Big baitwells help keep hard-to-catch baits kicking and in prime condition.
By TERRY TOMALIN
Published January 9, 2004
TARPON SPRINGS - David Graham knows the value of live bait.
"Finding it on a regular basis is critical," the 37-year-old fishing guide said. "And once you have it, the key is keeping it healthy."
Livewells, also called baitwells, often determine what model boat an angler buys. Manufacturers know this, and they have improved the factory-installed wells on most production craft.
When Graham started fishing, quality livewells were the exception, not the rule.
"If you wanted a good livewell you had to build it yourself," Graham said. "So that is what we wound up doing."
Graham and his father, Bill, are well known in sportfishing circles for their restoration of vintage boats, particularly 22-foot Aquasports.
"It was a classic design," Graham said of the flat-bottomed skiff. "There hasn't been anything quite like it since then."
In 1991 Graham bought a 1966 hull and stripped it to the stringers. He and his father reglassed it, added a touch of teak and wound up with a museum piece.
"The Grahams have been accused of overdoing everything," he said. "It's a curse. But when we do something, we do it right the first time."
It didn't take long for anglers around Tarpon Springs to start commenting on the refurbished '66.
"They'd say, "Can you do my boat like that?"' he said. "I'd say, "Sure, as long as you've got the time."'
Graham-restored Aquasports soon became a hot item. People were willing to pay as much as $70,000 to rebuild a boat that originally cost a few thousand dollars.
"We would take a hull and finish it off to the nines," Graham said. "When we were done with it, you would have a work of art."
While restoring these old boats, Graham found it was better to design and build a livewell from scratch than buy something off a production line.
"The first livewells we built were for commercial grouper boats," he said. "These monsters were 4 feet deep and could hold a lot of bait."
Large and well-aerated livewells keep bait healthier. Game fish seldom hit a lethargic bait, so there was no shortage of people willing to pay for the Cadillac of livewells.
"My livewells not only hold bait, they also serve as a release well," Graham said. "People looking for a fish box won't find one on my boat."
Freshwater fishermen, particularly tournament anglers, have long used livewells to keep alive a fish destined for release.
"If I have a fish that looks like it is not going to make it, I'll put it in the livewell," he said. "That way I can watch it and see if it has a chance for survival. Put a fish in the fish box and it will never be released."
But it takes a big livewell to keep a fish alive. Graham's oval 80-gallon models can be mounted below the main deck, which makes them appear smaller.
"They are custom built so you can get them 24 to 36 inches deep," he said. "I build them tough, so they double as a seat. They are even strong enough to stand on."
Graham Wells, as they have come to be called, start at about $1,500 but can cost as much as $3,500, depending how much wood work the customer desires.
"I don't advertise," he said. "All my business comes by word of mouth."
Graham, whose first love is guiding, said he doesn't build livewells for the money.
"I only build them on the days when I am not fishing," he said. "So if you are in a hurry, I am not the guy for you."
Graham said he meets his share of people who ask about his custom livewells but lose interest when he tells them they might have to be patient. But Graham says he has sold dozens of custom livewells in recent years to those willing to wait.
"I enjoy the project itself," he said. "I love building them. I guess you could say it is a hobby."
Graham scoffs at the notion his work could be considered art, but others would disagree.
"All I can say is, you get what you pay for," he said. "These livewells will last a lifetime. But you will pay for it."
