Silverwood another day

[dockboy]

Thanks for the info. I ordered the "Bends Mender" from tackle warehouse. anyone know where to get a release weight? I like the release basket thing as well. might just have to make one of those.

The release weights are usually sold as saltwater rockfish gear. Most release baskets are just milk crates weighted down to sink, idk of any available on the market. Go through the crushers wih the bends mender, its easier than the lateral line method. The crushers are typically red or dark pink.

[AZ.Kid]

The release weights are usually sold as saltwater rockfish gear. Most release baskets are just milk crates weighted down to sink, idk of any available on the market. Go through the crushers wih the bends mender, its easier than the lateral line method. The crushers are typically red or dark pink.

Most of the articles I read said the side method had a better survival rate than mouth fizzing.
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2...1_bassfizzing/

Side fizzing doesn’t appear to hurt the bass, and it isn’t difficult to do. If a tournament-caught fish shows signs of barotrauma, “we recommend that the angler go ahead and side-fizz the fish, within the first hour if possible,” Myers says.

Fish that were mouth-fizzed fared worse than those that weren’t treated at all. Some bled excessively, and a significant number died. Researchers can’t say for sure why this happened, but Myers can make an educated guess. “When you use mouth fizzing, you’re piercing the business end of the air bladder. That’s where all the nerves and blood vessels are,” he says. “We don’t recommend that treatment.”

[dockboy]

Most of the articles I read said the side method had a better survival rate than mouth fizzing.
http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2...1_bassfizzing/

Side fizzing doesn’t appear to hurt the bass, and it isn’t difficult to do. If a tournament-caught fish shows signs of barotrauma, “we recommend that the angler go ahead and side-fizz the fish, within the first hour if possible,” Myers says.

Fish that were mouth-fizzed fared worse than those that weren’t treated at all. Some bled excessively, and a significant number died. Researchers can’t say for sure why this happened, but Myers can make an educated guess. “When you use mouth fizzing, you’re piercing the business end of the air bladder. That’s where all the nerves and blood vessels are,” he says. “We don’t recommend that treatment.”

OK, but missing the bladder on the side fizz can do just as much damage. Puncturing internal organs and causing internal bleeding in the fish is dangerous also. Not saying you should absolutely mouth fizz, but from my experience (a couple dozen winter tournaments on deep reservoirs, often for spotted bass in 40-60 foot range) it works well with minimal damage IF done correctly. I've lost 2 fish total of hundreds of deep caught fish. It takes precision and experience. The article references "within an hour", but mouth fizz or side fizz the fish absolutely have a better chance of survival if you take care of them immediately.