Bringing perch up from deep water?

[Bob Horn]

Does anyone know if you can"fizz" a perch like they do bass and if so how? Fizzing is poking a small hole in the fishes bladder. I release most of my fish and the perch don`t look to good coming up from 45 feet. Fish On

[Bob Cunningham]

yes this can be done but you better make sure you know how or you will end up keeping the fish anyway. Walleye fishermen do this all the time when catching them in deep water.

[Guest]

Yes you can fizz perch also.Infact I keep a small hypo needle with me on both hard and soft water.I fish alot of deep water walleyes in NW IA.Try to remember to bring up your deep fish very slow.Also when you fizz a fish make sure it's in water while you do it.A 45 degree angle towards the front of the fish.Up and forward 4-6 scales from the anal opening.You'll know when you hit the bladder.Best of luck.
Ryan Hale

[This message has been edited by Setter (edited 12-12-2003).]

[Cyberfish]

If you get a perch and their guts come up into their mouths or their eyes bug out they are done. toss em in your bucket and eat them, they are good! If they are wormy, plant them in your garden, good for your veggies and flowers. Don't leave on the ice, thats illegal in the land of 10,000 fishing regulations!

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simul iustus et peccator

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[Bob Horn]

Thanks everyone. The way setter explained it is the way I did it last year. I was guessing when I did it. I tried to remember when I did clean a fish where the bladder was. Thanks again. Fish On

[buzbunni]

I'm curious about the science behind this. What are the fish species, depths, temperatures that you have to be concerned about-both summer and winter.

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SERIOUSLY! It was THIS big!

[Bob Horn]

I don`t know the science behind it but I read an article last spring on this subject and the majority of the fish survived the fizzing while the fish that were not didn`t. If I can find the article I will let you know. Fish On

[Guest]

The Mn DNR does not recommend this at all. Bring your fish up slowly or eat them. Wanton Waste is a crime in this state.

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
320-293-3287
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[buzbunni]

Derek,
How slow is "slowy"? I'm assuming what we are trying to do here is give time for the air bladder to adjust (sorry, gotta brush up on fish anatomy). Aren't there some types of fish where this is not a concern, where they do not have bladders, or they are very small?

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SERIOUSLY! It was THIS big!

[Guest]

Usually the deeper the water the slower they need to adjust to the pressure. Crappies can also experience the "benz".

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Mille Lacs Guide Service
320-293-3287
www.millelacsguideservice.com

[Cyberfish]

Bringiing em up slowly isn't the answer either, the prolonged fight will stress them out and they won't be able to swim down any better. If you are fishing so deep that the fish cannot get back down, then keep them, or go find shallower fish...

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simul iustus et peccator

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[gill man]

I've never fizzed a fish. It might work if the fish was just a little bloated, but most of the ones I catch in deep water are pretty well puffed up. I don't fish in deep water a lot, but I caught a few crappies in 40+ feet of water last winter. They were big fish, but not even that fun to catch. They would quit fighting in the first few feet of reeling them in. No matter how slow I tried to bring them up, they were just about as good as croaked when they made it to the hole.

Is there any way to at least have a fish fight for a while when you hook them in deep water?

[This message has been edited by gill man (edited 12-14-2003).]

[Lunker]

I personally think this "fizzing" stuff is b.s. I know people swear by it, and I also know there have been tests showing it doesn't work. You can't stick a needle in an animal and pop something without killing it. Bring it up slowly, eat it, or don't fish for it.

[Steve Foss]

Sticking a needle in the swollen swim bladder of any species of fish brought up from deep water may allow you to feel better as you see the fish swim back down into deeper water after you release it.

But the question is: Will the puncture in the bladder heal? In other words, will the fish survive?

Does anyone out there know the answers? I've never seen a study that shows clear evidence one way or another.

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"Worry less, fish more."
Steve Foss
[email protected]

[rmh2o]

Im not sure if it is the same for fish but being a certified diver you dont rise any faster than your air bubbles wich is about 1 foot per second.If I pull up a fish and its stomach is in his throat(if legal)he is in the bucket.