aPulling fish from the deeper water.

[jfred74]

I have been fishing in mostly 25 to 40 FOW. I am mostly C&R. Are the ones I am throwing back as good as dead? I've read a few posts about it and am concerned that I am being wasteful when throwing back fish. Any comments appreciated. Thanks.

[minnesotathorn]

wondered the same thing. most had air bladders up in the throat. tried to reel them up very slowly but did not seem to make a big differance. also lost more fish with the slow retrevel.

[servicce]

I have been fishing in mostly 25 to 40 FOW. I am mostly C&R. Are the ones I am throwing back as good as dead? I've read a few posts about it and am concerned that I am being wasteful when throwing back fish. Any comments appreciated. Thanks.

In my opinion, you start getting down to 30 ft and below, better keep the fish as long as legal. The air bladders will probably be bad and the fish will die. If anyone has contrary to this, I would love to hear how you keep it from happening or what kind of fish your pullin in.

[highlife4me]

A big pet peeve of mine is when I see somebody trying to push a fish down the hole with an ice scoop. In my house if a fish can't swim down the hole it goes in the pail if it is legal to keep. Never had the problem of having a slot fish not able to swim away on its own. "Knock on Wood"

[jfred74]

Agree. If they can't swin away on there own they go in the pail. I was just wondering if after they swim away if there are problems. Some fish take a minute or two to revive, but I always make sure they swim away on there own.

[IamZombie]

Agree. If they can't swin away on there own they go in the pail. I was just wondering if after they swim away if there are problems. Some fish take a minute or two to revive, but I always make sure they swim away on there own.

I make sure they swim away too. If they float there, I'll hold their tail and kind of wave them back and forth in the hole. They usually snap out of whatever daze their in and dart down the hole.

[Rick G]

If their air blader comes up you should keep them. If they just seem to be in a trance, close their mouth and send them on their way, if they can swim on their own that is.. I have heard people say that they die and end up on the bottom side of the ice, not always true. I release many crappies from 30ft of water every year and there are hardley ever any dead fish either on the bottom or or the bottom of the ice, I have looked with a camara many times over the years.

[ski_otter]

Tonight on bald eagle got a bunch of crappies(not keepers if you ever fished there) and were in 21 fow and had a lot of lethargic fish sent back. I think all made it back but we had to encourage a few. I know to reel slow in 30+

Also are some species more resilient than others?

I don't normally fish in more than about 25' but do like the st croix and when there fish almost 40'

[20lbSloughShark]

I caught a good sized northern recently on clearwater. The hole was 30' deep, but the bait was 5' off the bottom, and the fish took the bait up. I set the hook because of all the slack in the line, I knew something had it. Long story short, northerns travel higher in the water column, and seem to handle deep water better.

[Thunderfoot]

So what do you do if the air sack puffs out and the fish isn't legal? Also if it doesn't puff out, yet the fish, no matter how much convincing you try, will not snap out of its daze and swim down the hole, yet it is not a legal fish to take? I hate when people try to shove a fish down the hole with an ice scoop as well but if I am going to possibly get fined, I may consider it.

[Esox_Magnum]

Took a 30" pike out of 35' today took off like a rocket when released....

[Cheers]

I talked with a biologist about this a few days ago as we are fishing much deeper than we should also . He says that if the fish cant swim down back to where they where hooked they will die, but if they get down the stomach will go back in and they will probably survive . So I then said I should invent a weight system that will bring the fish back down into the deep and then release the fish. He told me that it would be a good thing and that such a system has been invented for rock fish in the ocean .I did a google search and quickly found university studies that supported the concept as well as images and ideas on how to make it . Within 10 minutes I had a weight and hook system for releasing fish that seems to work. I have a large meat hook with a 2 pound weight hanging on it and attached a line to the curved part of the hook . Hook the fish through the bottom jaw , the weight will pull the fish down and and prevent the hook from falling out till you pull up on the line (when the fish is near the bottom ).

[amateurfishing]

all my crappies yesterday were 34 foot of water suspended 20-30 feet. ones that were released were fine, couple small perch bottom huggers not so luck, they were small but had to keep em cause air bladder was in their mouth at the hole already, they were very small

[hoppe56307]

I talked with a biologist about this a few days ago as we are fishing much deeper than we should also . He says that if the fish cant swim down back to where they where hooked they will die, but if they get down the stomach will go back in and they will probably survive . So I then said I should invent a weight system that will bring the fish back down into the deep and then release the fish. He told me that it would be a good thing and that such a system has been invented for rock fish in the ocean .I did a google search and quickly found university studies that supported the concept as well as images and ideas on how to make it . Within 10 minutes I had a weight and hook system for releasing fish that seems to work. I have a large meat hook with a 2 pound weight hanging on it and attached a line to the curved part of the hook . Hook the fish through the bottom jaw , the weight will pull the fish down and and prevent the hook from falling out till you pull up on the line (when the fish is near the bottom ).

Here is a quick video showing this. Looks fairly simple.

[Sea Hage]

Thanks for the info, I will have one of these in the house this weekend

[muldoon211]

I have caught walleyes in Canada in water up to 70 ft deep. I have had some of the same issues with the air bladder coming out. I ran into an old timer local that showed me a trick. I use the needle portion of a worm blower and stick it in the belly of the fish just in front of the anus. It releases the inner pressure and the air bladder gets sucked back in. I have used this for the past 5 years and have had about 90% success with it.

[Whoaru99]

It's called "fizzing" a fish. I think it might be prohibited in MN.

There are various videos on YouTube.

[lispeej]

nice video. thanks for sharing.

[Ishikawa]

Hold their mouth close and point them down towards the hole and let them slide in. Almost all of mine will swim just fine and be on their way when fishing the deeper basin on the Croix. Only ones that I ever come across that sometimes won't swim anymore are some of the really small crappies and whities.