livewell cleaning

Curious as to what products people are using to scrub out their live wells!! Does standard household bleach work the best???
Just looking for some imput here!

Thanks!

I don’t know if you want to use bleach. I’m sure it would clean it, but it might kill your fish later too.

I use Fantastic. And it works Fantastic.

I did notice that your required to bleach out your livewell prior to fishing tournaments on Devils lake!!! I can see your point about killing fish later on!! Good point! I think I will try some fantastic!!!!

Thought I read somewhere that baking soda was good for this and would not harm fish.

Bleach neutralizes over time. If you bleached it out then rinsed it with fresh water you would have no problems. make sure to also rinse out the pump.

Baking soda gets my vote too!

Molson Ice works great, plus it soaks into the fish when they are in the livewell….mmmmmm beer batter. I just use dishsoap and the garden hose. You just have to make sure that you don’t use a to much soap and clean it out good

you can always put a little bit of bleach in with the soapy water too. My dad does that and it doesn’t affect the fish you put in there. Just rinse it out good.

Baking Soda works wonder for the rancid smell after you have kept a few of those Smallie and Largies in your livewell for Garden Fertilizer.

Baking Soda for smell

baking soda with water or just dust the livewell with it???? I am confused???

Cal, for the smell I usually dust the whole live well good with it and let it sit for a few days, then take a hose and wash/rinse her out good and no more smell.

I will let you know if this works. Somebody (me) forgot the leeches from the opener in there, about 1/2 lb. Tipped over during the ride home. Just threw the battery chargers on at noon, and something was stinky… opened the livewell and about passed out !!!

big g

Live and Learn Big G!!

Bleach is fine. You will have no problems as long as you let it dry out. Then when you hit the water, let your pump run until you well is full then let water run out the overflow for a few minutes.
Never had any problems this way.
I have also had good luck with vinegar for smell removal.

Once you get it clean the best way to keep it clean is after a day on the water when you get home rinse out the livewell with your garden hose even if you have not put fish in the well that day. Then when you put the boat away in the garage leave the livewell door open. I do this every time after a day on the water and never have a problem with a smelly livewell.

I use one cup of bleach and fill my livewell with cold water and just let it sit until the next time I use it.
I have never had a problem with fish dying.
And the bleach takes care of the odor problems.

Hmm…I never have any time to clean it, as mine is always full…
If I clean it, it will just get smelly the next day..

Just kidding-I rarely keep fish…

Cal, I have always used baking soda…powder it on, and then get a scrub brush..and a bucket of water…scrub it out with water on the brush..then rinse..
Works every time..

This sounds like VERY sound advice….

big g

mix some pickling salt in with the soda. Works as an abrasive and helps cut the slime.