Just wanted to see how you guys fizz during a tournament.  During a smallmouth tournament earlier this year I had to fizz every fish I caught...even though they were only caught in about 15 FOW.  My best 5 nearly 20 lbs.  There were several times when I was just about to stick the needle in and the fish would go flopping.  Does anyone use a holder of some sort to keep the fish still while fizzing?  I was thinking about one of those crappie measurement boards like this may help...just add a bungee cord near the tail end...  Has anyone else almost stabbed themselves while trying fizz?  Looking for a safer remedy on these big smallies.

 

I do them holding them upside down in the live well. Haven't been stuck yet.

I do them holding them upside down in the live well. Haven't been stuck yet.

 

 

What do you do, poke them in the ass?    lol

What do you do, poke them in the ass?    lol

 

Yes, LMAO.  Sorry, here's a better description:

 

No, I hold them upside down, with my left hand cradling the dorsal side, fingers toward my body, and the fish's left side facing me.  I poke them about three or four scales back from where the pectoral fin lays flat on the body. Then I put them right side up in the well, until they are neutrally buoyant, and pull the needle.  When you hold hem upside down, they usually freeze for some reason.

Ah, that makes me feel a little better about you.  lol

 

That neutrally buoyant thing is important.  Very easy to get too much air out and have them sink like rocks.  I've had a smallie or two lay on the bottom of the well because of this.

 

Ah, that makes me feel a little better about you.  lol

 

LOL.....

 

Thanks guys for the humor and info.  I'll try the upside down trick next time out.

I hold them on their side with my left hand and have their bottom against the wall of the livewell and use the right hand for the needle, and then give them a lollie-pop and a sticker

Although I don't usually have a need to vent smallies, I've had generally poor results keeping fizzed LM alive after putting them in the well. After talking to Big O at the road trip I purchased a couple sets of fin clips to try. The idea is that it reduces stress on the fish keeping them upright as they slowly adjust to the lower pressure. I usually have a few die on me during winter tourneys so I'm looking forward to trying them out.

What exactly is fizzing? Does it have to do with the sudden change of depth for the fish? Never heard of it...

At times, bass can have a hard time staying vertical in the livewell, or swimming back down after you release them.  In the livewell, they may float on their side or even upside down.  This is very stressful on the fish.  And can be lethal if not fixed after 30 mins.

 

This is caused by the fish's inability expel air from the air bladder (the air bladder, or "swim bladder", is used to help the fish maintain neutral buoyancy).  It most often happens on fish caught from deep water, but can happen to fish caught in shallow water. 

 

Keep in mind it doesn't happen all the time.  So don't assume a fish caught in deep water automatically has an issue.

 

A common way to fix the problem, is to "fizz" the fish, which is poking a large guage needle into the air bladder, and allowing the air to vent through the needle.  The goal is to relieve just enough pressure to help the fish regain his equilibrium, but not empty the bladder so much that the fish drops to the bottom.

 

Here's a video that explains the problem, and how to fizz a fish properly: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/how-to-fizz-a-bass.html

 

Alternatively, you can use weighted clips that attach to the fins on the bottom of the fish h when they're in the livewell.  This is a good first defense - something worth trying within the first few minutes of noticing the issue.  This calms the fish down and gives them a shot a fixing the issue themselves.  However, if they still turn on their side without the clips after 30 mins, then it's time to fizz.

At times, bass can have a hard time staying vertical in the livewell, or swimming back down after you release them.  In the livewell, they may float on their side or even upside down.  This is very stressful on the fish.  And can be lethal if not fixed after 30 mins.

 

This is caused by the fish's inability expel air from the air bladder (the air bladder, or "swim bladder", is used to help the fish maintain neutral buoyancy).  It most often happens on fish caught from deep water, but can happen to fish caught in shallow water. 

 

Keep in mind it doesn't happen all the time.  So don't assume a fish caught in deep water automatically has an issue.

 

A common way to fix the problem, is to "fizz" the fish, which is poking a large guage needle into the air bladder, and allowing the air to vent through the needle.  The goal is to relieve just enough pressure to help the fish regain his equilibrium, but not empty the bladder so much that the fish drops to the bottom.

 

Here's a video that explains the problem, and how to fizz a fish properly: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/how-to-fizz-a-bass.html

 

Alternatively, you can use weighted clips that attach to the fins on the bottom of the fish h when they're in the livewell.  This is a good first defense - something worth trying within the first few minutes of noticing the issue.  This calms the fish down and gives them a shot a fixing the issue themselves.  However, if they still turn on their side without the clips after 30 mins, then it's time to fizz.

 

 

Thanks Glenn

Most of the time, during catch and release fishing, I let them go, and they head straight back down.  Occasionally, like four or five times, I must have taken too long unhooking  them, and floating them in the livewell showed that they weren't going to be able to, so I fizz them.  All of the fish I've had to fizz cam from depths greater than around 28 feet.  Anything caught deeper than 20' in a tournament gets watched closely, and at the 1st sign of an issue, gets fizzed.  Though I'd rather not do it if not necessary.

Most of the fish I have had to fizz have been from 15 ft or more of water but I have had a few from as shallow as 8 feet that needed it.  I always check the live well a few mins after putting a fish in to make sure its upright no matter how deep the water is.  though prob not necessary on shallow fish but its habit now.

Yes, LMAO.  Sorry, here's a better description:

 

No, I hold them upside down, with my left hand cradling the dorsal side, fingers toward my body, and the fish's left side facing me.  I poke them about three or four scales back from where the pectoral fin lays flat on the body. Then I put them right side up in the well, until they are neutrally buoyant, and pull the needle.  When you hold hem upside down, they usually freeze for some reason.

 

Can you type this again only real slow with larger faunts?