Dead tournament fish new livewell Oxygenators fails

  • AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633063

    The Dog Days are a killer for tournament fish in livewells again this summer as predicted. Same deal as last summer, every summer. Ice, fish chemicals pumping more water, fish still dying in bass boat livewells during the day and night, same disappointments again this summer.

    A great salesman suggested spending couple hundred bucks on livewell oxygenators. Said oxygenators make plenty of pure oxygen and all that oxygen would keep the catch alive in the boat livewell. I tried the oxygenators and fish still died even with the 100% pure oxygen. He did not tell me that the oxygenator will not make enough of that 100% oxygen to keep a heavy catch of tournament fish from suffocating and dying all day. That was his secret.

    Then I read this research published by fishery biologist from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Inland Fisheries Division. Later I read the hard science about oxygenators and had a eureka moment (an epiphany). Now I understand that I just wasted $200 and change. Oxygenators are no better than a livewell water pump or air bubblers that came with the boat.

    This will blow your dress up, this is not product advertisement, salesman garble or spam; this is fishery facts, fishery science about the Oxygenator published by independent fishery experts.

    *AquaInnovations Oxygenator – How Effective is It – by Fishery Biologist Randy Myers TPWD, Inland Fisheries Division, San Antonio, TX Publication 2-14-2012 http://www.slideshare.net/raminlandfish/the-oxygenator-how-effective-is-it

    For a few tournament fishermen, tournament fish conservation is the main issue and really important, but for the vast majority of tournament fishermen the only point is getting the fish to the scales at 3 PM with pink gills moving a little and dodging the “dead fish punishment.”

    Most tournament fishermen I know could care less what tournament officials do with the fish after they are weighed. One dead tournament fish makes losers and losers do not bring home the bacon. Bring home the bacon is the whole point of the fishing tournament exercise, everybody knows that.

    Dutchboy
    Central Mn.
    Posts: 16634
    #1633068

    You didn’t waste your money there any more then on the Bass boat it’s self. It, like the boat, your rod, lures are just a tool. Do your best to keep the fish healthy, thats all you can do. It is a bit disappointing though when you do something that you think will help and it doesn’t work as advertised.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #1633072

    That device has been talked about on Ido for years. Few people will say it worked for them. The theory is great but in actual usage in holding bullheads, (at least for me) they died.

    Bass_attack
    Posts: 292
    #1633078

    Dont hold tournaments in the late summer. Problem solved coffee

    munchy
    NULL
    Posts: 4922
    #1633085

    Dont hold tournaments in the late summer. Problem solved coffee

    Or at the very least have CPR tournaments.

    Some boats don’t have livewell recirculation. The best part of the oxygenator is it allows those boat without recirculation to throw ice blocks in the water and not be pumping warm lake water back in the tank to oxygenate. However a small portable livewell pump would do the same.

    Tom Sawvell
    Inactive
    Posts: 9559
    #1633090

    Or at the very least have CPR tournaments.

    Every tournament held should be catch, weigh, picture with length and immediate release

    AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633355

    Bass_attack wrote:

    Dont hold tournaments in the late summer. Problem solved.

    You’re thinking like the B.A.S.S. National Directors, thinking specifically about how they changed the Bass Master’s Classic Tournament… here’s what they did that was a dramatic public relations game changer.

    Historically the Bass Master Classic tournament was always held in the Dog Days of Summer the beginning of August every year. B.A.S.S. always had substancial acute and delayed mortality problems every summer generating negative tournament publicity about dead floaters after the tournaments. The Classic tournament went on like this at the hottest time of the year for decades, since the early 1970’s. The tournament bass kill reached a high point and just a few seasons ago the Bass Master Classic made a dramatic move and basically eliminated the summer tournament bass mortality problems associated with the Bass Master Classic. Fish kills had become a major public relations problem for B.A,S,S. especially related to the Classic tournament mortality event held in the Dog Days of Summer.

    How did B.A.S.S. reverse this bad summer fish mortality PR image and still have catch and release with live fish presented on the stage for all to see the prize fish?

    B.A.S.S. simply changed the date of the Classic event from the hottest Dog Days of Summer the first week of August when the lake water temperature is in the high 80’s F – low 90’s F to the absolute coldest days of winter in late February when the lake water temperature is coldest in the high 30’s F – low 40’s F and the summer tournament bass mortality PR problems were no longer an issue… that all there was to fixing the summer tournament mortality problems.

    So, can summer bass tournament mortality really be corrected, dramatically reduced? You bet it can, B.A.S.S. did it for the Bass Master Classic.

    iowa_josh
    Posts: 427
    #1633442

    But they totally make bubbles! What percent of the bubbles are hydrogen? Also if you add salt, doesn’t the whole thing turn toxic?

    AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633472

    But they totally make bubbles! What percent of the bubbles are hydrogen? Also if you add salt, doesn’t the whole thing turn toxic?

    Nanobubbles – http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/nanobubble.html are not like micro bubbles, macro bubbles and regular bubbles in general. Nano’s are a very different kind of bubble.

    When water is broken down into gas molecularly by electrolysis the total gas volume generated is 33.3 % oxygen (non-explosive gas) and 66.6% hydrogen (explosive gas). The oxygen concentration is 100% and the hydrogen concentration is 100%.

    A Google search reveals this: You decide between the science and the oxygenator advertisement and infomercials.

    GENERATOR – ELECTROLYSIS TYPE

    OXYGENATOR™ – OXYGEN GENERATOR – ELECTROLYSIS TYPE

    Aqua Innovations Oxygenator™, O2 Marine Technologies, distributed by T-H Marine is an electrolysis device primarily sold and used in freshwater livewells and bait tanks. This small D/C battery operated electrical oxygen system requires (2) AA or 12 volt batteries, some units require daily maintenance after each use, new units are advertised maintenance free.

    SCIENTIFIC FACTS: “The Oxygenator-How well does it work?” “How Effective is It?” Tested by Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries Department.
    TPWD, Inland Fisheries Division, San Antonio, TX Publication by Fishery Biologist Randy Myers AquaInnovations Oxygenator 2-14-2012 http://www.slideshare.net/raminlandfish/the-oxygenator-how-effective-is-it

    When fish and live bait are densely crowded into livewells and bait tanks and excited during capture, handling, transport and captivity; it is absolutely is essential to provide dissolved oxygen (DO) faster than it is consumed by all the fish/bait in the livewell. This is not the normal steady state environment for a wild fish. The traumatic capture (netting, hooking struggling to extreme exhaustion), livewell confinement and hours of transport in livewells with poor water quality conditions. This is an absolute ongoing crisis, continuous fear and high adrenaline production for the captive fish… the worst day in a fish’s life. Then comes the cortisol downer.

    *The TP&WD dissolved oxygen test were done with NO fish in the livewell water consuming oxygen. Add 1 fish and the dissolved oxygen level in the livewell water plummets drastically. Add 15-20 lbs. of fish and the oxygenator simply fails to supply a safe amount of pure oxygen to maintain minimal safe live transport DO saturation resulting in high mortality and morbidity – THE DEAD FISH PENALITY.

    FACT: Although the Oxygenator does deliver 100% pure oxygen as advertised, it simply does not deliver enough pure oxygen continuously when fish are added to the livewell.

    CAUTION: The gas space between a closed livewell lid and the water surface can become enriched with 3 different gases; oxygen, hydrogen, (an explosive gas like acetylene and propane) and pure 100% chlorine gas (an explosive gas) if the electrolyzed livewell water contains any salt or livewell products that contain salt. Incorporate any potential ignition source (electric wires, any live electricity) inside the livewell… EXPLOSION HAZARD / FIRE HAZARD.

    Electrolysis breaks down fresh water molecules into pure hydrogen gas (H), pure oxygen gas (O2) plus deadly hydroxyl ions. If the livewell water contains any salt or livewell chemicals that contain salt, chlorine gas is always produced. Chlorine gas bubbles are visualized around the emitter as small greenish-yellow color gas bubbles (seen with back lighting). Hydrogen and oxygen bubbles are colorless.

    In freshwater livewells, two thirds (2/3) of the gas bubbles produced at the emitter is pure hydrogen gas (an explosive gas) and only 1/3 of the bubbles you see are pure oxygen. Although the generator may not produce enough oxygen for all the fish or bait in the livewell, the total stocking density; it is designed, advertised and does produce [some] pure 100% oxygen by electrolysis of water. That is the sales point.

    Oxygenator™ has no moving parts, makes no noise while older emitters require maintenance with special equipment after each use. Everything dies in the livewell if the oxygen live support system fails to produce or deliver enough oxygen.

    Summer conditions and overstocked livewells may exceed the Oxygenator™ capabilities to provide minimum safe DO saturation levels while the unit is working perfectly as advertised.

    Water electrolysis produces some pure oxygen and twice as much pure hydrogen; 1:2 ratio respectively. The small volume of pure oxygen it does generate is neither regulated nor controlled by the fisherman. The small volume of oxygen generated is strictly limited, regulated and controlled by a thermometer that measures livewell water temperature.

    The actual DO saturation produced with the Oxygenator™ has nothing to do with the DO saturation required to meet and sustain the minimal safe livewell oxygenation for 8-10 hours of intensive transport in overstocked summer livewell conditions.

    Reduce disappointments and eliminate any unreal expectations, ask a boat dealer and Oxygenator™ salesman before the purchase – Will the Oxygenator™ provide and ensure minimal safe livewell oxygenation in the summer, keep my live bait and all my tournament fish alive all day?

    Livewell oxygen systems must produce, maintain and sustain minimal continuous dissolved oxygen saturations (100% – 175% DO saturation) in a bass boat livewell, tournament weigh-in holding tank, release boat transport tanks containing a heavy limit, many limits of tournament bass (15-30 lbs fish or 400 lbs of live fish) in July/August tournaments all day long.

    ELECTRICAL CURRENT may cause physiological and psychological stress impact of transporting live bait and tournament gamefish in water that’s actively being exposed to sustained low electrical current (electrolysis) in water unknown, out of sight and out of mind.

    NEGATIVE AFFECTS OF ELECTROLYSIS are well know by fishermen…how electrolysis breaks down metal and electrical components on boats, motors and boat trailers. Why zinc anodes are absolutely necessary to counteract the negative effects of electrolysis.

    The hallmark selling point is: “The Oxygenator ™ makes 100% pure oxygen,” Period. But, sellers will never mention if it makes enough oxygen to sustain an overcrowded livewell full of fish or live bait all day in the summer.

    Technically the Oxygenator™ does qualify as a livewell oxygen system. The Oxygenator™ costs as much as a livewell water pump or small air compressor, bubble stone and air tube.

    If the generator fails to produce and or sustain the minimal safe Dissolved Oxygen Saturation all day for all the catch, your gamefish and bait may die while the generator is making 100% oxygen, operating perfectly as advertised. Like when your mechanical aerator or livewell water pump is working perfectly, humming away while the tournament fish or bait are suffocating and dying as you watch in your summer livewell.

    Know the facts and limitations about the Oxygenator™. Expect very limited pure oxygen production and low dissolved oxygen (DO) saturations in livewells full of gamefish and live bait every summer because the oxygen output is controlled and cycled on and off strictly by livewell water temperature. When the unit is new and functioning correctly in late fall, winter, early spring weather, the small volume of 100% oxygen may satisfy the biological oxygen demand for a small fish or a few live baits when environmental water temperature is within 40 F – 65 F.
    Failure to generate enough DO is a seasonal problem like aeration, exhibited every summer when the surface water temperature reaches 75 F – 90 F. Like all mechanical aeration and water pumps, you cannot ensure minimal safe livewell DO saturation with air or the Oxygenator™ in heavily stocked livewells. Water pumps only pump water and air pumps only pump air… air and water is not oxygen regardless of how mush air and water you pump in the summer.
    The water temperature sensor (the brain of the electrolyzer is a thermometer) cycles the unit on and off intermittently, the amount of oxygen that’s generated is strictly controlled by livewell water temperature not by the oxygen needs of livewells full of fish or live bait.

    Add ice to cool the water and the unit cycles less generating less oxygen whether the well contains (1) three pounds of fish, (10} five pounds of fish or (15) fifteen pounds of live baitfish.

    Unlike standard professional fish transporters dissolved oxygen standards for transport DO protocols, livewell stocking densities are not a consideration for oxygen production and is of no concern with the Oxygenator™. That major design feature, a real plus to save electricity and battery power, can be absolutely deadly in the summer.

    You can not increase the volume of 100% oxygen the unit produces and delivers which exposes an extremely limiting water quality factor like you’ve experienced with mechanical aeration: insufficient safe oxygenation.

    DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATION RATE: Oxygenator™ literature claims to generate 80% DO saturation in 20 minutes in freshwater livewells, [no fish or bait in livewell water consuming oxygen, livewell stocking density -0-.].

    This sounds great, right?
    How do you think 80% DO Saturation in 20 minutes with an Oxygenator™ squares with any standard aerator or livewell water pump?

    FACT: With no fish or bait in the livewell [livewell stocking density -0-.] and the standard mechanical aerators livewell pump running perfectly, 80% DO saturations or greater are easily reached within several minutes in summer livewell water. Even Mr. and Ms. Bubbles’ air pumps and bubblers can and will achieve 80% DO saturation under the same conditions in a few minutes in livewell water devoid of live bait and fish.

    Oxygenator™ is popular with these freshwater boat manufacturers, OEM and by Bass Pro, Cabela’s and other major Big Box Fishing stores.

    Triton Boats
    Ranger Boats
    G3 Boats
    Nitro Boats
    Champion Boats
    Skeeter Boats
    Tracker Boats
    Stratos Boats
    Bass Cat Boats
    Crestliner Boats
    Legend Boats
    Crestliner Boats
    Starcraft Marine
    Procraft Boats
    Weld Pro Aluminum Boats
    Yar-Craft Boats
    Phoenix Bass Boats
    U2 LIVEWELL ADDITIVE

    Oxygenator™ U2 instructions boldly state
    DO NOT USE THIS DEVICE IN SALTWATER LIVEWELLS OR BAIT TANKS and DO NOT USE SALT OR ANY LIVEWELL CHEMICALS or LIVEWELL WATER CONDITIONERS THAT CONTAIN SALT.

    Most livewell additives and chemicals contain salt, electrolytes that aid osmoregulation.

    U2 and Salt Water U2 livewell additives are the only additives recommended for safe use with the Oxygenator™ by the manufacture. U2 literature stated the formulation contains essential electrolytes.

    “Electrolyte solutions are normally formed when a physiological salt is dissolved into a solvent (water).”

    What are the “essential electrolytes in livewell chemicals and formulations? Combinations of primary ions compose physiological electrolytes. Ions of Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl−), Potassium (K+), Calcium (Ca2+), magnesium Mg2+), Hydrogen Phosphate (HPO42−), and Hydrogen Carbonate (HCO3−). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolyte

    Before you turn on an Oxygenator™ it is essential that you KNOW beyond any doubt whether the livewell chemical or additive you added to your livewell water contains any salt compounds.

    If you are ever in doubt if any livewell additive contains salt, taste it. If you detect a salty taste, the formulation probably contains salt… Don’t turn-on your Oxygenator™.

    CAUTION: Many livewell chemical manufacturers claim their fish saver livewell formulations and chemicals consist of “food grade” ingredients and may be used on food fish. Many of these products are clearly not FDA approved for use on food fish for human consumption and should never be used on tournament gamefish that are released alive after the tournament. Tournament catch and release gamefish are used for food fish for many fishermen, their wives and children.

    Upon your request, any ethical livewell chemical manufacture should provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or complete list of formulation ingredients upon your request. All the ingredients in the MSDS should be FDA approved for use on food fish for human consumption. It’s a public healthy issue and ethical statement regarding any concern for fellow fishermen and families that may catch and eat that fish you released yesterday after the tournament – The fish that you soaked 7-8 hours in the chemical bath in your livewell.

    A FISH HEALTH FACT: Hydrogen gas combines with other elements (metabolic waste) in livewell water forming noxious and very toxic hydrogen sulfide that becomes corrosive when exposed to salt, (hydrogen chloride).

    If you find more scientific information published in the net about oxygenators (electrolysis type) please post what you find.

    c_w
    central MN
    Posts: 202
    #1633484

    The Dog Days are a killer for tournament fish in livewells again this summer as predicted. Same deal as last summer, every summer. Ice, fish chemicals pumping more water, fish still dying in bass boat livewells during the day and night, same disappointments again this summer.

    So your real problem is dead fish? Why not ask what everybody does to prevent it instead of multiple clip and paste rants about one product?

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #1633520

    Allan,

    I’m not a fan either and everything in your cut/paste posts are true from my personal experience. I sure seems like you have an axe to grind with the makers of the H2onater?

    What’s up?

    AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633539

    Just love Googling the net. A little time clicking that mouse reveals more real facts and scientific information on this matter.

    Boys, I have no ax to grind at all, just passing on factual 3rd party published research based on scientific methodology for what that‘s worth. This is definitely not sales advertisement you may like or dislike, but it is what it is – fishery science facts.

    Maybe TP&WD has a bone to pick those fellows, they did the independent research on the oxygenator and they published their factual findings. I did not make this stuff up, it comes directly from Texas Parke & Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries Division scientific research.

    Yes, looks like your right on… a real summer livewell problem for some fishermen is dead fish and that problem is predictable every summer.

    Yikes, you are equating scientific facts and published fishery science to a “rant”… I am so sorry your having a real bad day. I sure didn’t mean to upset you or hurt your feelings with the science.

    TP&WD Inland Fisheries Division and independent tester of some fishing products by educated fishery biologist really shined the light and busted these livewell oxygenators that generate 100% pure oxygen. The biologist simply tested the oxygenator scientifically and published their test results, the true the facts without the slick advertisement and infomercials, that’s all the fishery experts did. Oh what a bitter pill to swallow for some folks that believed the sales pitch and spent the money on it.

    The scientific cause of this problem is usually fisherman’s failure to insure minimal safe water quality in his boat livewells all day, but this is normal every summer. This problem is ancient, it’s not cryptic and has been here forever for most fishermen trying unsuccessfully to transport live fish/live bait fish every summer. It’s been a real public relations problem for bass fishing tournaments 40 years. It is not a problem and never has been a problem for any State DNR or Inland fisheries Departments and absolutely does not threaten any bass fishery in the United States.

    Have you read this by chance?

    Keeping Bass Alive in Hot Weather Tournament anglers encouraged to consider oxygen injection in livewells Texas Parks & Wildlife Inland Fisheries News Release. Media Contact: TPWD News, [email protected], 512-389-8030 June 15, 2011 “Dissolved oxygen is the single most important factor for keeping bass alive,” said Randy Myers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries biologist from San Antonio http://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20110615b

    “Modern bass boats typically have two ways of maintaining oxygen levels in livewells. One is to continuously exchange water in the livewell with lake water. The other is to mix air with water… Unfortunately for the fish, neither method can maintain sufficient oxygen in the water when the weight of fish in the livewell exceeds one pound of fish for every gallon of water and water temperatures are high…”

    Summer livewell hypoxia will kill your fish in your livewell every summer if you cannot or will not make the effort required to insure minimal safe DO Saturation all day in your boat livewell containing a load of tournament fish – that is a scientific fact, not a fisherman’s opinion.

    Fishery science trumps advertisement here again, advertisements and infomercials and the old fishing myths that do not work in the summer.

    The fishery biologist say that summer livewell mortality problem are 99% caused by the fisherman’s failure to maintain minimal safe water quality all day in his boat livewell containing a full load of live fish, to be more specific, the fisherman’s failure to maintain minimal safe dissolved oxygen saturation in an overstocked livewell … the fishery experts claim the fish killer is not the livewell but the low/no dissolved oxygen in the livewell water.

    Chronic sustained hypoxic and slow suffocation in summer aerated livewells that are overstocked with fish is the major cause of summer tournament mortality say the fishery biologist… tournament fishermen call this a heavy winning load of fish.

    I chuckle… My tournament fishing buddies all tell me that the real raw meat of this summer livewell problem for them is losing that 1st place tournament money because 1 fish died in their livewell. One dead tournament fish laying on it’s side in the livewell in the afternoon is most disgusting and very disturbing when you open the livewell lid and realize that you have just become a tournament loser in the blink of an eye “because a damn fish died,” Especially after a tournament official has checked and certified your boat livewell as a “functional livewell.” and then you have just lost the 1st place money because your livewell failed to keep all your hard caught fish alive for a little 7-8 hour boat ride… and then you are hit with the “dead fish punishment” at the end of a hard fishing day at the scales.

    Another quick Google adventure looking for more real facts:

    A “functional livewell” must insure and maintain minimal safe water quality all day for all the fish in your captivity for the duration of the all day transport in you bass boat livewell. If your livewell is not capable of maintaining minimal safe water quality with a load of fish in it… then it is certainly “not functional” at all.

    Look, see for yourself…
    Livewell – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livewell

    Just so we can all compare apples to apples and there is no misunderstanding about what a livewell is and what a livewell must to do when fully loaded with live fish for an all day transport.

    What if during a hot summer tournament day your boat livewell water pump and aerator is humming as usual, certified a “functional livewell”, working perfectly all day and fish still died. That summer livewell mortality problem is common to every fishermen that uses livewells and bait tanks to transport live fish and live bait every summer when the water temp hits that magic water temperature – 80F. Summer livewell water quality problems and mortality is normal and predictable bases on 80F environmental water temperature.

    This is a non-issue for many fishermen, even PO’s a few fishermen and salesmen to see science like this, yet they will look at it anyway, whine and argue against the fishery science calling the science SPAM and rants.

    This is absolutely never problem anytime of the year for plastic bait fishermen and fishermen that do not need or use livewells and bait tanks any time of the year and do not fish C&R tournaments.
    Most tournament fish that present dead at the scales die because the boat livewell was really not functional .

    A functional livewell can and does insure and maintain safe water quality all day regardless of the stocking densuity. A non functional livewell cannot maintain minimal safe water quality.

    Check it out and see: Livewell – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livewell
    Clearly the science tells us that as soon as the environmental water temperature falls below 80 F this fall, winter and spring, things livewell survival will improve and get better until next summer comes again.

    So, like it or not, there exist a lot of fishery science and scientific base fact on this subject available for anyone to visit for anyone interested and folks that are not interested.

    Personally, I’d much rather read the research provided with fishery science facts and publication than the oxygenator sales literature now that I researched, know and understand the difference.

    I like the scientific approach and new livewell technology that really works all day, every day, in any livewell, every summer.

    Gary Law
    Ohio
    Posts: 57
    #1633638

    I have kept Shiners to Gizzard Shad alive with my original unite in well insulated tanks and have had a great run – Sorry to hear your not experiencing the same luck

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #1633647

    Gizzard Shad? In what type of tank? Will it fit in a boat?
    With only an Oxygenator? You sold me if I can keep shad alive for 6 hours!

    Tell me more please!

    c_w
    central MN
    Posts: 202
    #1633716

    AllanM what size are your wells and pumps? What type of boat is it? Do you have temp guage for the wells? Anything you can give us to help may be beneficial.

    We use several things together to keep our fish alive and have yet to loose a single one. We’ve also never seen anyone in our club tournaments have to take a dead penalty either. Can’t really help you out with your tournament fish losses if you don’t give some specs.

    AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633731

    c_w… thanks for asking. I appreciate your help and all your suggestions. Sharing knowledge, information and experience is the beauty of fishing forums like this.

    New technology and applications can be scary, out of the normal, definitely out of the ordinary and mundane, really bizarre and clearly intimidating to some fishermen.

    Who would have ever imagined a fisherman transporting live fish and bait fish his livewell could ever be as successful as any state and federal fish hatcheries or even the lonely shiner dealer that routinely transport live shiners every day. These people are the real experts, they transport live fish every day for a living.

    Their fish don’t die, get sickly and never catch a dose of the red-nose disease in their live haul boxes on 2 wheel trailers.

    I use 1 homemade insulated livewell, 10 gallon water capacity, 500 gph water pump I drop over the side (only to fill well and a couple partial water exchanges daily, a 5 gallon plastic bucket could replace my pump easily and it cheaper, no battery or electricity necessary), 16’ welded aluminum boat with 40 hp Yamaha. No temp gauge on boat, no need for it. My livewell temperature the same as the environmental water temperature I’m fishing in, absolutely no temperature shock possible.
    I do use salt to reduce osmoregulation stress, that’s very important and salt is cheap… 50 lb. bag of salt cost $5. I do like cheap, cheap is great for the fishing budget and cheap salt works great.

    I do pay close attention to the relationship of my stocking density and especially my livewell water quality. Stocking density directly affects livewell water quality.

    I have learned that the water quality inside the box (livewell) is far more important than the size, shape, brand or cost of the box (livewell) regardless of the stocking density you transport. If you cannot insure just minimal safe livewell water quality the fish or even gizzard shad will always get sick and die, that’s simple enough. Unsafe livewell water quality in any livewell any time of year causes mortal problems for a few fishermen every summer. The question is – what does minimal safe livewell quality really mean to the average guy and how can the average guy make his livewell water quality “safe” all day in the summer if his fish or bait fish are red-nose, sickly and dying?

    Biologist transporting live fish (employed by fish hatcheries) know how to insure excellent transport water quality, they are the real experts. How they do that so easy?

    I do understand that most fishermen claim they never have any livewell mortality or water quality problems like this in the summer. These are the guys that are successful and really know how to manage water quality. These are the guys that put the live fish in the livewell, they never look in the box all day, they never think about fish dying in their livewell all day during transport. They know their fish are living fine all day.

    Now that may not be impressive to most fishermen trying to transport live fish successfully in the summer, it is to me. I love new science and success.

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #1633765

    >>You sold me if I can keep shad alive for 10 minutes!<<

    From my experience shad will die very shortly after being harvested and placed into a live well or 5 gallon pail.

    I’ve seen bait tanks designed specifically for shad and they are generally oblong and the water is kept moving so the shad continually are swimming.

    Other then those type of tanks, they seem to die moments after hitting the live well/bait tank. ??

    AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633793

    In your opinion, what do you really is happening that is killing your shad so quickly in your bait tank?

    You probably need a better bait tank, a bigger water pump or maybe a better net or probably just forget trying to keep shad alive if your shad are dying in 10 minutes. That’s hardly worth the effort to even net them. What’s the point of even trying to keep them alive.

    I would imagine the shad are probably to sloppy and lethargic to fish 5 minutes after you catch them and as you said they are dead in another 5 minutes. Got to fish those shad fast before they die.

    Maybe plastic bait would be the better option for you? Surely a lot less trouble.

    I have some friends that, like you, just can’t keep shad alive, period.

    Walleyestudent Andy Cox
    Garrison MN-Mille Lacs
    Posts: 4484
    #1633797

    In your opinion, what do you really is happening that is killing your shad so quickly in your bait tank?

    You probably need a better bait tank, a bigger water pump or maybe a better net or probably just forget trying to keep shad alive if your shad are dying in 10 minutes. That’s hardly worth the effort to even net them. What’s the point of even trying to keep them alive.

    I would imagine the shad are probably to sloppy and lethargic to fish 5 minutes after you catch them and as you said they are dead in another 5 minutes. Got to fish those shad fast before they die.

    Maybe plastic bait would be the better option for you? Surely a lot less trouble.

    I have some friends that, like you, just can’t keep shad alive, period.

    Well I thought this thread was kind of strange all along….and now this? shock

    AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633815

    Well I thought this thread was kind of strange all along….and now this? shock
    [/quote]
    This was actually for Klawitter, he says that his shad are dying is 10 minutes and he can’t keep them alive.

    Wallystudent, are your shad dying in 10 minutes too?

    Walleyestudent Andy Cox
    Garrison MN-Mille Lacs
    Posts: 4484
    #1633820

    Wallystudent, are your shad dying in 10 minutes too?

    No, mine are dying as soon as they come out of the water. Much better that way….and my favorite shad(roe) and egg!!

    Attachments:
    1. pickled-gizzard-shad.jpg

    2. shad1.jpg

    3. shadroe.jpg

    philtickelson
    Inactive
    Mahtomedi, MN
    Posts: 1678
    #1633851

    I think Allan will keep this up for like 5 or six more posts, and then….

    He’ll reveal himself to be a competitor of this oxygenator. In one swift motion his avatar will morph into a thought to be dead Billy Mays.

    HEY EVERYONE I’M BILLY MAYS, ARE YOU TIRED OF BASS DYING IN YOUR LIVEWELL? TIRED OF THROWING MONEY AWAY AS DEAD FISH PENALTY AFTER DEAD FISH PENALTY RUIN YOUR CHANCES AT THE BIG PAYOUT?

    WELL I HAVE THE PRODUCT FOR YOU. OXY-BREATHE. OXY-BREATHE USES SPACE AGE NANO-PARTICLES TO INFUSE OXYGEN AND ELECTROLYTES INTO YOUR LIVEWELL, KEEPING YOUR FISH ALIVE AND SWIMMING!

    SIMPLY DUMP 2 OZ OF OXY-BREATHE INTO YOUR LIVE WELL FOR EVERY GALLON OF WATER AND WATCH YOUR FISH BREATH LIFE BACK INTO THEIR GILLS!!!!

    OXY-BREATHE IS CHOCK FULL OF ELECTROLYTES, WHAT FISH CRAVE. WATCH AS OXY-BREATHE TURNS THIS LIVEWELL FULL OF HALF DEAD FISH INTO A HIGH ENERGY BASS OASIS. LOOKOUT(bass in the video jumps out of live well completely)!

    ONE 16 OZ CAN OF OXY-BREATHE COULD BE YOURS FOR JUST $19.99.

    BUT WAIT, CALL NOW AND WE’LL THROW IN A TRAVEL CAN OF OXY-BREATHE FOR THAT MINNOW BUCKET OR MINNOW COOLER FOR FREE!

    AND THAT’S NOT ALL, IF YOU ORDER IN THE NEXT TEN MINUTES WE’LL DOUBLE YOUR ORDER FOR NO ADDITIONAL COSTS. THAT’S TWO CANS OF OXY-BREATHE AND TWO TRAVEL CANS OF OXY-BREATHE FOR JUST $19.99.

    AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633865

    No, I’m not a salesman, I’m a consumer. I did a quick click on Google and I did find this… thanks for the tip.

    Oxy-Breath probably did not sell well and looks like it may have been rebranded to sell better.

    I didn’t know dead Billy Mays, rest his soul. He may not have made any money with Oxy-Breath but, a guy called Billy Bob sure took his idea and ran with it.

    Billy Bob did a slick re-do and made this product successful.

    The new name is “Boost” and it’s sold at Amazon.com – (2) 22 oz cans of “Boost” only cost $21.99 https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=oxygen+in+a+can&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=7263626647&hvpos=1t2&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6209297062374009301&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=e&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027802&hvtargid=kwd-91441539&ref=pd_sl_5eyr701kgi_e

    Billy Bob simply changed the name of the product, increased the volume of product in each can from 16 oz to 22 oz and reduce the retail price per ounce dramatically.

    Billy Bob sells his product mail order through the internet on Amazon… Billy Bob was brilliant, he turned a marginal product into a successful product.

    I’m not Billy Bob, I’m AllanM.

    nhamm
    Inactive
    Robbinsdale
    Posts: 7348
    #1633880

    Phil….. rotflol rotflol

    Brian Klawitter
    Keymaster
    Minnesota/Wisconsin Mississippi River
    Posts: 59992
    #1633883

    Allan, do you have a daughter that likes social media and fish? whistling

    AllanM
    Posts: 29
    #1633893

    NO, had 1 daughter that was stillborn years back.

    Why do you ask?

    belletaine
    Nevis, MN
    Posts: 5116
    #1633896

    Catch and release….oh..but then the guy can’t reach into the bucket while the crowd waits with baited breath to see him hoist the 6 pounder and pound his chest.

    Just my own rant.

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