SHRINKAGE

Hey Guys,
I have a biology paper due on wednesday with regards to fish shinking in the livewells. Anyone know of anysites were i can find more info? Anyone have there own experiences?
Thanks,
P.S. I don’t think mille lacs could be any hotter. I’ll be there friday through sunday. 1891sc warrior 150optimax. Stop and say high.

I can not document with anything on paper, but I have seen shrinkage in fish in a livewell. During a tourney fishing run in KS in the mid 90’s, we did have to on occasion toss back a short fish that was 18+ a fraction when it was put into the livewell. Stress, bouncing around a livewell, warmer surface water being circulated into a livewell may have been contributing factors. If you weighed a short fish you were DQ’d, so questionable fish were re-measured. We would even measure during the day, so if a fish came up short we could toss and try to catch one to replace that fish. On many occasions if you measure a fish on one side, then turn over it will be a different length, so if close, turn over. Also have the creel guys do same at the dock if you get checked with a shortie. Hope this .02 cents is worth something.

Sounds like an cool paper you get to write. Wish I could write about walleye fishing up at school. Where do you go to school at.

Not sure where to look for the information but, in my experiences I’ve actually had the exact opposite happen. Walleyes that I’ve put in the livewell have actually grown in length. I know that in tournements, this year and previous years I’ve had put fish in the well that were under the slot and when I got into the weigh-in they were over the slot and they had to be let go cause they couldn’t be weighed. I’ve had fish grow up to a 1/4 of an inch. Something that may cause this is that the fish may be stressed from being reeled in and shrind, but when the get put in the livewell the relax and stretch back out. Another possibility may be the difference in water temp. The fish are usually being pulled from water depth of up to 40′ maybe deeper, where the water temp is a lot colder than the suface temperature of the water that is being pumped into a livewell.
Hope this helps you with your paper

Josh

Josh, What are you talking about! You LIVE with the walleye professor in the off season!!!!!
Well, I’m off to come up with another “Milk Run”, I may go “Burn some gravel”, or maybe “Think outside of the box” for a while….
LOL
Tuck