“Fizzical” Research to Answer Questions About Deep-Caught Bass
October 13, 2008
ATHENS, Texas-Most anglers probably know that many fish caught from deep water can suffer from an over-inflated swim bladder, a condition called hyperbuoyancy. The air bladder inside the fish that inflates and deflates to give the fish neutral buoyancy can expand suddenly when a fish is brought to the surface after being caught. This puts pressure on other internal organs and may even lead to the stomach protruding from the fish’s body.
The fish may also be unable to swim upright and submerge. The fish will float at the surface for several hours until the swim bladder depressurizes. This condition by itself may not be lethal, but the fish expends a lot of energy trying to submerge, and it may be struck by a boat or killed by a predator.
Not all floating fish die, but enough do to be a concern.
What anglers and even fisheries biologists don’t know is the best way to treat hyperbuoyancy in order to increase survival of fish after they are released.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries biologists intend to find out.
“It’s important to understand that if you catch a fish from 30, 40, 50 feet deep and immediately release it, it usually goes right back down with no problem,” says Randy Myers, Inland Fisheries district biologist from San Antonio. “Even after it goes through the struggle of being caught, the fish may have enough energy to swim back down to a depth where neutral buoyancy is regained. But if that same fish is kept in a livewell for several hours with an over-inflated bladder, it becomes exhausted from struggling to stay upright and floats on the surface.”
Budweiser ShareLunker program manager David Campbell has probably dealt with more big bass suffering from hyperbuoyancy than anyone else, and he feels that fish can develop hyperbuoyancy for several reasons.
“I strongly believe that exhaustion happens when the fish is trying to adjust to its environment, whether that is caused by being pulled from deep water, the stress of being caught, lack of oxygenated water or being in a crowded livewell,” he says. “When a fish has room to swim but starts swimming nose down, has to fight to stay down or swims right-side up but never stays more than a few inches below the surface, it has preliminary hyperbuoyancy symptoms and needs relief-and the sooner the better for survival.”
Three techniques have been developed to deal with hyperbuoyancy. Two involve puncturing the air bladder to vent gas and reduce the pressure, a procedure commonly called fizzing because when done properly while holding the fish underwater, a stream of bubbles is released.
Fizzing can be done by inserting a hypodermic (hollow) needle into the air bladder through the fish’s side or mouth.
The third technique is deep release, sometimes called caging. Using this method, fish are lowered to the approximate depth where they were caught in a weighted cage (a small plastic laundry basket works well) that is open on the bottom. The cage is then lifted free of the fish, which will be repressurized and neutrally buoyant. Deep release can be done immediately or several hours after a fish was caught.
Hal Schramm, Ph.D., a fisheries biologist at Mississippi State University, helped develop deep release with Gene Gilliland, senior fisheries biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “No scientifically valid evaluations have been conducted on this technique, but the FLW Tour uses this for hyperbuoyant fish in their walleye tournaments, and they claim it works great,” Schramm says.
Schramm notes that valid scientific evidence does exist that deflating bass swim bladders with a hypodermic needle inserted through the side of the fish does not adversely affect them. David Campbell says his experience with ShareLunkers supports that.
“Before we started puncturing the air bladder, all the fish that had hyperbuoyancy symptoms died,” he says. “Since then we have punctured the air bladder on close to a hundred of these big fish, and most survived.”
“There is also evidence that swim bladder over-inflation in largemouth bass causes several physiological problems in addition to impairing their ability to return to depth,” Schramm says. “This suggests that the best time to relieve swim bladder over-inflation is as soon as possible after the fish is caught-after you have determined that the fish is unable to submerge. No one, to my knowledge, has tested the effects of depressurization immediately upon capture versus after several hours.”
Enter Randy Myers and his team of TPWD fisheries biologists.
“In spring and early summer of 2009 we plan to conduct studies to answer two questions,” Myers says. “One, which technique-side fizzing, mouth fizzing or deep release-increases survival the most? And two, will fish survive better if they are treated immediately after being caught rather than after having floated in a livewell for several hours?”
The study is particularly important to Texas, which has some deep reservoirs. “What alerted us to the problem was Lake Amistad,” Myers explains. “Often the majority of fish have hyperbuoyancy throughout the year, probably because the fish live deep.”
Fish do not have to be caught from extreme depths to be affected, Myers notes. “One study found that hyperbuoyancy signs could be seen when fish were caught from as shallow as 11.5 feet,” he says. “My experience is that fish caught from more than 20 feet deep will show some signs.”
Myers and his team will collect large fish for their study from Amistad by electrofishing. The fish will be put into drop cages and lowered to 30 to 35 feet, allowed to reach neutral buoyancy, and then winched back up quickly.
“All those fish will have been exposed to the same conditions,” Myers says. “Some we will put in livewells for four or five hours before treatment. Others will be treated immediately. We will use all three methods of treating hyperbuoyancy but will leave some fish untreated. We will also have a group of fish that do not have hyperbuoyancy, but we will fizz them to see how much sticking the fish with a needle affects survival. We’ll hold the fish in large cages for several days to watch for delayed mortality, and dead fish will be autopsied by TPWD fish health staff to identify cause of death. Above- and below-water video will be used to document the study and fish behavior in response to treatment.”
Schramm, Campbell and Myers agree that evidence is strong that fizzing and caging do work, but they also agree that having people who don’t know what they are doing sticking needles in fish would not be a good thing.
“Treating fish for hyperbuoyancy obviously helps, but we don’t know how much,” Myers points out. “We want to find out how much and which method helps the most. One of our goals is to learn enough that we can provide educational materials for anglers.”
The day has not yet arrived when the well-equipped tackle box will include a hypodermic needle alongside the plastic worms and crankbaits, but if that day comes, Myers wants anglers to be knowledgeable about the best way to ensure bass survival.
After all, the more fish in the lake, the more fun we can have catching them.
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New East Texas Fish Hatchery Construction Underway
September 4, 2008
JASPER, Texas — Construction of the new $27 million East Texas Fish Hatchery, expected to be completed in early 2010, is now underway.
The state-of-the-art facility on 200 acres just below Sam Rayburn Reservoir will replace the 70-year-old Jasper Fish Hatchery and provide at least 45 acres of fish production ponds capable of delivering up to 4.5 million fish annually for stocking in Texas public waters.
A groundbreaking ceremony near the site of the fish hatchery water intake structure was held on Wed., Aug. 27.
“Once operational, this new hatchery will have the capacity to more than double what’s currently produced at the outdated Jasper Fish Hatchery. This will help meet the growing needs of our recreational angling community,” said Phil Durocher, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department inland fisheries director. “We applaud the generous support of Texas anglers, who stepped up to the plate to help fund this critical project through the purchase of the Freshwater Fishing Stamp, and our partners.”
In addition to stamp revenues, Jasper County in 2004 donated 200 acres of land for the hatchery and the Lower Neches Valley Authority has agreed to provide 10,000-acre feet of water from Sam Rayburn Reservoir for hatchery operation.
Also, Temple Inland provided easements to accommodate the county road as well as all site utilities and water conveyance lines. The U.S. Corps of Engineers will provide easements to accommodate the facility water intake station.
“Texas freshwater anglers are the largest single constituency Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has,” noted TPW Commission Chairman Peter M. Holt. “More fish in more places equals better fishing, and that benefits the quality of life in this state.”
HDR FishPro handled the design and programming contract for the East Texas Fish Hatchery and ALLCO, Inc. of Beaumont has been awarded the construction contract.
In addition to the production ponds, the hatchery complex will feature a 34,000-square-foot production building and an 8,200-square-foot administrative building, which will office 24 TPWD employees, including hatchery, aquatic habitat enhancement and fisheries management staffs, and game wardens.
Hatcheries comprise an important component of freshwater fisheries management at TPWD. Hatchery-reared fish are used to establish new populations, enhance existing populations, support research efforts, and maintain fisheries in small urban reservoirs where natural production will not meet anglers’ needs.
“This hatchery will add a greater degree of operational flexibility and increased production by about two million fingerlings a year,” said Todd Engeling, TPWD hatcheries director. “This hatchery will be used primarily for production of largemouth bass, channel and blue catfish and bluegill sunfish. It will also have the capability of producing striped bass should we need it.”
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CA DFG Announces Closure of Central Valley Recreational Salmon Fishing
July 2, 2008
The 2008 recreational salmon fishing closures in the Central Valley go into effect Thursday, July 3, 2008 to protect Sacramento River fall Chinook (SRFC) salmon.
No Chinook are allowed to be kept anywhere on the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers or any of their tributaries, including the American and Feather rivers. The only exception is from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31 in the Sacramento River between the Red Bluff Diversion Dam and Knights Landing for a one-salmon bag and possession limit.
While catch-and-release fishing for salmon is not prohibited, the salmon regulations were purposely structured as a zero-salmon bag limit to keep fishing open for other non-salmon species. The trout, steelhead, sturgeon, striped bass, black bass, sunfish and catfish fisheries are major recreational inland fisheries in the Central Valley.
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) requests that the public use a very conservative approach toward salmon this year and refrain from any catch-and-release fishing that specifically targets salmon. If the self-regulating conservative approach fails and excessive SRFC catch-and-release mortality is observed, additional regulatory measures may be enacted. One of the possible measures could be closure of all recreational fisheries in the specific areas where SRFC inhabit.
While the salmon season has been closed in the ocean and reduced in the Central Valley, the Smith, Klamath and Trinity rivers remain open to salmon fishing. These temporary closures will help to ensure the future of ocean and inland salmon fishing for present and future generations.
More information on 2008 California salmon fisheries can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/news/issues/salmon
.
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Wolf Lake Hatchery Hosts Annual Fish Festival
July 1, 2008
“Fish on!” These exciting words will reverberate through the grounds of the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery on July 19-20, as dozens of youngsters catch a steelhead trout or even a muskie from the half-acre show pond. It’s all part of the hatchery’s 9th Annual Fish Festival.
Admission is free. The festival, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, features tours of the hatchery, catch and release fishing (for children 5-16 only), guided nature hikes, minnow races, food and refreshments, and more.
“The festival is a fun and educational way for families to learn about the important role of hatcheries in providing the quality fishing opportunities Michigan has to offer,” said Wolf Lake Interpreter Shana McMillan. “Most people don’t know the Department of Natural Resources’ six fish hatcheries produce over 750,000 pounds of fish every year for stocking our lakes, rivers and streams. That’s over 62 million fish.”
During their tour of the hatchery, which begins every 20 minutes, visitors will learn how the DNR uses its fish production program to hatch, rear and transport fish required for the management of both Great Lakes and inland fisheries. Species produced at this facility include walleye, northern pike, muskellunge, steelhead trout, lake sturgeon (the only facility to rear this species) and chinook salmon.
“Approximately 40 percent of all recreational fishing in Michigan depends on stocked fish, including most of the Great Lakes trout and salmon fishery,” said Martha Wolgamood, hatchery manager. “Without the number and quality of young fish produced by our fish hatcheries each year, our task would be all but impossible when it comes to keeping Michigan’s sportfishing among the nation’s very best.”
In addition to the tours and catch and release fishing for kids, there will be free lessons on casting and knot tying with live music on Saturday. Inside the visitor center, participants will be able to go virtual fishing to experience the thrill of landing a bass, trout or salmon. Other activities include displays by the DNR and presentations by several local conservation organizations, as well as crafts and other activities for children.
The Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center is open Memorial Day - Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday - Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Guided tours of the fish hatchery are offered Monday - Saturday at 10 and 11 a.m. and 1, 2 and 3 p.m., and Sunday at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
The catch and release fishing program for youth continues each Saturday morning through August. Times are at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. Preregistration is required.
Fun Friday programs are offered each Friday through the end of August at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Topics include frogs, turtles, snakes, birds and more. Contact the visitor center for a schedule.
The center is located in Mattawan, at Fish Hatchery Road and M-43, six miles west of the junction of M-43 and US-131. For more information about events and programs, contact Shana McMillan at (269) 668 2876.
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Young Anglers Net Fishing Prizes Including a Lifetime Fishing License
July 1, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 30, 2008) — Dylan Gilbert’s passion for bass fishing rivals that of any pro bass angler. Thanks to Neuse Sport Shop located in Kinston, the 10-year-old from Lake Royale will be able indulge that passion for the rest of his life — without ever having to pay for a fishing license!
Dylan won a lifetime fishing license — the grand prize offered in a statewide drawing for participants in 40 kids’ “Fish-for-Fun” events held during National Fishing and Boating Week earlier this month. The free events were supported by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, Bass Pro Shops and other local sponsors.
Dylan participated in the June 7 kids’ fishing derby at Lake Royale in Franklin County.
The license, donated by Neuse Sport Shop, is valued at $450 and gives Dylan lifetime fishing privileges in all North Carolina public waters, including coastal waters and designated Public Mountain Trout Waters where a special trout fishing license is required.
In addition to Dylan, 200 other young anglers netted prizes at the fishing events. Click here for a complete list of winners, which includes their ages, fishing event locations and their prizes.
Bass Pro Shops donated 100 prizes, including tackle boxes, rods and reels and spools of fishing line. The Wildlife Resources Commission contributed the remaining prizes, which included mini tackle boxes, fishing towels and decks of cards featuring the 13 top freshwater fish species in North Carolina.
“We’re grateful to everyone who made the Fish-for-Fun events possible this year,” said Bob Curry, chief for the Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. “The Wildlife Commission has always been a supporter of kids’ fishing events by supplying fishing ‘grab bags,’ staffing fishing events and stocking fish in public waters. Generous donations by Neuse Sport Shop and Bass Pro Shops, along with the assistance of the U.S. Forest Service and local sponsors, have made these events fun outings for the entire family.”
For more information on fishing in North Carolina’s inland, public waters, visit the Fishing page, or call (919) 707-0220.
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Fish for Free Statewide on July 4
June 23, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 23, 2008)– Along with watching fireworks and grilling out, celebrate Independence Day by indulging in another favorite pastime, fishing — no license needed!
From midnight until 11:59 p.m., on July 4, anyone — resident or non-resident — can fish in any public water, including mountain trout waters and coastal waters, in North Carolina without a fishing license.
So that anglers of all ages and skill levels have an excellent chance of catching fish, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission stocks a variety of fish in waters across the state, from trout in the mountains to striped bass and channel catfish in the Piedmont and coastal regions.
“The purpose of the free fishing day is to show people how much fun fishing can be,” said Kent Nelson, fisheries program manager for the Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries. “It’s a great way to spend quality time with your kids outdoors and help them develop an interest in nature and conservation.”
To make finding a spot to cast a line easier, the agency has listed on its Web site, www.ncwildlife.org, nearly 500 areas that are accessible to the public for fishing.
More than 100 areas are managed by the Commission as either a Community Fishing Program (CFP) site or a Public Fishing Area (PFA), while others are managed by local parks and recreation departments, power companies, N.C. State Parks and other natural resource agencies.
PFAs provide free fishing opportunities from the banks of North Carolina’s waters. The Commission clears the banks of underbrush and, in some cases, constructs universally accessible fishing piers, and installs fish attractors. CFP sites are intensively managed bodies of water receiving monthly stockings of catchable-sized channel catfish from April to September. Many sites also feature universally accessible fishing piers and solar-powered fish feeders. In addition, the Commission’s Tackle Loaner Program, available at many CFP sites, lets anglers borrow rods and reels free of charge for a day.
While the fishing is free on July 4, fishing regulations, such as size and creel limits, bait and tackle restrictions, and park use fees apply.
North Carolina residents age 16 and older who are interested in fishing the remaining 364 days of the year can purchase a one-year comprehensive inland fishing license (includes public trout waters) for $20. A one-year license to fish in coastal waters is $15; to fish in inland and coastal waters, a unified license is $35 (includes public trout waters) and is valid for one year from purchase date. To purchase a license:
- Click here;
- Call 1-888-248-6834, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday;
- Visit one of nearly 1,000 wildlife service agents located across the state.
For a list of all public fishing areas, Community Fishing Program sites and Tackle Loaner Program sites, visit the Fishing page, or call the Division of Inland Fisheries, (919) 707-0220.
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Lake Bistineau Drawdown To Begin July 15
June 4, 2008
Lake Bistineau will undergo a drawdown to assist with the control of giant salvinia, an invasive aquatic plant, beginning July 15, 2008.
This action follows two large-scale herbicide applications utilizing spray crews from around the state where over 4,900 acres of aquatic vegetation was treated, expending a total of 3,656 gallons of herbicide. The large mats of vegetation should have been thinned significantly enough from these spray efforts to allow a lot of the giant salvinia to dry and desiccate during the drawdown.
The lake will be drained 7 feet at a rate of 2-to-3 inches per day to minimize the potential of salvinia being transferred downstream and to maximize the amount of salvinia stranded on the bank to desiccate.
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Inland Fisheries Division biologists will assess the effects of the drying action on the giant salvinia throughout the drawdown period. The water level will be cycled as needed in order to allow the remaining live plants to drift into areas where they could be stranded on land as the lake level is lowered again.
The gates will be closed and the lake allowed to be refilled with water on Jan. 30, 2009.
For more information, contact James Seales at 318-371-3050 or jseales [at] wlf [dot] louisiana [dot] gov.
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Clear-Smithport Lake to Undergo Second Drawdown
June 4, 2008
The second in a series of drawdowns of Clear-Smithport Lake, recommended by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Inland Fisheries Division, will begin on June 16, 2008. Inland Fisheries biologists reported positive results after last summer’s drawdown and a second drawdown should further improve the lake’s ecosystem.
Clear-Smithport Lake, which encompasses 2950 acres in DeSoto Parish, has historically had problems with heavy infestations of water hyacinth, alligator weed and submerged aquatic vegetation. Over the years these plants, along with leaf litter from the cypress canopy, have built up a large amount of organic matter on the lakebed. This organic matter has led to the loss of spawning habitat for desirable sport fish such as largemouth bass, crappie and bream.
Following studies into the habitat problems and the possible solutions, LDWF Inland Fisheries biologists have developed a plan to improve the quality of Clear-Smithport Lake through a series of up to three consecutive drawdowns. The plan is to improve the bottom substrate by allowing the built-up organic matter to dry and decompose. The drawdowns should also reduce the submerged vegetation. The invasive aquatic plant, giant salvinia, has become a major problem in the lake and the drawdown will also help control the salvinia that is stranded and dries and desiccates during the drawdown.
LDWF will continue its efforts to control noxious floating and emergent aquatic vegetation through herbicide applications in conjunction with the drawdown.
The drawdown will run through Jan. 30, 2009, at which time the gates will close and the lake will be allowed to refill with water. It is expected that the lake will drain at a rate of 4-to-6 inches per day. The lake will be drained as completely as possible to allow for maximum benefits from the drawdown.
The effects of the drawdown on the fisheries habitat, fish population and aquatic vegetation coverage will be evaluated to determine if an additional drawdown is needed.
For more information, contact James Seales at 318-371-3050 or jseales [at] wlf [dot] louisiana [dot] gov.
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Free Kids’ Fishing Event in Alleghany County Scheduled for June 14
May 21, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. (May 20, 2008)– Kids can fish for free and cast for some fun fishing prizes at a Jakes Day Fishing event, scheduled for June 14 at Brush Creek Road and Hwy. 21 in Alleghany County.
This event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., is limited to kids 16 years old and younger. Anglers 15 and younger can register to win a variety of prizes, such as rods, reels, spools of fishing line and tackle boxes, courtesy of Bass Pro Shops and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. The grand prize, donated by Neuse Sport Shop located in Kinston, is a lifetime saltwater/freshwater fishing license, valued at $455.
Participants can pre-register by calling Billy Tompkins at (336) 657-8121.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, along with Neuse Sport Shop, Bass Pro Shops, the U.S. Forest Service, Alleghany chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and N.C. Bowhunters Association, are supporting this fishing event as part of National Fishing and Boating Week 2008.
National Fishing and Boating Week, coordinated each year in June by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, gives children and their families an opportunity to learn about conserving aquatic resources while enjoying the thrill of fishing and boating. For more information on National Fishing and Boating Week, visit the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Web site, http://www.rbff.org/.
For a complete list of all kids’ fishing events being held in late May and early June for National Fishing and Boating Week, click here.
For more information on fishing in North Carolina’s public, inland waters, call the Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries, (919) 707-0220 or visit the fishing page.
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Austin Metro Area Water Body Added to Neighborhood Fishing Program
May 12, 2008
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries Division Neighborhood Fishing Program (NFP) is expanding to the Austin metropolitan area with the introduction of Bullfrog Pond in Travis County’s newly opened East Metro Park. The park is located approximately 13 miles east of downtown Austin.
The general goal of the NFP is to provide