Yeah, although stress isn't all bad. A smallie busting shad is stressed, sonce it is exerting more energy than normal, but i'm sure it isn't complaining about it, lol. The stresd we often see causing the marks to darken is from the fight, but no matter how healthy it seems upon release, a smallie in a livewell is stressed, but usually ok after release.
Next time you catch a bland smalljaw, remove the hook and hold.the fish (in water, of course). You'll see the marks appear and can release a healthy fish, giving you yet another cool thing to admire about the scrappiest bass there is.
Chris
|