[SmallJawKilla]

Fished Boone from 9:00am-6:00pm today and I have to say it was one of the toughest fishing days I have had in a while. I couldn't buy a bite all day long. Water temp was 44-46 about everywhere. I fished FNF, crankbaits, jigs, silver buddy, shakey worm, you name it, I threw it. I dropped BANDIT off around 1:00pm and went back at it until about 3:30pm when I went back to the ramp to pick up my father in law. As I got close I noticed a fish barely swimming around on top of the water........then I saw another, and then another. There were 3 dandy bass dying right there at the ramp. Here's one of them.....

I hate seeing this..........





All in all it was a horrible day on the water, but at least it didn't end up like this guy...........This is in the TVA ramp cove

 

[fishnpig]

Thanks for the report, sounds like you the same luck I did. Douglas was the same.

 

[Tracker1861]

Hate to hear that you had a bad day today. Man, seeing all those fish sure is tough. Thanks for posting your report.

 

[worm]

Sorry to hear that you had a bad day. That fish looked like it was starting to get a good row of eggs in it when it was in the water.

 

[REM870SP]

I hat seeing that. It happens though. IMO there are too many tourneys on Boone these days (not so much this time of year, but you know what i mean). Between the pressure and all the development, Boone is getting almost unbearable to fish anymore. Seems like fish were much easier to catch 5-10 years ago. Either that or i got worse at fishing...

 

[SmallJawKilla]

No, they croaked....I worked with them for a while but I think they needed to be fizzed and I've never seen that done...

 

[TFO]

thanks for the report sorry to hear about the fish in the tva cove did they get the boat out?

 

[booneangler]

this happened at boone a couple weeks ago these rodeos are the ones that are killing the fish. They were probably caught 40 or 50 foot down



oh and that boat has been there for a while.

 

[p&y150]

hate you had a bad trip. i'm going in the morning , maybe i have better luck. don't have a clue were to start. (TNT)

 

[Jtewes]

Thanks for the report SJK. I don't think anybody likes seeing this happen, but it does. In know Softy had some good tips on how to keep your fish, but in this case, it doesn't seem those fish were cared for.



J

 

[Countryboy]

Thanks fore the report! I say the fish was caught deep and should have been fizzed! it might have saved them.

 

[snoot]

Thanks for the report Jamie! Hate that you had a rough day. I'm thinking that snow we had has slowed things down.



As for the Fizzing of a bass. It's so simple. Stop by a vet clinic sometime and get the biggst needle (including the plastic syringe part, but you don't need the plunger) That's where I got mine. Here is a link to how I fizz my deep caught bass. I use the "THROUGH THE MOUTH" technique. For me it's easier to do than through the side. I don't want to make an open wound on the fish. I have put a few in the livewell and they would float over on there side, I fizz them and put them back in the livewell to make sure they are swimming normal, then I let them go.



Easiest Way to Fizz.

 

[RattleHeadBaits]

I have Fizzed several hundred fish over the past 10 years. About 5 years ago, I tested the fizzing in the side of a fish. I have never tried the fizzing in the mouth, looks like it would be better. I was wondering if the fish died weeks after doing the air bladder relief, so I caught some from 20 -30 foot in the winter on a spoon. I fizzed the fish and took them home and marked them and released them into a pond. I caught all 4 fish the following summer, 2 small mouth and 2 large mouth. Over the years, what I have learned is that small mouth can be caught from 35+ foot and do all right with fizzing. But large mouth, about 28 foot is the deepest I can keep the alive. I read a study that when a Large mouth come from deep water +25 that the air bladder can expand so much that it ruptures the organs coming up. I have had this happen on South Holston when drop shotting in 40 foot. Caught a 2 LB large mouth and it was dead when it got to the surface. I did bring it up fast, and it eyes looked like it was going to pop. So, if you do catch a fish deep, bring them up as slow as possible.



When does a fish need to be fizzed?

The best way to tell is 5 minutes after putting in live well, Is it on its side? Or worse up side down, for sure if it is up side down, it gills work with gravity and olny take 5-10 minutes to die. if they are on there side, I fizz them. Sometimes you have to fizz more than once. If you let too much air out the will lie on thier side on the bottom of the live well, never had one die from this.

When you insert the needle, you usally can hear the air blow out with a hiss. Check on your fish often.



Fish caught from 5 foot and stressed in the live well can also need to be fizzed as well sa deep fish.



They are easy to fizz, when one is in trouble rub its side and you will fill a hard spot above the side fin. As a general rule Large mouth, with the dorsal fin pointing toward the tail, count back 3 scales and up one. Small mouth back one and up 3. The needle needs to be long enough to go half way through the fish.



Just do a Google search Bladder Relief for Bass or fizzing.



I have fizzed Large mouth, small mouths and Spotted bass over the last 10 years and had 2 die, both large mouth.



A alterative is to clip some 1 oz weight to both front fins. Some of the additives, are helpful also.



Good luck and Good fishing and keep them Bass alive!

 

[Bad Habit]

So I guess any dead 15 inchers pulled up from deep water will get to be thrown back because they are not 16 inches. I ran into the same scenario last summer fishing off the Charleston coast. We were bottom fishing in 75 feet of water. The fish would be dead by the time we got them to the surface. If they were less than a certain length they became fish food. What is the rational for throwing a dead fish back??? Our charter captain made us because he would get a ticket if he was checked. Same thing here but TWRA doesn't see it that way.