With all the hot button issues of invasive species and “preventative” regulations, what is the point of a live well anymore. Can’t transport lake water, can’t haul live fish, and culling is frowned upon as well. Cooler and ice seems to be the way the DNR is pushing us. Just came to mind since I’m in the middle of a boat re-do project. What is more useful…extra storage or a livewell? 
I’ve called mine the “garbage can” for over 7 years now. 
X2, I just haul a cooler of ice, it’s better to keep them on ice this time of year anyway.
I never used the livewell in my last 2 boats. Bait has their own small coolers and the livewells were for storage…except when fishing tourneys. In my case a livewell was not a huge need.
Make sure you drain your cooler water from melted ice! I was hasseled the other day for having an open gallon of drinking water!
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Make sure you drain your cooler water from melted ice! I was hasseled the other day for having an open gallon of drinking water!
You have got to be kidding me! 
Was the water in a contaner or just in the bottom of the cooler?
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Make sure you drain your cooler water from melted ice! I was hasseled the other day for having an open gallon of drinking water!
You have got to be kidding me!
Was the water in a contaner or just in the bottom of the cooler?
My boat has a built in cooler with a drain plug and I have been told to pull the plug because they don’t know where my cooler water has been. I guess a half melted #5 bag of ice is questionable….
Also I just have a gallon water jug I just fill up and throw in the cooler everytime and was told I need to dump it because it is not sealed and I just came off the water so once again he doesn’t know where it came from. Nothing like fishing in 90+ degree weather and being told to dump my drinking water out!!!
Can’t believe the overkill you guys are living with….
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Also I just have a gallon water jug I just fill up and throw in the cooler everytime and was told I need to dump it because it is not sealed and I just came off the water so once again he doesn’t know where it came from. Nothing like fishing in 90+ degree weather and being told to dump my drinking water out!!!
Drink it in front of them and challenge them with regard to what their evidence of violation will be in a court of law. I would sure hope any judge with even half a brain would call BS on this situation. Then again, we live in Minnesota…..
On the other hand, you MIGHT fish in another state sometime and WANT a live well….
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On the other hand, you MIGHT fish in another state sometime and WANT a live well….
Yeah, if they come up with anymore hair-brained ideas there may be a lot people using this option!
The next thing Minnesota is going to do is tell you when you can use the “Bathroom”. (Big Brother lives!) 
Urine has been known to transport invasives.
OK, i plead ignorance. Why is it better to kill fish you are going to harvest and put them on ice, rather than putting them in fresh water until you are going to process them??
If you like firm meat the ice is the way to go. Livewell water is going to be in the 80’s right now as far as temp. I use my livewell to bleed them out then I throw them in the cooler. Much less mess when cleaning the fish that way as well.
Ok, now I have to plead ignorance. When you say you “bleed them out in the livewell”, do you cut the gills or something or what makes them bleed out in there? Sounds like a good idea, just not sure how you’re getting them to bleed out.
Yeah you cut the gills or you can cut under the throat.
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