Delayed bass mortality rate

[agelesssone]

The fish that were caught and released immediately only had a 6% mortality rate, unless they were deep hooked.

The study quoted below was more of a study of livewell treatments such as icing, salting, fresh water recirculation than that of handling. Separate studies on handling caution against touching the fish's body and removing their protective slime intimates that the less handling, the better.

[nomad60]

Originally Posted by agelesssone

The fish that were caught and released immediately only had a 6% mortality rate, unless they were deep hooked.

The study quoted below was more of a study of livewell treatments such as icing, salting, fresh water recirculation than that of handling. Separate studies on handling caution against touching the fish's body and removing their protective slime intimates that the less handling, the better.

I bet laying the fish on the carpet of my boat to take pics probably doesn't do them a lot of good either.

[Cornbread]

I agree with the weigh in procedure. Keeping a limit in a hot plastic bag while standing in line at weigh in can never be good. I heard recently some college research students did a hybrid mortality study on JPP that found 85% of the fish caught while the water temp was 84 or greater will die. I see very few dead bass but I have seen quite a few hybrid floaters at times. Those bass numbers are shocking.

[MickT]

Cornbread, I have heard the same thing about stripers in the summer. Remember,many hybrids and stripers are stocked, so the fish you throw back or cull that dies is your wasted fishing license dollars.

When a fish dies, as many will usually sink as float, and many swim around for several hours to days before they die. Moral of the story is if you plan to release them, don't take them out of the water any longer than absolutely necessary to get the hook out, and be willing to keep a few legal fish that are in bad shape especially in the summer heat.

[Cornbread]

Good info for sure. I make it a point to friends I fish with that we unhook fish boatside and that cameras are ready for photos. I also agree with the put and take fishery info but I guess I like to think that 6 lber may be 12 in a few more years If I get her back in the water quick.

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by MickT

Remember,many hybrids and stripers are stocked

To my knowledge they're all stocked because Stripers can't reproduce in fresh water and Hybrids are born sterile since they're a test tube experiment.

[TNBronzeback]

Ive never liked the fact that the big national bass tourney chains FLW, BASS, ect that hit all the prime waters during the spawn....catch a limit of five (in most cases) big spawning females from point "a"...then drive around all day then go WAY down to the ramp at the other end of the lake, in some cases miles and miles....weight them in and toss them back there!
Some might say that nature has a way and the fish find thier nests again and complete the task and others say the bulk of the tourney fish stay in the immediate area of where they were returned. I dont know either way but that just sits kinda rough with me.
When those guys are on St. Clair, they could run south down the detroit river into lake erie or north all the way to lake huron....3 totally different eco systems but all fish are dumped back into 1 area. That seems crazy to me.

[Reel Tune]

Thanks for the information Merv. I have read similar studies with very similar results.

I want to thank everyone for keeping on topic, and being able to have a very good discussion, a lot of forums wouldn't have went the same way.

As for the relocating after a tournament, I've seen studies on Dale Hollow with smallmouth that were tracked weeks after being released from tournaments. Most don't travel far from where they were released. It doesn't show where they were originally caught of course, but I'm sure not many, if any make it back to their homes.

Catch and Release is where it's at. I know there has to be management, but lets manage the smaller fish, and let the breeders with good genes pass on their traits.

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

Catch and Release is where it's at. I know there has to be management, but lets manage the smaller fish, and let the breeders with good genes pass on their traits.

That's why I stopped keeping the larger bass from Priest. I don't fish there often anymore but when I still was, I decided to stop keeping the larger bass because I fish tournaments here and there on Priest and want the bigger fish genes to be passed down.

I think we're finally in agreement here on the eating fish thing. Strict catch and release can do harm just as loose size and creel limits. Which is why I think the 15" limit on lakes like Priest isn't helping. This forces guys like me who want to eat some bass from time to time to have to eat the larger fish that
A) don't taste as good as the smaller ones and
B) we normally would want to release to keep growing.

Same in Williamsport. Sure there are big bass in there but there are also a lot of dinks. Too many of them. I really think letting anglers thin out the 12-16" fish in there would do wonders for that fishery in just a few years time. A 20" or bigger fish would be even more common than it already is and I bet those lakes would compete with Chick as far as real trophies go. Instead we can only keep a 20" fish. I don't want to eat a bass that big and neither do most of us and I'd agree that most of us don't want to see strictly 20+" fish (4-5 pounds average at that length) being taken out.

I think conservationists need to set their emotions aside of wanting to release every fish and really think about what's best. Believe me there was a time when I wouldn't hesitate to take a 4lb bass to the dinner table but I've come around and won't do that anymore. The other side needs to meet halfway.

[SAMBOLIE]

Originally Posted by jad2t

That's why I stopped keeping the larger bass from Priest. I don't fish there often anymore but when I still was, I decided to stop keeping the larger bass because I fish tournaments here and there on Priest and want the bigger fish genes to be passed down.

Do you mean the large ones that were offered to you by other fisherman?

Those 12 " fish you catch are not considered large by most.

[Reel Tune]

Great point Jimmy

I grew up on the water whether it was running nets, or trot lines in the river. Running trot lines, and jugs in our own lakes. I grew up catch and grease.
Somewhere along the line I swung the complete opposite direction which isn't right either.
Now, I think I'm more educated now about conservation, and I try to keep an open mind about things.

I do agree with you about the creel limits. I also think Williamsport needs more people enforcing the rules, and do agree with keeping a few 12"-16" fish, but some of those fish may be the fresh stocker Florida strain and that could be detrimental if a lot of them were removed. If you catch a fish of a lifetime I don't see the need in necessarily keeping it. Most good taxidermists can produce a good mount with a few good photos and some measurements.

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by TNBronzeback

Ive never liked the fact that the big national bass tourney chains FLW, BASS, ect that hit all the prime waters during the spawn....catch a limit of five (in most cases) big spawning females from point "a"...then drive around all day then go WAY down to the ramp at the other end of the lake, in some cases miles and miles....weight them in and toss them back there!
Some might say that nature has a way and the fish find thier nests again and complete the task and others say the bulk of the tourney fish stay in the immediate area of where they were returned.

Here's an example for ya: 2015 Bassmaster Classic Lake Hartwell SC.

Launch at at safe light, fish all day til around 3, load up and drive to Greenville 30+ miles away, wait for weigh in then I guess it's a return trip 30+ miles back to the lake.

I am not biologist but that has to be rough on them... hell it would be rough on me the fisherman.

[Reel Tune]

Travis, same way with the 2014 Bass Master Classic. Guntersville was the lake, and weigh in was in Birmingham. I wonder how many events are like this? You could have a fish in a livewell for 16hrs or so if it's caught early in the day. I know the BASS guys have a lot more sophisticated live wells and additives.

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

I know the BASS guys have a lot more sophisticated live wells and additives.

Yeah... $50 plastic vents.

http://www.bassmaster.com/gear/hot-product-press-v-t2

[Reel Tune]

Fancy, lol. I thought some ran oxygen tanks, and shot oxygen right into the livewell, and when those oxygen bubbles came to the surface and popped it created dissolved oxygen? Just what I thought. I don't know if it works or not, but anything has to be better than nothing.

Live weigh-ins with guys holding fish above their heads breaking fish's jaws, and fish deprived of dissolved oxygen is what brings in the money. CPR Tournaments just don't have that same feel to spectators when they see someone at the podium fist pumping with a bass in their hands.