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I was up to Jordanelle today an found out that more off the lake had ice then it did in feb. wen I was there the spot I had fished was froze over, so I used my aqu-vu and did sume looking around I could not find any fish down to 70 feet, so I then went to my fish finder an found some by the dam in 70 to 40 feet I worked the fish for about 3 hr. an had bites but only one smallmouth 14 in. the ice at Jordanelle was getting soft wen I left at 2:30 an no perch.[pirate][pirate]
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Thanks for the update.
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Do smallies have any air bladder problems when they are pulled up from that deep?
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Hi there.
a while back I was watching the ODC on the tv, and they mention about the swim bladder problem when you bring a fish up form to deep. The host on the show showed how to deflate the bladder
a syringe needle and that the fish would be able to swim back down and live
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That is called "fissering" (spelling??) and it is very controversial. There is much debate as to whether it actually saves the fish or ensures eventual death.
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[green][size 2]Fizzing, is the name of the process to release air out of the swim bladder.
Smallmouth in over 25 feet of depth do require to be aired out.
Catching Smallies at Jordanelle right now could be very hazardous to the fish. The water needs to get into forties to insure a survival rate that will not hurt the populaton.
Go to Deer Creek, excerise the smallies here until Jordanelle thaws out. Figure around March 25th or wait til April.
Sackett, you should know better than fishing for Smallmouth when its this cold. Be responsible and don't kill off best population in the state.
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I've been doing this to fish for over 20 years, Lakers it started with, now I don't hesitate to put a tiny puncture in the swim bladder to send the fish back down, it works.
I don't believe it harms the fish any if done quickly and gently. I don't use a hypo, i just take the hook out of the fish and use it to make a tiny hole in the bladder. As far as dooming the fish to die eventually, nature has already done that. The object is to not have the fish flopping around on the surface for the gulls to get.
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You have to know what you're doing to fizz a fish properly.
I've been fishing BASS pro tournaments throughout the west for years. BASS has taught the pros how to fizz their fish for maximum survival. They report a proven 99% survival rate. I have caught several fizzed fish several days later. I know they are the same fish because they were tagged (not in Utah of course)...but in Shasta Lake. A lot of spots are caught at 40 feet and deeper in Shasta. Also if a fish is bought up fast enough unhooked and then released correctly, not just laid in the water, they usually will swim back down to their original depths with no apparent effects. I have brought up fish at Lake Powell from 60 feet in December, kept them in my livewell all day long during a tournament, and then released them and they were all viable. I have watched them descend on my depth finder and aqua vu in the past.
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You want the truth?
Well, here it is.
The truth is, maybee the fish survive fizzing.
Maybee they dont.
But one fact remains the truth no matter what.
Certain activities will attribute to the health of individual fish, and fish populations.
Theres no doubt animals can survive injuries and disease, but they are heathier if they are not subjected to them.
Want a controverisal topic?
Smallmouth spawn.
B.A.S.S. will tell you there isnt any proof that fishing smallies during the spawn effects brood survial, or the adult smallies themselves.
However, there have been a lot of studies done of smallmouth spawns. And the evidence is certianly interesting since B.A.S.S. is outnumbered by the folks who say it is of detriment.
Take for example the article in the latest issue of In-Fisherman.
You are going to have to read it yourself because I have to leave right now. Actually five minuets ago, but it basically is one of many reports that if a nest is ravaged by bluegills, perch or any other fish while you have that male guarding the nest, pulled off the nest.
That almost always the nest gets abandoned by the smallmouth. this leaves the nest open to comlete devastation and broods are lost.
Since many females nest with one male, you are loosing the brood of several fish.
If you go online you can find several studies done by various DWR's and various universities that support the in fisherman article.
The question is the same. Is it in the fish's best interest to "fizz" a fish? Is it in the best interst of the fish to remove it from its nest if there is a possiblility that the fish will then go back to the nest, check it out, discover the eggs have been disturbed and then choose to abandon the nest?
I am not going to say who is right and who is wrong, just simply that there is a difference in the attitude.
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[green][size 2]I wasn't talking about fizzing. I was talking catching warm water fish in extreme cold water. Smallmouths cannot surivive being exhausted in temperatures under 40 degrees. The smallmouths aggressive nature works against them. Yes, they are catchable. But, the energy use in the catching and fighting process can kill them. Smallies still feed under the ice, just at a slower pace. Metabolisms are slowed by the temperature. This hurts the smallies endurance and recovery rate , not their speed(they are just as fast and ornery in coldwater as warmwater).
In the Great Lakes Region, whole smallmouth populations have been destroyed due to ice fishing(60's, 70's, 80's). Now, the local states Fish/Games offices(Minnesota, Dakotas, Wisconsin,New York,...) have specific season starting dates to protect the smallmouth population.
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When fish, even warmwater fish are in water temperature's below 50 degrees they are more lethargic and don't stress as much as when the water temerature is above 50 degrees. The higher the temperature the easier a fish is stressed. That's one reason the majority of the major bass tournaments are held in cooler weather, so the fish are not as stressed. There is a documented higher survival rate at these cooler water temeratures. There is also documented evidence that tournaments held in warmer temperatures stress the fish and tournament officals have been known to pass out blocks of un-chlorinated ice or the fishermen add ice to their livewells to cool the water temperature to reduce the stress on the fish. (BTW it's non-cholinated ice). Plus there are specific chemicals that can be added to the livewells that reduces fish stress generates oxygen and protects the fish slime.
There are multiple studies and reports to support anyone's point of view and all you have to do is look to find evidence supporting whichever point of view you happen to have. Good or bad...true or false.
One point we all can agree on is that the real detrement to fish be it smallies or trout, or any species is drought, pollution and kill em & grill em.
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This has evolved into an interesting thread. Check out the following website for an artice that touches on the "catch and release" vs "hook 'em & cook 'em" issue. It's a good read.
[url "http://www.kerasote.com/catchdeny.html"]http://www.kerasote.com/catchdeny.html[/url]
'Scuse me, I need to clean some perch!
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Just curious how the ice is there . Is the main boat launch still iced up ?
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The main boat ramp looked like it was still iced up as we drove by it today. We saw three boats on Jordanelle that had launched from the PWC ramp.
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The main launch is still iced. As Kent said there were a number of guys launching from the PWC launch. There was one poor soul who drove his boat up to the Rock Cliff launch (where I was fishing today) only to find thick ice and ice fishermen.
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Thanks guys , I know I was a little off the subject on this thread . I may be there tomorrow or the Berry .
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