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The Proper Care and Handling of Fish

4K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  oldschool 
#1 ·
#2 ·
Thanks Tom. Very informative.  :thumbup01:
I have a tendency to forget to wet my hands prior to lipping/handling a fish. I do end up getting them wet while doing so, but it's not always intentional on my part. Another thing about proper Catch n Release I have to work harder on.  :idea:
 
#4 ·
What this particular articles focused on for me is the slime coating, something we fishermen tend to over look as an intregal layer of protection for the bass or any fish. We think of bleeding, thermal shock, lack of DO and hook damage, over looking severe damage to the bass's skin.
Like having a 1 degree burn all over your body, yes you survive, however under a great deal stress as you recover.
I have always used the rule of bass being out of water about as long a I can hold may breath, that maybe too long. The damage being bounced on a carpet must be tremendous shock to bass. We all need to learn the best way to handle fish we plan to release better.
Bass are tough, you bet, but not indestructible.
Tom
 
#9 ·
The Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) as well as other DNRs nation wide advise AGAINST the use of hydrogen peroxide, taken from a 2005 article on the use of hydrogen peroxide, they do admit small amounts help but read the entire advisory:

See link: http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/news/story?page=b_cons_bass_alive_livewell
Another chemical that has sometimes been used to treat livewell or holding-tank water is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen and water in the presence of organic material. However, this chemical can injure fish and should not be used. Most people have used this colorless, odorless, tasteless liquid to disinfect a cut or scratch. You can see it fizzing and bubbling on the skin as it oxidizes. Now imagine what it does in a livewell full of bass. The bass' mucus coating protects its skin from the oxidation reaction, but there is no such protective coating on the delicate gill filaments. Unfortunately, anglers who use hydrogen peroxide often think that if a little is good, a little more should be better. Wrong! Damage to gill filaments, suffocation and death may result.
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Do not use hydrogen peroxide in the livewell!

CHEERS!

Mike A!
Land O Lakes, FL
 
#10 ·
mlakrid said:
The Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) as well as other DNRs nation wide advise AGAINST the use of hydrogen peroxide, taken from a 2005 article on the use of hydrogen peroxide:

See link: http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/news/story?page=b_cons_bass_alive_livewell
Another chemical that has sometimes been used to treat livewell or holding-tank water is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen and water in the presence of organic material. However, this chemical can injure fish and should not be used. Most people have used this colorless, odorless, tasteless liquid to disinfect a cut or scratch. You can see it fizzing and bubbling on the skin as it oxidizes. Now imagine what it does in a livewell full of bass. The bass' mucus coating protects its skin from the oxidation reaction, but there is no such protective coating on the delicate gill filaments. Unfortunately, anglers who use hydrogen peroxide often think that if a little is good, a little more should be better. Wrong! Damage to gill filaments, suffocation and death may result.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do not use hydrogen peroxide in the livewell!

CHEERS!

Mike A!
Land O Lakes, FL
Thanks for the informative thread. So much controversial information out there.
 
#12 ·
Putting 4 oz of the stuff into 15 gallons of livewell water reduces the concentration from 0.03 (3%) in the bottle to 0.0001 (.01%) in the livewell. You can gargle the straight H2O2 without harm occasionally, though it is very uncomfortable when you have a sore in the mouth or throat, the recommended dosage being mixed with equal parts of water. It makes blood foam up by oxidizing it. If you diluted it with 15 gallons of water I'd suppose there would be no antiseptic benefit from it. However, the increase of O2 would certainly benefit O2 deprived fish swimming in that treated water. I put a capfull in a glass of water then spray it in my eyes to clean out things like gnats and clean scratches from flying debris. I never feel a thing at that concentration. I doubt my eyes have nearly the protection a bass' gills have from their slime coat.

Now, if you were to put 4 oz of 97% industrial peroxide in 15 gallons of water it would likely kill the fish instantly, But I can't imagine any common citizen getting their hands on highly concentrated peroxide. I just can't figure out why any DNR agent would come out with such an alarm over household strength peroxide. Most any biologist for the state has had organic and inorganic chemistry training and should know better.

Jim
 
#13 ·
For reasons beyond my comprehension BASS has hired Hal Schramm as a consultant and he is the primary source of misinformation regarding H2O2. Apparently several years ago Schramm was involved with fishery biologist who studied the affects of hydrogen peroxide on aquarium fish and fish being commercially transported. Schramm condemned the use of H2O2 based on high concentration levels of concentrated commercial H2O2 could damage fish. The average citizen can't purchase concentrated H2O2, only 3% can be sold over the counter.
People like Schramm do not support sport fishing and more specifically tournament bass fishing. Why ESPN/BASS would publish anything negative about the use of over the counter 3% hydrogen peroxide, based on Hal Schramm's recommendation is beyond belief and goes against good science or common sense. They must believe that bass fishermen are too stupid to put a 1/4 cup of 3% H2O2 in the livewell to enhance the survival rate of the bass. On the other hand BASS promotes the use of adding salt, which does less good and is galvanic to the metals is most bass boat plumbing of oxygen generators.
I have used salt water solutions, Sure-Life C & R and H2O2 and no longer use salt water and use 3% H2O2 and Sure-Life C & R, when I put bass in my livewell.
 
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