Education
is the key to understanding why and what should be done for fish
obviously in the state of hyperbuoyant. Dr. Hal Schramm
is leader of the U.S. Geological Survey Mississippi Cooperative Fish
and Wildlife Research Unit and professor in the Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries at Mississippi State University. Dr. Schramm explains, “When
bass and other sport fish, like crappie and walleye, are rapidly brought
from deep water to the surface, atmospheric pressure is quickly reduced,
the air in the swim bladder expands, and the fish is unable to maintain
an upright position and swim back to deep water. This condition
is called hyperbuoyant and excess pressure can be relieved by depressurizing
or repressurizing.”
Anglers
should be able to determine if a fish needs to be vented or as some
anglers refer to it as fizzing. It commonly identify
as fizzing because if done correctly, bubbles can be seen coming from
one end of the needle while the other punctures the air bladder. There
are certain signs anglers can look for to determining if a fish needs
to be vented or fizzed. A fish's stomach may be sticking
out of its mouth that looks like a large pink tongue coming out of
its mouth. This condition is referred to as an everted stomach.
An angler should never push or puncture the stomach back into the fish;
doing either one of those commonly result in death. Another indication
is protruding intestines coming out from the fish's anus. Again,
do not try to push protruding intestines back into the fish. Bulging
eyes is another sign that the fish maybe in a state of being hyperbuoyant.
One more clue is bloating.
Dr. Hal Schramm recommends that you follow three rules to venting
or fizzing and release fish unharmed.
1. Insert the needle into the right place. Insert the needle
through the side of the fish half way down the fish's flank and
on an imaginary line between the notch between the spiny and soft dorsal
fins and the vent.
2. Fizz the fish under the water so you can see bubbles coming
out of the plastic end of the needle when it punctures the over-inflated
swim bladder.
3. Although commonly practiced, Dr. Schramm does not recommend
moving a fish back and forth in the water to revive it before releasing.
The gills are designed for one-way flow of water from the mouth towards
the tail and forcing water backwards over the gills could potentially
damage them. Instead, Dr. Schramm recommends leading the fish
around in a head-first, figure 8 pattern before releasing.
Education
is the key to fizzing a fish correctly. Anglers should
practice on correctly inserting and locating where the needle should
be inserted. When fizzing is done properly, scientific studies
have shown it does not cause injure to the fish. Being good stewards
of our environment means anglers have the knowledge on how to fizz
correctly so released fish can survive for years to come for future
anglers to enjoy.
A special thanks goes out to Dr. Hal Schramm for his input into
this article. Dr. Hal Schramm is leader of the U.S. Geological Survey
Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and professor
in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at Mississippi State
University. Dr. Schramm also writes a column called Research Update
for North
American Fisherman Magazine's; in addition to hosting
the segment Doc Talk where he explores the biological aspects of
fishing. This popular segment is also part of North
American Fisherman's television show and on Versus website.
During the spring you will find Dr. Schramm's
Bass Spawn Report with updates on the progress of the bass
spawn throughout the country.
Brad
Wiegmann is a full time fishing guide on Beaver lake and
Lake SWEPCO in Northwest Arkansas. Brad guides for Largemouth,
Spotted, Smallmouth, Stripers and White Bass. He is also a free-lance
writer who's weekly column "Speaking of Fishing" appears
weekly in several local newspapers. You may also see him doing
seminars, working outdoor shows or featured in outdoor magazines such
as BASSMASTER Magazine, Outdoor life and Arkansas Sportsman. He
also fishes the FLW Tour, Stren and local open tournaments. He
is currently on the Pro staff, promotional staff and guide programs
of numerous tackle manufactures, lure companies, and fishing related
companies. You can contact him at (479) 756-5279, at bwiegmann@cox.net or
visit his website at www.bradwiegmann.com for
more information.
