Fall smallmouths and barotrauma

[bucktail]

Interesting read on page 29 of this months In-Fisherman.

It concerns fall fisihing for trophy smallmouth in excess of 20 feet.

Some shocking results.

12.8 percent of deep fish caught and released in fall tourneys in Rainy Lake died after release.

Simcoe might even be worse as late in fall almost all of the fish are deeper then 20 feet.

At this rate how long will the trophy supply of bass dwindle??

 

Should you even fish for them then???

 

Myself in the fall in Quinte will not fish below 30 feet as bringing up eyes from below that depth essentailly turns into a catch and keep and I am not comfortable fizzing fish, which is a whole nother conversation.

 

Time to move the date of fall tourneys and the season in general up?

 

Darren

[tonyb]

It's usually deeper than 1 atmosphere of pressure or 33' of water when your run into problems.

 

You can increase the survival of fish caught out of deep water by educating yourself on proper release techniques.

 

Here is an informative link that is helpful

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/228130.pdf

 

Tony

[PatrickGG]

Horsing deep water Bass out of there holes would probably contribute to the problem"Barometric Pressure", also tourney fishing puts alot of stress on fish especially when kept in live wells through out the day could be a cause, I've seen tournament fishermen adding certain additives to the water in their live wells to enhance oxygen and keep fish healthy till released.

Edited September 23, 2008 by PatrickG

[JohnF]

It's usually deeper than 1 atmosphere of pressure or 33' of water when your run into problems.

 

You can increase the survival of fish caught out of deep water by educating yourself on proper release techniques.

 

Here is an informative link that is helpful

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/228130.pdf

 

Tony

 

I realize that fish are built differently than us humans, but we can get bent in a mere few feet of the water column due to explosive decompression from rising too quickly from depth. Admittedly it doesn't happen to divers too often, at least not so we can notice, but in theory it's possible. I have friends (and myself) who will claim a variety of aches and pains in joints after ignoring through carelessness or necessity (running out of air) the ascent rate their computer or knowledge dictated.

 

I'm not sure if a fish's sense of self preservation will kick in when hooked and fighting, but perhaps if we were just a little patient when catching at relatively shallow depths (20-30') and let the fish dictate the rate of rise (i.e. watching the angle of the line) we might reduce the risk of bending the fish.

 

JF

[JohnF]

And as for the "fizzing" technique, it is probably significantly less than effective. In reality the fizzing that must be addressed is the blood in the fish throughout the body, not just the expansion in the air bladder. In a human who is seriously bent the blood turns to something like fizzy pink jello effectively stopping circulation and the o2 supply to the brain etc. At that point the air expansion problems are merely a very painful symptom of the barotrauma. In a fish I would think the gills would be exploded beyond redemption at that point and the fish is doomed.

 

JF

[Rich]

I know I wouldn't fish bass in 30fow...

 

it's boring. lol

[JohnF]

I know I wouldn't fish bass in 30fow...

 

it's boring. lol

 

I wouldn't know. I was standing in the middle of my deepest pool out on the creek, and the water barely made it to my belt. That's why I just laff when people ask if I like deep divers.

 

JF

[BabyHerc]

The tournament scene has been warned often of the dangers of fishing bass in deep water and stressing fish in mid-sumer. They are too concerned with purses and bragging rights to worry about fisheries and conservation.