Time Keeping Fish Out Of Water?

[Shadow1]

Last week guys I hooked a 4-5lb largemouth that just destroyed my Lucky Craft Pointer 78.  She hit it so hard that both trebles were buried.  One in her upper lip and the rear one with all three hooks kinda twisted in the jawbone hinge.  To make a long story short, I had to cut the lower hooks to get them out.  I was afraid to force the hooks out of her jaw because of their placement.  I hurried but was so afraid she might be out of the water too long.  I finally got her back in the water, and she kicked water on me and sped off.  So what is the amount of time you will keep a fish out of water to "do surgery" to get some really buried hooks out? 

[Catch and Grease]

As long as it takes, to answer your question.

The shorter the time the better.

[einscodek]

I got long needlenoses and they usually sove the problems

but when I had unusual problematic hookups and it took too long, many times I'll put it back in the water to revive

ill take a breather and then Ill try it again

[Team9nine]

As long as it takes, to answer your question.

The shorter the time the better.

 

^^^ This, but studies have shown bass are a little tougher than some people give them credit for. The guideline about only as long as you can hold your breath is just that, a guideline. There are studies suggesting that even 10 minutes out of water won't harm them. I'd have to believe that shorter is always better though.

 

-T9

[BassinLou]

If you can find that study please post or least guide us were to find it. Did the study specifically involve LMB?

 

Regardless what a study tells me. 10 minutes sounds like a ridiculous amount of time to keep a bass out of water. If I need to remove a troublesome hook, I will return the fish to the water for several seconds and keep their gills wet. If I determine that a hook cannot not be retrieved no matter what I do, I will cut my losses and return the fish to the water. This scenario is very rare for me to happen however. 

[Shadow1]

Thanks for the replies guys.  You would've had to seen that treble to believe how buried it was in that fishes' jaw.  I always have hook cutters and snap forceps on my boat (a product of my musky fishing).  I cut the hooks and pulled the pieces with the forceps.  I was just worried I had her out of the water too long.  She did respond well, splashing water all over me as she took off.  My guess is she was out of the water 3 maybe 4 minutes.

[RoLo]

I don't take any changes with a bass's life, as soon as the fish turns 'BLUE'.....Back He Goes!      

[Weld's Largemouth]

A bass can survive for over 30 minutes out of the water. I was fishing from shore and a guy was taking a bass home and he put it down on a towel by his stuff. 35 minutes later he decided he didnt want the fish and he placed it back in the water and it darted away and splashed the guy in the face

 

*Plus i know its salt water but i once found a sea robin lying in the muck, out of the water, he was all dried up and it seemed he had been out for a while. He was still alive and i picked him up and let him back into the river. He swam away fine

[Weld's Largemouth]

http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/2008/08/re-examining-holding-your-breath-guidelines.html

[OntarioFishingGuy]

2 things. Keeping a bass out of the water is doing more harm than good, even though a study says that they will live for a half hour, keeping a bass out of the water for that long is dramatically increasing the chances of post release mortality. Second, just because a fish swims off, it doesn't mean that it will live. Not bashing anyone, disrespecting anyone, or meaning to offend anyone, just emphasizing that if you do not plan on keeping a fish (I have no problems with anyone keeping fish) that all appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the fish will live.

[OntarioFishingGuy]

And to the. OP, if you are concerned about unhooking taking too long, try unhooking the fish in the water, or in a net or cradle.

[Weld's Largemouth]

2 things. Keeping a bass out of the water is doing more harm than good, even though a study says that they will live for a half hour, keeping a bass out of the water for that long is dramatically increasing the chances of post release mortality. Second, just because a fish swims off, it doesn't mean that it will live. Not bashing anyone, disrespecting anyone, or meaning to offend anyone, just emphasizing that if you do not plan on keeping a fish (I have no problems with anyone keeping fish) that all appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the fish will live.

I was about to yell at that guy for holding that fish captive for a half hour and then letting it go... but its better i just stay to myself  

[Weld's Largemouth]

And to the. OP, if you are concerned about unhooking taking too long, try unhooking the fish in the water, or in a net or cradle.

Unhooking the fish in the water!! Oh boy bad memories. Once i hooked into a nice bass and my friend helped me land it.. and when he got hold of it, while it was still in water, he unhooked it.. and the bass wiggled and jumped back into the pond

[Catch and Grease]

I caught a bluegill that was a pound and a half or 2 pounds and it jumped out of my hands right back in the water lol

Were y'all gonna keep that bass anyways? If not why does it matter that he swam off?

[Team9nine]

If you can find that study please post or least guide us were to find it. Did the study specifically involve LMB?

 

Regardless what a study tells me. 10 minutes sounds like a ridiculous amount of time to keep a bass out of water. If I need to remove a troublesome hook, I will return the fish to the water for several seconds and keep their gills wet. If I determine that a hook cannot not be retrieved no matter what I do, I will cut my losses and return the fish to the water. This scenario is very rare for me to happen however. 

 

See Weld's Largemouth link below, those were the studies I was referring to...and yes, one was largemouth specific, the other was on both smallmouth and largemouth...and no delayed mortality in either case.

 

-T9

 

http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/2008/08/re-examining-holding-your-breath-guidelines.html

[Weld's Largemouth]

I caught a bluegill that was a pound and a half or 2 pounds and it jumped out of my hands right back in the water lol

Were y'all gonna keep that bass anyways? If not why does it matter that he swam off?

Lol

I wanted to weigh him

[BassinLou]

See Weld's Largemouth link below, those were the studies I was referring to...and yes, one was largemouth specific, the other was on both smallmouth and largemouth...and no delayed mortality in either case.

 

-T9

 

Thanks for the info T9. I will read the info that has been provided.   

[Bluebasser86]

I try not to keep them out of the water longer than I can hold my breath. Even if they can be kept out without being able to breath, you still have to worry about damage done to the slime coat, sunburn, and freezing. Fish don't have eyelids so in cold conditions their eyes can freeze very quickly. 

[WRB]

There are several factors involved with how long bass can breather air without permanent damage to their gills or become over stressed and not survive.

1. Bass can't breath air, the oxygen must be dissolved in water and be a level they can tolerate. For example the bass can die in water with too low of DO levels.

2. Air temperature and humidity level have a drying affect, the hotter and drier the air is the faster the gills loose moisture. General rule is bass are safe out of water about as long as you can hold your breath, maybe 2 minutes.

3. Use needle nose pliers to remove the easiest treble first, then put the bass in the water a few seconds before continuing removing the second treble hook. Jiggling the hooks out works better than ripping them out.

Just because the bass swims away doesn't indicate it will survive, you can only do what you can do and you did your best effort.

Tom

PS, the study referenced goes against my experience. All the bass I catch were caught by fishing for them, hooking and landing, then releasing, some of these bass can't survive the stress of being handled carefully, let alone be out of water 10 minutes.

[Deleted account]

2 things. Keeping a bass out of the water is doing more harm than good, even though a study says that they will live for a half hour, keeping a bass out of the water for that long is dramatically increasing the chances of post release mortality. Second, just because a fish swims off, it doesn't mean that it will live. Not bashing anyone, disrespecting anyone, or meaning to offend anyone, just emphasizing that if you do not plan on keeping a fish (I have no problems with anyone keeping fish) that all appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the fish will live.

 

I on the other hand AM bashing, disrespecting, and offending anyone who thinks keeping a fish out of the water for anything other that a couple of minutes is reasonable. There are several variables involved, but not many fish will survive long term when kept out that long.

[OntarioFishingGuy]

I on the other hand AM bashing, disrespecting, and offending anyone who thinks keeping a fish out of the water for anything other that a couple of minutes is reasonable. There are several variables involved, but not many fish will survive long term when kept out that long.

Well said my friend, well said.

[Violinguy]

I feel awful when it takes longer than I expect to get a hook out.  I had one just the other day where the bass had all six hooks on a crank embedded.  I had just gotten one treble out when the fish squirmed out of my grip and proceeded to embed the recently freed treble into the lanyard on my line clippers.     I got the other treble out and while I was still "wearing" my crank bait, I got the fish back in the water.

 

All in all, the fish was probably out of the water for 3 or 4 minutes.  It swam away briskly which made me happy, but I felt like the biggest @#$! on the planet for taking so long.  I won't even take a photo or measure a fish that I feel I've taken too long to unhook.  Am I being a little over sensitive about it?  Probably, but if I can't hold my breath that long, the fish shouldn't have to

[BassinLou]

I read the study and towards the end they made it a point to express how the temp of the water play's a role of the mortality of the fish. I know down here South FL, If I keep a bass out of the water for 10min's its going belly up. Our water temps down here in the summer are in the mid '80's and sometimes 90's in the shallows. That will definitely effect the fish's metabolism and stress levels. Just keeping them out of the water for more than 2 min down here and you have to revive them. Although one study said a bass can stay out of the water for 10min, I will still continue practicing keeping the fish out of the water for the least amount of time possible. 

[Deleted account]

The fish breathe the same exact air and they would  be able to breathe out of water if the air  supported their gill filaments to expose all of their surface area and if they were moist. In the water, their gill filaments are supported and thus they can breathe in the water. Out of the water the gill filaments collapse on each other and the surface area is greatly diminished, much like a mammals lungs collapsing. The surface area is necessary for gas exchange

 

Where do I begin? I recall not too long ago Suffolk and Nassau counties had decent schools...

[OkobojiEagle]

Barbless hooks help make this conversation moot...

 

 

oe