Great thread on the downside of posting videos
But it has provided an interesting discussion about equalizing swim bladders, something I would have not known about.
The guys here that fish tourneys "sometimes" leave dead fish behind too, by similarly overstuffing their live-wells, or not taking care, etc. You're no different, except I've never seen them say stop bitching or indicate they didn't care that they made a mistake.
haha, we didn't catch a lot either. We took home couple floating smallmouth and two white perch. I have given my effort to the smallmouth. My hands were numb in frigid water giving oxygen swim. You worry too much, there are plenty of them in the lake. I don't feel bad as long as I don't have the motivation to meat fish them. What if I kept them all for meat? I have the rights to do so, right? So, please , everyone's standard is different. Don't put your standard on someone else and make a judgement.
Good fish, shame many of them died.
Very simply stated my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.
If you want to keep your 5 smallmouth for dinner, have at, it's your privilege.
If you're going to continue fishing deep water for smallmouth and want them to have a chance at survival, try venting (Fizzing) them, if you do not have a venting tool you can try burping them by rubbing or gently squeezing their belly to allow air to escape the air bladder.
haha, we didn't catch a lot either. We took home couple floating smallmouth and two white perch. I have given my effort to the smallmouth. My hands were numb in frigid water giving oxygen swim. You worry too much, there are plenty of them in the lake. I don't feel bad as long as I don't have the motivation to meat fish them. What if I kept them all for meat? I have the rights to do so, right? So, please , everyone's standard is different. Don't put your standard on someone else and make a judgement.
Good fish, shame many of them died.
Very simply stated my opinion, nothing more, nothing less.
If you want to keep your 5 smallmouth for dinner, have at, it's your privilege.
If you're going to continue fishing deep water for smallmouth and want them to have a chance at survival, try venting (Fizzing) them, or you can try burping them by rubbing or gently squeezing their belly to allow air to escape the air bladder.
1. I do understand to deflate the swim bladder for deep fish. I have a long needle in my boat. I couldn't find it when I release them. I don't use it under normal circumstance. I found my needle when I got home.I used a straighten out paper clip. It is difficult to punch in but at least I tried.
2. I netted back floating smallie and spent minutes in frigid water tried to save them but it didn't worked out. Instead leave them floating on the lake I took them home. That's something I don't like to do. I am not a meat fisherman.
3. For fun fishing, 99% of the time I throw one back immediately. Occasionally I keep a nice one in the livewell if I catch a second nice one I would have a nice double fish picture.
4. I kept them in livewell this time is simply out of curiosity, an experiment. I caught them here and there in the deep spot but couldn't seems catch them in a consistency manner. Last couple time some local did pretty gold job at catching them. I saw them kept in the livewell first then release them somewhere else. It is a theory not spooking the rest of fish. I just want to try it to see if it is true. It didn't work. Perhaps I was catching sporadic fish.
5. I shouldn't be accused or criticized for any wrong doing. Just like the rest of you, I don't like to see them dead. I have given my efforts. What else you want me to do? It was just couple fish. It was not a massive killing. So, please chill out.
Everyone has his own fishing standard and fishing morality. I don't abuse fish. I don't like keep game fish. I have all the good intention to catch-photo-release. That's all folks. Move on.
The difference between your legal limit and wonton waste by releasing fish to die, is one is legal and the other is illegal for starters. Secondly as a supposed sportsman, I would think you be looking out for the interest of the fish. Third if you think you are handling the fish properly, you have alot to learn!! Thats not an opinion. I have hung around tourneys picking up floaters and deflating them several times over the years. I have caught thousands of deep winter smallies, and hundreds of largies and spotted basss, handling them properly is important is the bottom line. Done bitching Willy, hopefuly next trip you get ona good pile and they all swim away healthy upon release!!
Id be happy to show you how to properly vent a fish. You can also spray some fish attractant on the fish when you do an immediate release as some believe this will prevent the pheromones from being detected by other smallies in the schools?? I have caught 50-100 fish doing immediate release , and I have seen schools shut off by losing 1 fish being reeled up, so who knows whats right.
The difference between your legal limit and wonton waste by releasing fish to die, is one is legal and the other is illegal for starters. Secondly as a supposed sportsman, I would think you be looking out for the interest of the fish. Third if you think you are handling the fish properly, you have alot to learn!! Thats not an opinion. I have hung around tourneys picking up floaters and deflating them several times over the years. I have caught thousands of deep winter smallies, and hundreds of largies and spotted basss, handling them properly is important is the bottom line. Done bitching Willy, hopefuly next trip you get ona good pile and they all swim away healthy upon release!!
Im not going to voice an opinion on whether what you did was right, wrong or indifferent. I will say that you made a post on a public forum for people to view and comment on. Everything cannot always be praise. if people like your trip they can say so, if people find fault in what you did, they can say that too. If all we could do is post positive replies.... what's the point?