Looking for any of those little extra things we can do do keep our fish alive in the summer . We have a livewell with the oxyenator. Does ice work or does it shock the fish? I read somthing about snap weights to keep fish upright ? Does this work. We are basically referring to Miss. waters. Want to make sure that if we are lucky enough to catch fish that they make it to the weigh-in and then get release in good shape to make it .
Ice must work!!! I know a lot of pro torney guys use ice to keep there fish alive
Gotta “fizz” ’em. Works great if you do it properly 
Quote:
Ice must work!!! I know a lot of pro torney guys use ice to keep there fish alive
Ice shocks them. You want to keep them at the temperature they are acclimated to, keep new fresh water in the livewell
I just know some of the tournament guys use ice. I wouldnt know because if it’s to hot to keep em alive in the live well I put them on ice
Quote:
Gotta “fizz” ’em. Works great if you do it properly
Unless you yoink em’ up from deep water, I’m confused how fizzing would help keep them alive?
Quote:
Quote:
Gotta “fizz” ’em. Works great if you do it properly
Unless you yoink em’ up from deep water, I’m confused how fizzing would help keep them alive?
You are also suggesting that completely untrained folks you likely don’t personally know, start stabbing fish “to keep them alive”. Possibly the worst advice on IDO ever.
I understand “fizzing” is a real technique used by some folks on fish caught in deep water, but unless you know EXACTLY where that swim bladder is on any given fish… well then you are just stabbing fish. BAD IDEA!
Here are a few I use:
Learn how to use your livewell pumps to your advantage. When in warm mucky water, put them on recirculate but keep them pumping fresh water 90% of the time. After long runs, pump out and pump in main channel water.
Use ice to maintain water temps +5 or -5 degrees from lake or river water temps.
Fizzing should only be used when bringing fish up from very deep water. The pressure change causes their swim bladder to stay over-inflated.
For a fish that wants to start bellying up attaching a drop weight to the anal fin sometimes will help it come back.
Learn proper deep hook removal techniques. If you need to leave the hook in, leave 10-12 inches of line(this will pull the hook shank to one side which will allow the fish to continue feeding).
Use livewell treatments such as Catch and Release. Avoid using Keeping them Alive.
Use a “fish friendly net” that will allow you to untangle your plug and get the fish out and into the livewell as soon as possible.
Urban myth has it that pouring a little Mountain Dew on a bleeding gill plate stops the bleeding.
Buzz, that was possibly the best advice located in one post I’ve ever read. 
I’ve seen ice used in a lot of tournaments and you can keep your water cycling so the temperature doesn’t get too cold.
…. Don’t fish tournaments???? ….. 
Buzz that was great advice. What do you consider deep? The lakes we fish have a max depth of about 30 ft. Should we be fizzing fish caught in warm water? Thanks
Quote:
We have a livewell with the oxyenator.
In addition to what Buzz said, I want to make sure anyone reading this realizes that if they intend to use an oxygenator that there must be a recirculation pumpe going 100% off the time in conjunction with the oxygenator.
And for tourney fishing, I would suggest the some sort of recirc being run 100% of the time anyway. Temperature in itself has less to do with anything than how much ammonia and other chemicals build up in the water.
point 1 – ammonia, nitrogen etc can not escape without the surfce tension of the water being broken. Look for some method that will cause the surface of the water to be stirred/broken up – recirc pumps usually do this as will pushing more water into your live well.
point 2 – as air bubbles pass through a water column, O2 in the bubble is replaced with Nitrogen/ammonia from the water. When the bubble gets to the top of the water and breaks, the ammonia/nitrogen is relased. – This does not happen with the oxygenator which is why a recirc pump is required with their use. Using the oxygenator without recirc or other method to break water surface tension and move water will suffocate a fish faster than if the oxygenator is not used.
I use a larger than normal air stone/power bubbles set up in my livewell that use 90% more than a recirc pump. ONly in extreme cases will I have the recirc pump and the air stone/pump on at the same time.
I will never use an oxygenator ever again. Good concept – but if one thing goes wrong like a pump failure and everything is dead in minutes.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
