weighing dead fish

[flippin]

we had a night tourny they let a guy weigh a 4# that looked like it had been dead for aweek i was wondering what everyone eles rules are on weinghing dead fish is

[hawghunter1744]

The only tournament that I've had anything to do with stated in their rules that dead fish would deduct a pound from your total weight....

[procraft68]

Our club takes off .50 pound. Also most laws say you cannot cull a dead fish. I've seen people throw dead fish back in the water which is not allowed in any of the states I fish in. If one dies in the live well which can happen in night tournaments when it's smokin hot the people should just take the hit and try to keep it from happening again.

[deadeye32.]

We have a 1 pound penalty and you loose 10 points in the standings.  I have only lost one fish in a tournament and I really try to take care of them, but those 10 hour days can be tough when  the temp is in the 90's

[JShrock07]

Our club rules state that if you have a dead fish in your live well that you may not throw it back in the water but instead bring it back to the weigh-in and give it to the club president. He will eat them. The rules also state that if you happen to have a dead fish that you will not be penalized for the dead fish but you are encouraged to catch another fish to take the place of the dead one. So either way you do not lose anything. 8-)

[Bass Hole]

Our club rules state that if you have a dead fish in your live well that you may not throw it back in the water but instead bring it back to the weigh-in and give it to the club president. He will eat them. The rules also state that if you happen to have a dead fish that you will not be penalized for the dead fish but you are encouraged to catch another fish to take the place of the dead one. So either way you do not lose anything. 8-)

Wow can you say over the limit  I really hope that was a joke

[JShrock07]

No that is how are club works. It is not a HUGE club with a bunch of rude guys who only care about money. Instead we are a local club that fishes in just a few different bodies of water, we have no reason to throw a dead fish back.... why throw a dead fish out or even not have your limit of fish for a tournament??  :question :question

[warmer]

i threw a fish in the starboard tank the other day and had the port pumps cranking.  by the time i went to throw in #2 he was ripe, and by the end of the day he looked like he'd been dead for a month.  im not saying they were on the up and up, but it happens.

i think i was given a .5lb penalty.

[Bassnajr]

ALL tournaments penalize for a dead fish....or should. Here's the kicker......

If no one complains about a rule violation, which this clearly is, BEFORE the scales close, there is nothing that can be done after. That applies to all violations, not just dead fish. (Right BH ??) In my small club, we watch all fish get weighed in. No one would try to weigh in a dead fish. IMO, this guy and the guy who weighed it in should be embarrased, and if it was for $$$ they are cheaters. Find a new club.

PS. Nitro, my club is the same way, but bringing a dead fish in and one to replace it seems unfair to the guys who manage to keep their fish alive all day. That is a big part of T-fishing, managing your live wells. And NO ONE should throw a dead fish back in the water. That drives me crazy!! > Just my opinion.

ajr

[deep_wormin]

In our club we pen. .40 for dead fish.  

[Bass Hole]

No that is how are club works. It is not a HUGE club with a bunch of rude guys who only care about money. Instead we are a local club that fishes in just a few different bodies of water, we have no reason to throw a dead fish back.... why throw a dead fish out or even not have your limit of fish for a tournament?? :question :question

It is not legal in most states to throw back a dead fish as it is illegal to possess more that the legal limit of fish. In our club we penalize 1/2 pound per dead fish any one with more than five fish in there possession is DQ,ed.

[zellamander]

Sometimes you just can't help it when a fish dies. I fished the local jackpot tourny yesterday and got a birdsnest the 6th cast of the night, (hit a tree in mid cast and wasn't paying attention) and by the time i got it out and went to retrieve, i had a 5.75 lb bass on the other end. He swallowed the #6 Gamakatsu hook and so i just cut the line and put him in the livewell. I worked with that fish the rest of the evening and he still died. I was very dissapointed with myself.

Still ended up winning the tourny with the 1 pound deduction, but walked away very upset with myself.

[jrhennecke]

The penalty in any 100% BASS event for dead fish will be progressive- (1 dead fish-.20, 2 dead fish-.40, 3 dead fish .80, 4 dead fish-1.60, 5 -3.00 lbs). Remember, It's illegal to cull a dead fish.  You may not weigh in a dead fish for the purpose of winning the big fish option pot.

[Bass_junky]

I actually had this happen to me yesterday. I accepted my penalty (1 lb) for the fish, but did not let it go to waste. Fish was almost completly white & hazy, even in those conditions.  Yes, i was embarrassed but it happens to all of us in certain circumstances. Example: winds 10 mph, dropshotting 1/4" oz weight. Caught one that had the hook buried, cut the line and placed in live well. Water was 70 deg, used rejuvinate had dual 500 livewell pumps with aerator. Checked on it 1/2 hour later, dead...You cannot feel every bite, in those conditions. Everything was done correctly after placing fish in live well.

So never say never.

[Al Wolbach]

I suspect more fish are killed because tournament fishermen do not know how to bleed pressure from swim bladders than in other reason, especially in the summertime. If a fish is not bleeding when placed in the livewell and dies afterward, something is wrong.(assuming a good livewell).Many of the fish that die just needed fizzing, pressure relieved from their swim bladders. Most fish that need fizzing(pressure bleeding) will swim at the top of water and not be able to stay on the bottom, will stay on their side a lot, or be upside down. If they display any of these symtoms, they need fizzing to stay alive and nothing else will help. All the rejuvinate, ice, o2 or anything else will not save them.

Actually injecting pure oxygen into the water might but most fishermen don't carry pure oxygen in their boats.

Fish that need fizzing are usually caught in excess of about 12 feet, however there are exceptions to every rule. Over 12 feet you can just about be assured they need fizzing. These fish would normally do this automaticly themselves if left in the wild but due to the stress of being caught and placed in the livewell many will not in the livewell.

It is a very simple procedure and gets easier with practice. It does require a syringe and needle. I'm not sure what size but the needle needs to be about 1 inch long and the syringe about the size that is used for a flu shot. I actually got one from my doctor but you can get one at a co-op or even your vet. One of the tournament trails that I fish provides them free of charge and will teach this procedure to anyone that ask. First throw away the plunger from the syringe.

The procedure:

While holding the fish by the lower lip with one hand lower the fish into the livewell water. With the other hand holding the syringe/needle slowly insert the needle down the fishes throat straight thru the middle of what looks like an a??hole until bubbles start appearing in the syringe. Hold in that position until bubbles stop. I have never measured the depth of the needle but I would guess 1/2 inch. The syringe must have water in it to see the bubbles therefore the fish must be in the livewell water. After the bubbles stop remove the syringe/needle and you are done. Keep an eye on the fish, occasionally they need additional fizzing, if so repeat the procedure. This will not harm the fish and will save its life if you intend to weight it later.

This can be done through the side of the fish, and was for years, but down the throat is much easier and more accurate(at least for me). If you are a tournament fisherman you need to learn this procedure and use it. It is really easy to do and we owe it to the fish..........

I don't have time to proof read, I hope it makes sense...........Al

[Bassnajr]

I saw Arron Marten do this on an Elite series broadcast and wondered what the heck he was doing!!! Thanks for the info.

Great post!!

ajr

[Al Wolbach]

I forgot to put in the first post.

Remove the plunger from the syringe and throw away.........Al

[Bassnajr]

Al,

Any diagrams for this procedure any where? I went out today and checked down a couple of bass throats. Lots of A's down there!! ;D The bass must have been wondering, "What is this nut looking for?"

ajr

[Al Wolbach]

I have never seen a diagram or even any pictures for that matter. Sure would make a good article for one of the bass magazines. I don't have a digital camera, but I'll see if I can get some pictures. When we teach this at tournaments we normally teach around the release tank where people can see better and plenty of fish to allow everyone to perform it.

In the meantime- Stick the needle straight down the throat. As close to the center as possible. I really don't know how to explain it better. This probcedure is so simple and easy when you show someone how to perform it they usually say something like, " is that all there is to it".

It usually takes me longer to get out the syringe(and find my glasses) than to fiz the fish. It can be done in less than 30 seconds including time spent finding the glasses..............................Al

I'm not sure what you could do incorrectly but worse case senario is you kill a fish that was going to die anyway!

[bassnleo]

I fizz smallies caught deep from lake Erie. I do have a diagram somewhere, I'll try to find it and post it.

Al's technique is very close to what I do with a little exception. I don't go straight down the throat, I insert the syringe directly under one of the fish's crushers and angle it a little sideways. You'll know instantly if your doing it right. Like Al mentioned, bubbles will immediately come out of the syringe. Another tip, be careful to only fizz the fish for a second or two. Releasing too much air will cause the swim bladder to deflate completely and cause the fish to actually drown.

The needle I use is 16 guage and purchased at a store like Tractor Supply.

I actually learned the technique from B.A.S.S. tourney officials at a Lake Erie event. I've had smallies floating around in my livewell belly up but still alive, as soon as they are properly fizzed they go upright and normal looking.

All in all it's a pretty cool technique and definately beneficial and necessary to the health of fish caught from deep water!

[Al Wolbach]

Bassnleo is right, release a few bubbles at a time per fiz until the fish is behaving normally. Do not leave the syringe in the fish until the bubbles stop. Release a few until the fish is behaving normally.........Al

[platinumjason]

If someone manages to find a diagram or video on this I would love to see it. I've never had any go belly up on me but I dont tournament fish and let all of mine go, be nice to know how to do it if the time ever comes.

[bocraw]

My club penalizes 8 oz for dead fish.  I find the above post very interesting because I have learned that many clubs have even stricter penalties than we do.  We do not have a rule about culling dead fish.  

[gatorblazer]

we have a progressive dead fish penalty that is exactly the same as alabama bass fed rules.  This is specifically for the purpose of prepping people for federation tournaments.  no culling of dead fish is allowed.  

sometimes dead fish end up in peoples trucks or hotel rooms. :-X

[bluerock bass]

In the club I fish in we deduct 4 oz per fish