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iI got school'd by JP de Rose


JorgeCarlos

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In conjunction with Queens University and the local MNR there is a tagging project going on behind the scenes at the Bass Pro Shop's Lake Simcoe Open. I was there to assist Melanie Frost with the fizzing of any fish that were suffering from the "bends" after being brought up from depth. Smallmouth cannot release or burp the air out of their bladders so when they are caught from deeper water and retained in a live well they inflate and begin to float upside down. We deflate the airbladders with 16 gauge needles and give them the chance to swim back down to the bottom where they are comfortable... if this procedure is not done the fish can never swim back to the bottom and spend the last few days of their lives floating on the water susceptible to the birds in the area.

 

The procedure has been tested by Queens and they have also proven that the air bladder fully heals after the deflation!

 

JP

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Rick is right regarding the knowledge part... if you are unfamiliar with the process many things can greatly reduce the survival rate of the fish. One thing is however certain.. an unfizzed fish floating on the surface is destined to die almost 100% of the time. People who fizz under water to see the bubbles run the risk of introducing water to the fish's bladder like when a bottle is held underwater. Once the air is out it will act as a vacuum. I always listen to the air coming out by placing my ear next to the needle end.

 

Also keep in mind that if you catch a fish from the deeper waters and don't put it in a live well then they can easily swim back down to the bottom since it typically takes 10 minutes for the "bends" to reach it's full effect.

 

The bigger the fish, the closer to the front the air bladder will be. The best all around way I have found is to lay the pectoral fin flat and the spot is just under an inch back of the fin tip and a few scales up.

 

JP

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Not many people can pinch fish safely and effectively. JPD and maybe a handful of other folks on this board know how it's done. No matter how many Youtube videos you watch, you'll still need to learn the technique from an expert.

 

Maybe get Roy to show them how to burp out their air bladder. He's good at that.

 

Thanks Rick. Yes, I am good at it...it comes from being told by countless people all of my life to fizz off.

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