Hobie Live Well Performance Update

Brad,

Welcome to the great addiction! You enjoy fishing from a PA. Depending on where you live, live bait can be very successful. The key is to be able to transport live bait such as minnows (or any other bait fish) and have them handy when you need them. Hobie makes 2 different styles of livewells. They sit in the rear cargo area and draw water through the rear scupper hole to circulate the water in the livewell and keep the bait healthy until you need one. Some folks have made their own livewells and other just carry a large plastic bait bucket or styrofoam bait bucket that you can usually find at Walmart or any fishing supply store. Those work off the principle of aerating the water by using a small battery drive pump to aerate the water versus a larger pump puliing fresh water through the tank.

There have been a few folks make a small baitwell in the floor hatch. If you fishing with minnows for crappie, I would think making a rectangular bucket with one of those small battery powered aerators would work.

As far as reaching bait behind the seat, I just swing around, open the hatch and use a small handled net to scoop out live bait out of my Hobie Livewell XL.

_________________
Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply. Seems I need more scupper holes! Where do you store/carry the wheel-set when you have the holes taken by the live-well?

Brad

I don't carry my cart out on the water with me. Some folks do and I'm guessing you put yours in the rear scupper holes behind the seat for storage. I have seen others put them in the rear stern handle (wheels up). I would hope that if they do that there is a lanyard or something attached to the cart in case it falls out or comes loose from that location.

The only time I use the cart is when I am by myself and cannot back up to the edge of the water or if I'm fishing with someone else and we have to haul the kayaks a good distance to the water's edge to launch.

Some folks use the Boonedox Landing Gear. That is a setup that stays permanently mounted on the PA just behind the seat and would not interfere with any live well that uses the rear scuppers to draw and drain water through.

Since you're new to fishing and the Pro Angler, just get comfortable in the PA the first few trips before mounting items to it. Figure out what works for you and look at other setups before investing in options. There are many posts in the Pro Angler forum by PA owners. Let us know how you're doing on this forum. Lots of folks here that are happy to help out. No question is a bad one!

_________________
Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

really nice set up!