SportFishing and Charters Forum - Tuna tubes

Looking for some ideas for my tuna tubes.

http://www.livebaitlarry.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=24_81&products_id=152

I am going to be installing a set of tubes on my transom over the bracket. The Livebait Larry ones just 'unpin' to drop the tubes off, but getting a nice clean water outlet is tripping me up.
Most of the ones I have seen are hard plumbed through the transom.
I am thinking about plumbing the bottoms of the tubes in PVC, then having a flexible hose to meet up with the transom, but having a quick, neat disconnect escapes me. Here is what I have been seeing for permanently mounted ones.

http://www.livebaitlarry.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image_additional&pID=152&pic=7&products_image_large_additional=images/large/tubes_on_boat2_06_LRG.JPG

My ideal setup would be flush so people could walk back and forth on the bracket and not have to bump into the large nub sticking through the transom. All the rest of my plumbing is 1in so I would like to stick with that.

If possible mount the correct size white plastic barbed mushroon head thru hull to the spot where you want the tube to pass through your transom and then pass the 1" tubing directly through that thru-hull. This will be a very "clean" looking install and there is no connection. When your not using the tuna tubes just pull the hose back through the thru-hull flush and water can't enter.

Google "PVC Quick Disconnect Fittings". You should be able to find something useful. Something like these:
http://www.bigbrandwater.com/beevalve116.html

Post pics when done. I'm thinking of doing something similar. I have a water outlet in my outboard bucket that was used to feed a removable baitwell that sits on the swim platform, but I'm thinking of just switching it to a couple of home-made striper tubes mounted w/ SeaSuckers in the bucket.

The quick disconnect fittings sound like they will work for you or just use a garden hose type.

I have each of my 4 tubes connected with it's own flex hose connected to a transom fitting. Each tube has it's own pump making it easy to run one or more at a time and not relying on one pump failure to ruin all the tubes.

I also installed my pumps using a short hose between the seacock and pump so that in am emergency I can close the valve and disconnect the hose (cutting if needed) and have 4 more bilge pumps.

I like the idea of pulling the 1in line in though the water filler! My general concern is having people swimming and moving on the bracket and getting 'caught' on the water outlet. That would make a nice smooth transom. I kicked around having a separate pump on the stern in the water to power the tubes. With the bracket on there, i cant figure out an easy, clean way to do it.

I'd go with just one rule 4000. I have a pair of those running 8 tubes and I love the setup. Make sure the tubes are big. The bigger the tube, the less is rubs the side of the fish. I've built mine 3 times now, and the final product is the largest, and the fish live the longest. I also have a friend who swears by painting the tubes black to relax the bonitos. I haven't taken that leap yet, but he really knows his stuff?

Here you go. Water flow is the key. Being able to regulate the tubes individually is important.
http://www.thehulltruth.com/sportfishing-charters-forum/395716-tuna-tubes.html

On the install I just completed on a 32-Regulaor, I used a 1600 Rule pump with it's own seacock. To allow removal of the tubes, I used a "cam and groove" connection. The male end was threaded onto a bulkhead fitting mounted aft of the transom livewell. Be sure that your plumbing pitches back towards the pump, otherwise you'll be fighting "air-lock" every time you turn the system off and on.

I want to use just 2 tubes for blues and pogies. I have heard of painting the insides black and I know guys that go one step more and put a wet towel over the top of the tubes. I am using a rule tournament pump 1700, 1in line ball valve right up close to the pump (line has 3 90deg elbows in it) piped all the way up to the inside of the stern.

I did make sure it pitches down, mainly for the winter time. Air binding the pump did cross my mind too but even if I have to 'prime' the tubes at the dock with a 5gal bucket I am ok with that too.

Dogfather you got any pictures of the plumbing and the cam and groove setup?

I really dont want to build the whole setup as I just spent 2 years rebuilding the boat from scratch and I am sick of projects I just want to FISH! :D

If you dont use valves the tubes wont equalize one tube will have more flow than the other. I have tried a few ways and the tubes with control valves work much better than tubes without valves.

On the 32-Regulator, I installed one valve between the two tuna tubes, and one valve in front of the two tubes for just that purpose. Flow to tube #2 can be modulated or shut off if the bait in that tube is smaller or if there is no bait in it at all. Likewise the "first" ball valve can be modulated so as not to "push" the bait out of tube #1 with full pump volume when valve #2 is shut.

Wildman Fab, Check your pm's.

On the 32-Regulator, I installed one valve between the two tuna tubes, and one valve in front of the two tubes for just that purpose. Flow to tube #2 can be modulated or shut off if the bait in that tube is smaller or if there is no bait in it at all. Likewise the "first" ball valve can be modulated so as not to "push" the bait out of tube #1 with full pump volume when valve #2 is shut.
Very similar to my set up. :thumbsup: