I'm a big fan of keeping the tops of my live wells up higher than the transom, so that gravity can drain them off the back of the boat for me.
I'm also a big fan of having a removable bait well. That way I can put it in the back of my pickup truck & take it down to the beaches the night before I want to fish. This allows me to throw a cast net in the flats & stock up on live bait ahead of time.
If I'm redecking a boat anyway, I usually look for places where I can put a fish/ice box below decks with a hinged lid. That makes it easier to get the feisty critters on ice while they are still flipping around. It also helps to keep the boat's center of balance low.
If you bring aboard something energetic, like a big cobia, or something real bloody like a big bonito, a below deck box can be a real help. Just kicking them below decks is soooo much easier than trying to pick them up & put them somewhere.
Also, the 17s only hold like 25 gallons of fuel to begin with. If you go any real distance, it might be nice to have the stock tank & also a second tank under the console.