> I'am building one of my own designs and almost done, i've decided to put
> in a live well for keeping bait/fish, just looking for ideas on how to?

> If i simply drill a hole will the water rise to the water line depth
> inside this "live well"

Yup, and you might get an inch to three inches of water in there. But the water will run out about as fast as it goes in, so in any waves or wake from passing motorboats, if that hole comes above water the livewell will drain, possibly leaving your bait fish high and dry for a few seconds. Your boat will have to be in the water before you put your bait fish in. Unless you are already aboard, the kayak will be floating rather high, maybe displacing only an inch or two of water, with a bit less than that inside your livewell, and as the bottom of the livewell is not flat, you won't have much room for many baitfish. The excess water from your bait bucket will just drain out.

If you are thinking that the amount of water going in and out will help to oxygenate the water in your livewell then you will probably want a lot of rather small holes, or a few rather large ones. Seal these well with epoxy resin to avoid them soaking up water which could delaminate your fiberglass.

Personally, I think you would be better off with a large hatch opening and a separate bait bucket that would fit in snugly. This way you could carry the bait bucket to the bait shop, instead of carrying the entire kayak. You can fill the bait bucket to any depth you wish. To oxygenate it, a small battery operated pump can bring in `fresh' water from the surrounding lake or river, while overflow goes out a tube, and back into the same lake or fiver. Or, get a small battery operated airpump.

For a fancy bit of engineering, get one electric bilge pump, several hoses, valves and connectors, and connect it so that it either pumps out your boat, or, it pumps exterior water into your livewell.

> The live well i plan to use will be
> located in the aft deck right behind the bulkhead I will install another
> bulkhead at an desirable length with a small hatch for access. Floatation
> will be installed as needed.

You might want to just make a small, watertight compartment between two bulkheads (forget the holes in the bottom of the boat). Line it with foam for both floatation and thermal insulation. Use it as a livewell by filling with water. (bail it out by hand before landing) Or, fill it with ice and canned beverages for the trip out, and hope there is enough ice left to keep your catch fresh on the way in.

Best of luck with this

Paul G. Jacobson