Northwest Fishing Reports

I'm looking for ways to utilize my livewell. I don't want to put tackle in boxes in there. Afraid it will slide around and bust the nozzles. I'm thinking soft life jackets will be perfect in there, but I don't want them to get wet and moldy. Want to protect them. Possible to do this? I do not have any sort of vac pack experience, so I have no idea what's out there.

Also, legalities of this. What is the law concerning the conditions of life vests in the boat? Do they need to be opened and ready to use?

access must be QUICK, and EASY to get to, not buried under tackle, ropes, paddles, and stuff. NOT in a package that needs to be opened.

Amx wrote:access must be QUICK, and EASY to get to, not buried under tackle, ropes, paddles, and stuff. NOT in a package that needs to be opened.

Can't be stated enough!

onmygame

Amx wrote:access must be QUICK, and EASY to get to, not buried under tackle, ropes, paddles, and stuff. NOT in a package that needs to be opened.

Well, that isn't going to work. Hmmm, not sure what I can put in there that wont potentially damage the nozzle.

Hmmm, maybe I can get a plastic bin, that's just small enough to store some of my tackle. Attach suction cups on the bottom, so it stays put....

Not too hard to think about really. What do life jacket use for floatation? What does a VAC Pac machine do to the items you seal with it? How long do you have to get them out and ready?

Answer number 1. AIR
Answer number 2. Sucks all the air out.
Answer number 3. Not long enough.

Just not a good idea. If you had time to pull them out and let them puff up before you had to use them, great! Also a lot of them are nothing more than a plastic bag filled with foam or fluff stuffing of some sort, so you pop the bag, life jacket no good.

Bodofish wrote:Not too hard to think about really. What do life jacket use for floatation? What does a VAC Pac machine do to the items you seal with it? How long do you have to get them out and ready?

Answer number 1. AIR
Answer number 2. Sucks all the air out.
Answer number 3. Not long enough.

Just not a good idea. If you had time to pull them out and let them puff up before you had to use them, great! Also a lot of them are nothing more than a plastic bag filled with foam or fluff stuffing of some sort, so you pop the bag, life jacket no good.

Well, I wasn't going to suck all the air out and compress the jackets. I was just going to suck out enough air, to be able to seal them.

I didn't know, but there are "space bags" and the such for clothes, pillows, and blankets. This would have been perfect for me needs. Seems you can open them up quickly like a sandwich in a ziplock bag. But I get it, every second may count.

So, I was deciding on what to do. I'm thinking I may be able to store tackle and other odds and ends in the livewell afterwall. Found these 15 qt Sterilite bins at Target. Grabbed some suction cup hooks and removed the hook. Used a stepbit to cleaning drill a 1/2" hole at each corner. Tip, don't use a standard drill bit. It cracks and doesn't cut cleanly. My first hole was with a regular bit, until I tried the stepbit. I was going to use silicone to seal up the holes, but I think I'll leave them for potential water drainage.

Force the end of the suction cup through. Had to use a flattip screwdriver. As of right now, I know the bin will fit in my livewell. I just don't know if the suction cups will hold.....

I can fit 4 Plano 3771 if I lay them down flat. I can fit 6, possible 7, if I stand them up on their side. This will make grabbing them out easier. If I lay them down flat, I can use the lid and keep it relatively water resistant. Can't use the lid with the boxes on their side. I do have about 3/4" of space, before the bottom lures will be sitting in water if on their side. Or I can toss some other crap in there instead.

If you're just going to put them in the bags to keep them clean and dry, go for gusto! I'd make sure there's a fast way to get the bags open. Life jackets only work when they're worn.
Rock On!

If you wanted some extra protection for the protruding nozzle, you could put a bag around it and spray foam (like they do with some packaging). Then you would have a protector in case the suction cups came loose the moving bins would not break the nozzle. It would be easily removed and replaced since the foam would be contained to the bag. Just be sure the foam does not escape as it is messy to clean up.

just remove the nozzle.

new idea time. the suction cups don't work in the livewell. There are these ridges in there, that prevent the bin from sitting flush or close enough to stay put, lol.

There's a slot for a divider in my livewell. I'm thinking i'll pick up a plastic cutting board or something like that and just "box" in my bin, so it wont slide around as much.

I looked to see how to remove the nozzle, but it appears to be on there pretty good. I didn't want to risk hulking it and breaking it.