Conservation

[bh89-2]

In the next month I will be posting tips to help you not kill fish.  In addition, I am working with the State of Texas on a number of conservation issues.  If you have an issue that applies to a fishery, in particulare freshwater lakes, please let me know.  I'll be glad to look into it.

In the meantime, if you want to know how to keep from killing your fish when the water warms up, send me a PM.  I will say this in advance, if the water temperature is 85F, your aereator is NOT working efficiently.  You need to maintane the dissolved oxygen level in your live well at 7 PPM or greater.  At 6 PPM the fish becomes stressed and the osmoregulation of the fish is not good.

[tvc184]

I was talking to a guy that I work with just this week and I mentioned how we could correct the problem with fish and their osmoregulation.  ;D

I wouldn't mind any tips for keeping fish alive. If I am going to eat them however, they don't go in a live well, they go on ice. If I am not going to keep a fish, I rarely take one of of the water. I try to removed the hook while the fish is still at the side of the boat.

Except on lures with treble hooks, I normally bend the barb flat and essentially fish with a barbless hook. I almost never lose fish and it makes the hook much easier to remove. For some tough mouth species, I think the barbless hooks actually increase your chances of actually setting the hook.

[bh89-2]

Conservation Tips for the Tournament Bass Fisherman

* Always fill your livewell away from the boat dock.  Don't want fueld and oil in your livewell.

* You need at least 1 gallon of water per pound of fish.  Best to just keep it full.

* Buy a floating thermometer (for bathrooms or pools) and put it in your livewell.  Maintain the temperature about 5-10 degrees less than temperature of water (where fish came from, not surface temp).

* Aereators should always be run continuously when water temperature is below 75 degrees F.  Never use timers.  Aeration works well to removed carbon dioxide and ammonia.  Never use a floating or submersed aereator, as they will add heat to the livewell and increase water temperature. 

* Flush livewell with fresh water every hour or two max.  This removes bio-waste and helps to control ammonia, ph and carbon dioxide.

* If water temperature in the livewell is greater than 75 degrees F, you will likely need an oxygen system.  The aereator alone will not maintain dissolved oxygen concentrations at 7PPM or greater alone.  The aereator will however help to remove ammonia and carbon dioxide.

* never leave a fish out of water longer than 30 seconds.  This will stress the fish and cause hypoxia.

Oxygen SystemsThere are a few kinds on the market, some good some bad.  Here are tips for their use and installation (follow manufacture recomendations).

*use welders oxygen.  You can use disposable oxygen bottles or for about 60.00 you can buy a small bottle on the internet that can be refilled for about 5.00.

* buy a good adjustible regulator.  You can get one from www.auquatico.com, as well as complete systems.  Your regulator needs to be made for pure oxygen.  They run about 50.00. - 60.00 dollars.

*From the same place you can buy a ultra-fine oxygen diffuser for about the same as a bottle 50-60.

* When water temperatures are above 75 degrees or you have a large quantity of fish (lbs here), then run the oxygen system.  You will want to run it around 0.3 liters per minute to start and if the water is above 85 degrees F or you have a heavy stringer, bump it up around 2 liters per minute. 

* If you want to spend about 170.00 you can buy a dissolved oxygen meter and measure the PPM exactly.  Try to keep it at 7 PPM - 8 PPM.

* I don't want to say use one brand or another, but if you PM me I will be glad to help you put one together and install it properly.

Temperature Control

* 2 each 1/2 gallon (ice in a frozen milk jug) will maintain water temperature 10 degrees below ambient for about 2-3 hours.

* Don't drop the temperature below 10 degreef F from where the fish was caught.  Temperature at 30 feet could be vastly different than at the surface.  I use 5 degrees to be safe.

Live Well Additives

* Sure Life Labs makes a great one.  Use a tested product and make sure it DOES NOT have garlic in it.

* Use as prescribed by the bottle. 

* Additives help to calm the fish, thus reducing stress.  They also help to control harmful bacteria and treat fish injuries.

Weigh Bags

* When you get the fish in the weigh bag, you need to have the bag refilled with oxygenated water within 1-2 minutes max.  Use some of the water from the weigh line holding tanks.  Eeach time you go from a holding tank to the next, add some of thier oxygenated water (do so every minute or so).  The dossolved oxygen is dropping FAST in the bag and your fish can be stressed, which can cause weight loss.

* Use a BIG bag and keep 3-5 gallons in it. 

* Don't haul your fish long distances in the bag (if possible).  Remember, they are holding their breath after about a minute or two.

Hope that helps.......

   

 

 

[gringo]

Very good info !

[tvc184]

That is a lot of iinformation. Glad I don't tournament fish.

[bh89-2]

Used my dissolved o2 meter this weekend on Choke.  Put 6 fish in the livewell in about 20 minutes.  Within 30 minutes the dissolve oxygen in the water went form 9.1 to 6.3.  The water temperature was 70 F and I was running aereator continuously.  Turned on oxygen system I built and added 4 more fish.  At 5PM we had 10 fish for about 45 lbs in a 20 gallon livewell and the DO level was 10.1 PPM at 74 F.  Awsome O2 system.  Let me know if you want one and I'll help you get the parts to build it.

[PNG Proud]

That is a lot of iinformation. Glad I don't tournament fish.

Me 2.  When ya chunk them into the ice chest, the oxygen is PERFECT in there!  ;D

[bh89-2]

Me 2.  When ya chunk them into the ice chest, the oxygen is PERFECT in there!  ;D

You and I need to go "chuck" some ling in the ice chest this year !!!!  Especially before the boat gets sold... ;D