Saving Bass From Small Puddles

[bluegillagorilla4sale]

This is my first time posting in a forum so bear with me, please. 

 

     I was recently at the Paluxy River, and tried wading for the first time. Had a good day of pulling out longear sunfish, and could see juvenile bass everywhere, but never found any mature ones that were willing to bite. 

 

     While I'm making my way down, I approach a spot that had basically been a small split in the river. The river has its normal path and then to the side was an area full of nothing but small loose rocks. When the river was up two months ago, it flowed in through a tiny mouth maybe an inch deep, the small branch coming off got wider past the mouth, ran for about 30-35 yards, then chokes back down to another mouth about an inch and a half deep. 

 

     It has since dried up and only two small pools remain, roughly four foot across and only a few inches deep. I stepped out of the river to check the area out now that the water was down, and happened to find three sunfish, and the most highly pattered baby bass I've ever seen. I took the time to pull them out of the puddle that was obviously getting too warm for them and tried to acclimate them back to the river. It was a hot day and the river was not particularly cool, but certainly cooler than the puddle. All the fish swam out of my hands of their own accord (I had lowered my hands in the water just enough for them to feel the temp for a few seconds, and then lowered them just enough for the fish to suspend until they wanted to swim out), and stuck around my feet for a bit before they swam down river. They were incredibly lively for having been locked up in a small body of water like that for however long. 

 

     What I'm wondering is, should I have taken the time to save the bass? How does the difference in water temp really affect them? It is possible that I put it in the river, only for it to die several minutes later from the temp/pH difference? Or is it possible that the fish is fine, and could still be there for someone to catch once it grows large enough to eat anything more than a fly? I made the bass pinky promise to stick around for a couple years

 

 

[Team9nine]

You did good. At least those fish still have a chance. Guessing either the puddle dries and they die, or a heron comes along and eats them otherwise. If the river refloods and fills the pool, it’s no different than what you did, just in reverse. Take the river to the fish, or the fish to the river. I’d have done the same - and have before.

[Tennessee Boy]

Technically,  you broke the law by catching the fish with your hands.  We won’t tell and I don’t think you’re in danger of prosecution.  😆

 

I actually did the exact same thing in front of a game warden once to rescue a smallmouth from a pool like you described.   I knew the guy and he joked that he was going to write me up but he understood I was saving the fish.

[bluegillagorilla4sale]

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Technically,  you broke the law by catching the fish with your hands.  We won’t tell and I don’t think you’re in danger of prosecution.  😆

 

I actually did the exact same thing in front of a game warden once to rescue a smallmouth from a pool like you described.   I knew the guy and he joked that he was going to write me up but he understood I was saving the fish.

So hands are disqualified because they're considered a "hand operated device that is 'held' underwater" per the Texas law? The sunfish I actually used a net for, though the bass was having none of it. Interesting point though, and good to know in the future! 

 

Like Team9nine said, either the puddle was going to dry up or something would come along to pluck it out, and that's just the natural order of things, but it felt wrong to just walk past. I find it difficult to feel indifferent about that kind of thing. We received some rain that very day, but certainly not enough to bring the river to the fish. 

 

Threw a picture up if anyone's interested, my favorite thing about fish is the diversity even within just one species as far as coloration and pattern. It's a shame I have a cheap phone with a cheap camera, this guy was incredible!

[GaryH]

You did good… 👍👍👍

[Bazoo]

Awesome, thanks for sharing.

[Bankc]

If a game warden says anything.  Just tell them you were noodling, which is now legal in Texas.  And tell them you threw them back, because they were the wrong species, because you were targeting catfish.  Not that a game warden would be likely to say anything, but that's a loophole you can access if you need it. 

[txchaser]

Good work!