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Posts: 239
Location: Elroy, Wisconsin | Caught a small one yesterday and on the no net release it just stayed belly up in the water. Managed to get the fish to the side of the boat and gently pressed her belly against the side of the boat, heard the burp. Held it a few minutes upright and it took off like a shot. Easier for me than hand burping . The side works well.
Mudpuppy |
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Posts: 203
Location: Alexandria, Minnesota | I am guessing that you caught it in deep water and the fish was suffering from the bends, meaning it came up fast in had Nitrogen gas inside of it? if that is the case and might be wrong, usually golden rule is don't fish deep water fish with water column temps to thermocline are 74 or higher... |
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Posts: 239
Location: Elroy, Wisconsin | Not the bends.....15 ft. air blatter gets over inflated and needs to be reduced so they can dive and swim normally. leave them on the surface belly up...dead fish.
Mudpuppy |
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | This is definitely not the bends. This situation happens for one of two reasons:
1. Fish comes up from deep water and doesn't expel gasses. This isn't restricted to fishing for deep water fish, I've caught fish over 30' of water fishing a bucktail to shallow weeds and the fish came straight up from deep water. In this case my assumption would be that the fish do this all of the time but are only near surface for a few seconds while feeding and go straight back down, that normal process was interrupted.
2. I've seen it happen even if they're in shallow water 2-8'. My assumption with these fish is that their swim bladder actually gets gasses forced in during the catch process.
Trying to force out the excess gas works if you take your time with the fish and gently press on them as described above they will "burp" and be able to go back down to depth. |
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