Hi Matthew,

Beyond the technical considerations [weight, stability etc.] the main reason that I would not use a live well in my kayaks is that the fish would die very quickly in them. The surface water temperature is much too warm for most game fish and even with proper aeration, a kayak sized live well would only be able to hold one or two 2 pound fish.

I have an adequate livewell on my walleye boat that is 48x14x12 inches. The livewell is insulated and has a powered aeration system. A 15 foot hose allows me to pump water in from the cooler depths. This setup work well but it is not a suitable for a kayak.

Dead fish, sloshing around in warm water, lose their table qualities very quickly. I immediately kill and quickly gut the fish, put them in individual plastic bags and store them in a large "thermal lunchbag" with an ice-pack. The plastic bags aren't the best approach but, kept cool, the fish will be fine for hours.

I have been fishing from kayaks for years. My designs have oversize cockpits [36" to 48" long] specifically for fishing. The cockpit, being extra wide, reduces the "freeboard". Since I fish without using a skirt, I prefer higher volume 'yaks and I use a taller cockpit rim.

I tried putting a hatch right behind the cockpit and found it to be a bit awkward to reach in to. I found that arranging storage area behind the seat to be most convenient. I position the cockpit that the seat is 10" forward of the cockpit rim and I locate the bulkhead 8" back from the cockpit rim. This give me an 18" area that for storing stuff within easy reach.

Hope this helps.

Hank