tank that would have surely suffered from the loss of water flow.

09-21-2009, 07:07 AM	#1
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,121	Hobie Live well? The last time I went out, my little Thresher bait tank crapped out. It turned out to be a loose wire and I have fixed it, but if not for the generosity of some fellow kayakers who kept me supplied with bait, I would have not been able to fish that day. The Thresher does a good job most of the time but is can only handle a small amount of bait and not really suitable keeping fish alive while waiting for a weigh boat. I have been thinking about upgrading to a larger tank anyway so maybe now is the time to do it. Since I have a Revo, my first thought is that I should get a Hobie Live Well. Most of my friends who use this tank like it but some say that there are a few problems with this unit. The price is quite high so before I pull the trigger, I thought I would ask the community for some input. If you have a comment about the Hobie tank or some other recommendations, please post. Bob

09-21-2009, 01:16 PM	#5
j mo Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Encinitas Posts: 600	You may want to consider the benefit of having a rounded bait tank over a squared off tank as well. My tank (home made) is similar to the thresher, Ive found that the corners in the squared off tank dont keep sardines very well as they beat themselves to death wedging their noses into the corners .... That being said ive never heard anyone swear at a bait tank more than josh.

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09-21-2009, 08:03 AM	#2
forefrazier Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: OC Posts: 397	Bob: There was a recent post that seems to answer your question here: http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...hobie+livewell

09-21-2009, 11:31 AM	#3
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	I did buy the Hobie tank and have used it 5 times since. There are subtle differences from the Thresher tank. IMO each have their strong and weak points. The Thresher Tank. The Good. Its as durable and simple as a Hammer! My Thresher run on a 6V 12AMP battery was completely silent. It could support 10 Mack during a fishing day without any problem (as you will be down to around 7 in no time anyway if you change out baits for the liveliest model). When peddling you did not feel the tank weight behind you, and there was no sloshing that could cause a surging feeling with forward movement. The pump never clogged, and could be easily placed back on board for a surf landing. Fits inside a Milk Crate, perhaps the best benefit of all. You can take the entire General Store with you, and it fits neatly inside the crate. You can install 4 very solid rod holders with PVC. The Bad. The over board pump does create some drag, and you will feel a slight pull to that side. Some thresher tanks have the discharge slit on the same side as the intake, but this can be easily changed if you want. (an elbow with clear plastic tube will route the water flow to the bottom of the tank.) No, you can not keep a live Calico inside the tank. The Hobie tank. The Good. Fits nicely in the Hobie well, and has nice fit and finish, the connectors inside the tank look to be sealed well. Has a lid! This does keep the bait calmer. It has a very large capacity, and the water level is adjustable. It will support 25 Greenbacks without a problem. (I tested this) The water oxygen level seems better because the pump is located on the bottom of the tank. The bait stays lively. You could probable keep a Calico alive for a short while, if it is not too big. The Bad. Its noisy, you hear the pump, and also hear the water draining out. My intake tube has clogged every time I have used the tank, in spite of having used a coarse screen inside of the pick-up tube. (this was due to small slime particles clogging up against the screen, not grass.) You sometimes have to unhook the tank restraints, lift the tank (filled with water and bait), and remove the Pick-Up Tube to back flush to clear the debris. The tip-off is when you do not hear the sucking sound the drain makes anymore, then you know somethings wrong and must be cleared. So there is a warning, and a fix, so to speak. -You can do it if you are agile and careful. I have done it with a full bait tank and (3) rods in the rod holders. (You need to face backward in the seat, no problem for me.) When the tank is reasonably full you feel the slosh and surge with forward motion. 7 or more gallons of water is heavy, and the tank is long, and big, so the water moves fore and aft with powerful peddle strokes. You can change this with a modification in your peddle stroke. A smoother longer stroke helps. You should remove the pick up tube before surf landing (I do) even though it only hangs down 1". The Beach will tear it up. My decision was to buy both, and I will continue to use both. There is not one clear Best Tank in my opinion.

09-21-2009, 02:43 PM	#6
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	You can add one more thing to the Hobie list. The ON-Off switch is not sealed, and salt water can easily enter the switch. I have globbed grease on the switch shaft to try to prevent the salt water from entering. We will see how it holds up. A new switch is $10. ----------------------------- It does hold much more bait than the Thresher, and it will live happier if the water flow is not diminished too much from the clogging. The clogging starts as soon as the particles build up on the protective screen. -I am tempted to run the tank without the screen to test the volume of water flow, verses with the screen. --and to see if the pump still clogs as easily. --------------------------------------- I'm sure the water Volume is diminished with the screen. The problem I suspect is that if you run the tank without a protective screen, and it clogs, will not be able to see, or clear the actual pump impeller while on the water. -Even a strong back pressure from blowing water (or some other device) into the pump discharge may not dislodge a piece of debris. (But I do have an Idea) If you carry a short length of Clear Plastic tubing with you. You can slip it over the pump discharge and Blow pressure back through the pump. Air pressure, not water, but it still might work to clear a clog without having to remove the intake tube (pain in the as$). --I will try this the next time I use The Hobie tank. Feel free to test this proposed remedy for yourselves and please report your successes, or failures. If I had run the tank without the screen yesterday and had a clog it would have been disastrous as I was holding 25+ Greenbacks in a full tank that would have surely suffered from the loss of water flow.