Fizzing

[Gust]

So a couple of years back, my 20year old neice wanted to take up fishing and took to it like a pro out fishing us (her Grand dad rarely gets outfished), her biggest being a 5 lb pike,,, we taught her how to clean and fillet and she had her first shore lunch. Well she's back on weekends through the Summer and planned next weekend for a lake hop.

Anyways, she has read the regs back to front and asks endless questions, and one was (which the regs say you shouldn't do) Fizzing?? My guess/answer was, where you force a fish back and forth in the water before release, forcing water through the gills. I could be wrong as there was no definition.

Anyone know what it really means?

[chubbdarter]

using a needle to pierce the air bladder of a fish thats come from deep water....

[Gust]

My neice just said, why? and her mother (who doesn't fish) said that's evil. Why would you do this? If you're keeping it, just bonk it but I can't see someone doing this then releasing? I'm confused

[chubbdarter]

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@letsfish/documents/document/228130.pdf

[bloopbloob]

using a needle to pierce the air bladder of a fish thats come from deep water....

Yup!

[Gust]

I couldn't load the page you sent chubb but will post this one so others who may not know can learn something new. Really interesting,, thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I did look at google but somehow it didn't seem right.

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/images/pages/qa/fishing/fizzing.htm

[npauls]

I have read a ton of stuff on fizzing over the last year or so.

Most of the information is directed towards areas that will cause more harm then good like mentioned in the link you poster Gustav. There have been a couple different places that I have read that do make sense. The one was a tool that they have actually developed to help a person properly fiz a fish. I have read that quite a few bass anglers in the states use this tool to help them release fish that they have hauled up from pretty deep water. The developer of the tool has done a ton of research and says to fiz the fish in your livewell while it is full and don't release all the gas. Just release enough of the air bladder gas that the bubbles start slowing down. After you have done this keep the fish in your livewell for awhile and monitor it. If it stays upright then they say let it recover and release as normal. If it doesn't stay upright then try fizzing a little bit more gas from the bladder and monitor again. They say if you do it the way they say and take your time and care for the fish then there is a very good chance of the fish surviving but many anglers that fiz don't actually know a proper technique and don't seem to take their time and care for the fish.

I personally have never done it and don't plan on doing it but I wanted to know the proper way in case I do happen to come across one that was a bit to deep. I try to stay in 25 feet or less of water to be safe but you never know.

[huntsfurfish]

Just one word to say about fizzing,


Dont



quote from npauls
"I try to stay in 25 feet or less of water to be safe but you never know. "

best advice Nate.

[mszomola]

fizzing when done properly saves the fish from dying. I wouldnt say "DONT" do it like the angry typical response you get here above ^^^ i would lean on the side of education first.

From tournament fishing back east and all over really we used to have to fizz the fish coming out of 20 + ft of water . I've witnessed many fish being fizzed as well as fizzed a few myself in a seminar . The problem here is the level of un-education .

Heres the trick , if you are going to keep the fish , it will be alive and upsidedown in your livewell the whole day. Its not dead but it wont regain its balance unless the fish is released immediately after catching it or you properly fizz the fish . I would strongly urge you to take up a seminar or train with somebody that has experience before playing with this.


If you intend on releasing the fish , put it back right away , it will manage to balance itself and return to the 20+ ft of water ... just can't hang on to them to long or put them in skinny water for too long ( mins )

[catnthehat]

fizzing when done properly saves the fish from dying. I wouldnt say "DONT" do it like the angry typical response you get here above ^^^ i would lean on the side of education first.

From tournament fishing back east and all over really we used to have to fizz the fish coming out of 20 + ft of water . I've witnessed many fish being fizzed as well as fizzed a few myself in a seminar . The problem here is the level of un-education .

Heres the trick , if you are going to keep the fish , it will be alive and upsidedown in your livewell the whole day. Its not dead but it wont regain its balance unless the fish is released immediately after catching it or you properly fizz the fish . I would strongly urge you to take up a seminar or train with somebody that has experience before playing with this.


If you intend on releasing the fish , put it back right away , it will manage to balance itself and return to the 20+ ft of water ... just can't hang on to them to long or put them in skinny water for too long ( mins )
Yup, if done wrong, even releasing a fish will kill it!!
The big problem, as you dsay, is the lack of education involved.
I never have, and do not plan ever to fizz a fish because i am not a tournament fisherman, if I want to keep t it gets killed and cooled right away, if not, it goes back, sometimes the never even leave the water!
Cat

[mszomola]

to add to it though , its not terribly difficult by any stretch , its just getting someone to go over it properly . Then its really discretion , same as, do i cut the hook or work it free , might hurt , might save ....

we all can only do our best .... but doing nothing is worse

[huntsfurfish]

Fizzing just gives fishermen a feel good "out" when fishing deep water!

Solution is quite simple - As nate pointed out, stay in water less than 25 feet.

I also know how to fizz but it is not just poking the bladder. There are other ramifications, dirty needles, etc. But I dont have to fizz fish if I am fishing in less than 25 feet of water either.

[Cal]

fizzing when done properly saves the fish from dying. I wouldnt say "DONT" do it like the angry typical response you get here above ^^^ i would lean on the side of education first.

From tournament fishing back east and all over really we used to have to fizz the fish coming out of 20 + ft of water . I've witnessed many fish being fizzed as well as fizzed a few myself in a seminar . The problem here is the level of un-education .

Heres the trick , if you are going to keep the fish , it will be alive and upsidedown in your livewell the whole day. Its not dead but it wont regain its balance unless the fish is released immediately after catching it or you properly fizz the fish . I would strongly urge you to take up a seminar or train with somebody that has experience before playing with this.


If you intend on releasing the fish , put it back right away , it will manage to balance itself and return to the 20+ ft of water ... just can't hang on to them to long or put them in skinny water for too long ( mins )


Unless you can produce some sort of proof that fizzing can aid fish survival in any sort of way I'm gonna say bull shat on this. In AO a few years back there was some published data on releasing fish where they monitered fish caught in tournaments after they were released. According to that study there was somthing like a 100% mortality on fizzed fish, despite being fizzed by "pro's" some of which would have presumably been "educated" on how to "properly" fizz fish. Those fish may float upright in your livewell and look good at the weigh in but according to all data I've seen their survival rate is actualy worse than the bloated-bug eyed ones.

Now the ball is in your court, present me with some scientific data that will blow my mind. As of now my somewhat educated opinion of you is about the same as my opinion of the F#ck head that lets his undersized fish flop around on the shore for 5 minuits while his dog chews on it so he can call his kids over to have a look befor punting it back into the water and says "well it swam away so its obviously fine!" :angry3:

[Cal]

Ok so I did some reaserch myself and found out that fizzing is not so black and white as I though. Its effectiveness varys from species to species, on many species it can have opposing effects on short term and long term survival to various degrees which must be taken into account. A study done on lake Erie showed that its effects on walleye and bass varied under different weather conditions but that bass responded better to fizzing than walleye. Studys done in alberta show that fizzed walleye have a 20% lower rate of survival than fish that were not fizzed.