I have recently bought a 1994 Stratos bass boat. I am learning my way around the boat but I can't figure out how to drain my live wells. They fill manually and have a switch for recirculating but once the well is full I can't figure out how to empty them. I have opened the valve while running the boat but can't get it to drain more than half empty. Is there a secret I am missing? Any info is appreciated.

I don't know a thing about Stratos but, assume there is a drain plug in each lifewell that has to be open? Not trying to be a smart a** just asking.

There are no plugs inside the live wells. They open/close manually with knobs near the dash. My issue is after a day of fishing and using the live wells I can't get them to completely drain. I should mention that my boat is stored at the marina in a slip. Suggestions?

Systems I'm familiar with that have dual livewells sharing one pump do have manual switches that allow you to recir, fill or drain. In drain position they drain out the back of the transom. Could be the manual switch is malfunctioning? Mine has a wire that goes to the switch and it can be a problem trying to switch from one positon to the other. You just have to gain access to the valve that switches and see if it is working as you switch.

The wire that does the switching is like a cable/wire you find on the throtte cable on your lawn mower.

The bottom of the livewells sit below the lake surface so if the boat is sitting in the water, they will never completely drain.

Yep. For sure.

Thanks for the input--that is exactly what I was thinking, but hoping there was a simple solution I was overlooking.

Sometimes crappie scales stop my livewell drain up so check for fish scales in the lines.

I bought an older boat from a friend had the same problen had to take the switch apart and with vice grips pull and push the cable you are talking about back and forth till it freed up just go slow and do not kink it

Sorry Boo and OKieBob, but....

Not familiar with your Stratos, but our Ranger's livewells are also well below water level and they can be easily emptied while on the water.

You have to reach inside livewell and pull a pumpout valve and run the pump a couple minutes and ........dry livewells!

If Stratos left the system incomplete, Flow-rite sells the needed parts for use in any boat. Simple to use.

Lou, where would I find this valve? The only thing in the live well is the spigot that runs water during recirculating. The only option on the electric switch is recirculate and off--there is no fill or pump.

As said earlier, scales and stuff can get in the valves and block them from working correctly. (having this problem myself) sometimes you can backflush the intake and blow out the valves.

I think he is talking about the control valve. It should be inline with the live well hoses. Most of them are. Just follow the live well control cable and you will the control valve.

Here is how you pump out livewell water that is below lake surface level when on the water....

The Flow Rite pump out/aerator combo is a red and white fitting mounted in the upper side wall of the livewell. From inside the livewell, it can be reached and popped by pressing on it or pulled by grasping the aerator fitting and pulling until a pop is heard.
See end of this video..
https://www.flow-rite.com/product/mp-1000

One position results in the livewell being filled (coming from lake water or recirculated water) and the other position results in the livewell waters being emptied overboard as the water is pumped out by the pump.

See about midway down on this page...

https://www.flow-rite.com/shop/marine/aerators


This fixture is not the fill/empty/recirculate actuator valve in the bottom of the bilge. That valve has to be in the recir position and the pump out valve has to be in the pump out position and the pump has to be running to get water in the livewell that is below the lake level to pump and exit overboard.