Cold water smallie

SO, Anyway.........

This issue happens when ice fishing. As someone else wrote in, reeling them up slow prevents the fish from blowing up. When scuba diving, you must return to the top slowly, pausing at certain depths to prevent the same. So I kind of knew this going in but the first time it happened to me was with yellow perch. We were keeping to grill. I have always been able to burp the fish before the return but only on the ice. I like to put the fish over my shoulder and pat it gently, yes, I had a small towel to catch the puke. Never had it happen on a boat. Thanks for the post, I never knew there wat a special tool.

There is no reason to be fizzing fish if you are not fishing a tournament. Catching fish deep and then putting them in a livewell for no reason only to stick a needle in them later and hope you don't kill them is insane.


If you want to keep your five fish to bring home and eat or throw them in the garden, good for you. If you are going to fish deep and aren't keeping the fish, then then throw them back right away for fucks sake!!! If everyone did what you just did, there would be no smallmouth to catch deep anymore because they would all be dead!!!

Great catch! I'm not sure the reasoning behind using the live well, unless you are keeping them ,or fishing in a tourney. I always put them right back in. Never had one die. You always have good videos and I'm sure your intent wasn't to harm the fish. Or poke the hornets nest here..lol It taught me some things about deep water fishing in the cold .Got some good info from the thread..

I think a lot of people are missing his point for using the live well. The theory is if you catch and release a smallie that it will be freaked out and freak out the rest of the school upon release. A lot of people will put them in the live well to avoid spooking the school. Unfortunately for wily some of his kicked the bucket. Another thing people are missing is that a couple of those fish were white perch. Big ass white perch. I understand what he was doing. It's a bummer a couple died but I'm sure he's not an evil smallie killer

Great thread as it is all new news for me

http://www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/boating/documents/keeping_bass_alive_handbook.pdf

The attached has some pretty good handling tips, including live-well management, fizzing and bladder relief that may be useful to some.

http://www.ncwildlife.org/portals/0/boating/documents/keeping_bass_alive_handbook.pdf

The attached has some pretty good handling tips, including live-well management, fizzing and bladder relief that may be useful to some.

Excellent link!

Thanks. I released them right the way in previous two trips. Local tipped me that keep them first release them when you leave the area. It bugged me that I was not able to pick them up in numbers like text book says. So, I would experiment what local guys told me it is possible spooking fish. I didn't see a difference this time. I won't try this again. Yes, you have good eye. livewell belly up were big white perch about 15 inch, weighted 1.84LB, and 1.55LB, at least of one of them entitled a Mass gold pin but they were caught in NH.

I think a lot of people are missing his point for using the live well. The theory is if you catch and release a smallie that it will be freaked out and freak out the rest of the school upon release. A lot of people will put them in the live well to avoid spooking the school. Unfortunately for wily some of his kicked the bucket. Another thing people are missing is that a couple of those fish were white perch. Big ass white perch. I understand what he was doing. It's a bummer a couple died but I'm sure he's not an evil smallie killer

I did offer in my previous post to show you how to vent the fish. If your fishing Winnisquam, Squam, Winni, they are all excellent for schooling cold water smallies, and if water temps are around 40, the time is right for 50+ fish/day !! Watch the weather, it has a huge impact on when these fish feed. S, SW, SE wind with sun or partly cloudy is best. glass Calm can be hit or miss, usually better with a slight chop on the surface. Use your sonar and find the baitballs around drop offs, dont waste time fishing if there is no schools of bait. DOnt always look for arches as soemtimes the fish will lie on the bottom and not show as an arch. When u find the fish they will eat, dont waste an hour pounding 1 spot, its not the right place or time, move on to the next spot!!

You are right about the calm day hit or miss. I only pick calm day in winter time. I think last time was calm and no sun. My trolling battery needs replacement, it can't fight wind for too long. Deep fishing is about position maintain position. I am lacking on that technique. Thanks for the advise.

I did offer in my previous post to show you how to vent the fish. If your fishing Winnisquam, Squam, Winni, they are all excellent for schooling cold water smallies, and if water temps are around 40, the time is right for 50+ fish/day !! Watch the weather, it has a huge impact on when these fish feed. S, SW, SE wind with sun or partly cloudy is best. glass Calm can be hit or miss, usually better with a slight chop on the surface. Use your sonar and find the baitballs around drop offs, dont waste time fishing if there is no schools of bait. DOnt always look for arches as soemtimes the fish will lie on the bottom and not show as an arch. When u find the fish they will eat, dont waste an hour pounding 1 spot, its not the right place or time, move on to the next spot!!

by the way, if next time you are going to NH without a partner, please hook me up. I share expenses.

I did offer in my previous post to show you how to vent the fish. If your fishing Winnisquam, Squam, Winni, they are all excellent for schooling cold water smallies, and if water temps are around 40, the time is right for 50+ fish/day !! Watch the weather, it has a huge impact on when these fish feed. S, SW, SE wind with sun or partly cloudy is best. glass Calm can be hit or miss, usually better with a slight chop on the surface. Use your sonar and find the baitballs around drop offs, dont waste time fishing if there is no schools of bait. DOnt always look for arches as soemtimes the fish will lie on the bottom and not show as an arch. When u find the fish they will eat, dont waste an hour pounding 1 spot, its not the right place or time, move on to the next spot!!

'Sorry, I have no guilty feeling at all the way I handle the fish. Stop bitching right here right now. If you feel sad about them then you shouldn't touch a fishing rod.'

Dude- people are giving you some tips on how to release fish so that they have a better chance of survival. That just makes sense if you aren't going to eat them. If you don't care about if the fish live or not then just keep doing what you are doing now. If you listened to the tips you might catch them again when they are bigger, or catch their offspring. There is no shame in listening to tips on how to take better care of fish once you catch them, and it's not bitching. If you can't handle constructive criticism than perhaps you shouldn't post videos on the internet. If you don't care about the fish than you probably shouldn't touch a fishing rod, either.

Get a catch and release net, too. Just because you have caught busted up bass doesn't mean it is good for them. This level of indifference is why so many fisheries suck now.

^^Ditto what that guy said..

you guys bitching have never caught a fish deep before? Im sure you all have and you knew right off the bat you had to fiz it or it may not survive or atleast make it back down?

none of you have a cheap ass net like myself and lots of others? some of us cant afford the nice heavy ass rubber nets..or just dont need one..wonder what happened to all thos ebass that were caught and released years ago that were swept up with a nylon net? Im sure they survived just fine,,,

before any of you start , ive been tourney fishing close to 20 years...i have seen and heard all the crap that flies..and then some..yes, I agree we can all handle fish better at times..im sure there is not one guy on here that hasnt flipped a fish into his or her boat

FYI - cant sign onto original name on here because i forgot my dam password and cant seem to get the forgotten password thing to send me a new one!!

willy dont take any of the comments to heart...most are just jealous

great job my friend !! goood to see you some other place than the resevoir!

all these peeps giving you crap willy are the same peeps that would give this guy crap for letting this beauty hit the dock!!

[youtube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UxL1s4Bb1Q [/youtube]

There was NO REASON for that guy to flip that fish onto the dock like that. Bend over and lip it for crying out loud

I'm not sure about the jealous part