Barotrauma and crappies

[Kettle]

https://www.outdoornews.com/2023/02/08/a-case-study-on-minnesota-crappies-looks-at-barotrauma-in-the-popular-fish/

 

Interesting study on barotrauma and crappies. Obviously a relatively small sample study but results were pretty eye opening to me. 

I for one am guilty of this but will definitely change my practice. I have already stopped walleye fishing deeper than 30'. Was a bit bummed to see that fizzing didn't work. I am not opposed to deep fishing like the article states, those times should be limited to strictly harvest. Everybody's thoughs?

[BobT]

1 hour ago, Kettle said:

https://www.outdoornews.com/2023/02/08/a-case-study-on-minnesota-crappies-looks-at-barotrauma-in-the-popular-fish/

 

Interesting study on barotrauma and crappies. Obviously a relatively small sample study but results were pretty eye opening to me. 

I for one am guilty of this but will definitely change my practice. I have already stopped walleye fishing deeper than 30'. Was a bit bummed to see that fizzing didn't work. I am not opposed to deep fishing like the article states, those times should be limited to strictly harvest. Everybody's thoughs?

I don't like to fish deeper than 30' as well. If I do, I plan to harvest anything I catch. Here on Osakis we have a 15' minimum for walleyes and for this reason I refuse to fish deeper than 30' for them. It pains me to hear about guys fishing in the 40' and 50' holes for them knowing that they can't legally keep anything smaller than 15" so there is likely some mortality as a result. Can't be good for the fishery.

 

On the other hand, I have never noticed or heard about there being a lot of dead walleyes on the shores after ice out in the spring. Does this mean that fish are not being pulled from those depths and released for being too small or is mortality not as big a problem as thought or are the fish just sinking and decomposing before spring thaw? 

 

Whenever I've fished on LOTW through resorts, we have usually been set up at depths in excess of 30' and quite often when bringing up sauger and walleye from those depths their air sac is in their mouth. It forces us to keep many of the small ones. Fortunately, they taste just as good. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by BobT

[smurfy]

I didn't read the article,yet anyway. So are they fish being pulled up from 30-40 feet?? 

 

Over new years I was fishing crapped in 46 feet of water but the fish I caught were suspended at 25 ft???

[gimruis]

Panfish and crappies take an absolute beating in the winter here, might be nice to give some of them a break if barotrauma is causing increased mortality.  LOTW is notorious for this problem in the winter with dinky saugers.

 

About the only time I fish that deep is when I'm on the mud flats of Mille Lacs using a lindy rig or spinner in open water.  The tops of the flats are in the 25 foot range, and the deep edge off of them is deeper, but the lake itself is relatively shallow for such a large body of water, so I don't know if barotrauma is an issue out there.

 

I have heard of tournament bass anglers causing barotrauma to smallmouth on the Great Lakes when they target them in deep water during midsummer.

[Hookmaster]

The first time I basin (34-35 ft) trolled on Mille Lacs I caught a 22" walleye with bugged out eyes and I couldn't get it to go back down. When I took an ichthyology course in college (early 80s) it said barotrauma occurred with a quick depth change of 10 meters. I think it could be less than that.

I don't fizz fish anymore. I take a depth bomb attached to a rod and reel and clip it on to the pectoral fin of the fish. Drop it down close to the bottom and give it a yank to release the fish. Doing this should bring the swim bladder back close to where it was when the fish took the express elevator to the surface.

[Wanderer]

On 2/10/2023 at 9:08 AM, Kettle said:

https://www.outdoornews.com/2023/02/08/a-case-study-on-minnesota-crappies-looks-at-barotrauma-in-the-popular-fish/

 

Interesting study on barotrauma and crappies. Obviously a relatively small sample study but results were pretty eye opening to me. 

I for one am guilty of this but will definitely change my practice. I have already stopped walleye fishing deeper than 30'. Was a bit bummed to see that fizzing didn't work. I am not opposed to deep fishing like the article states, those times should be limited to strictly harvest. Everybody's thoughs?

I’ve been on board with this for years.  Heard a little bit about it then started keeping mental notes on it in my own fishing.  You see it if you know to look for it.

 

I talk about it some but people usually don’t want to hear it because it’s a fun limiter.

[Rick G]

For this very reason I refuse to fish for deep fish!!!  I don't much like to go over 20ish feet deep, and even those sometimes show some of the symptoms of barotrauma.  I don't care how slow they are reeled up, those deep caught fish will most certainly die at some point, regardless if they " swam away just fine" .  

[smurfy]

10 hours ago, Rick G said:

For this very reason I refuse to fish for deep fish!!!  I don't much like to go over 20ish feet deep, and even those sometimes show some of the symptoms of barotrauma.  I don't care how slow they are reeled up, those deep caught fish will most certainly die at some point, regardless if they " swam away just fine" .  

 i agree Rick...........if i fish deeper my intent is to keep those fish........... and Yes Rick.........i do fish!!!!!!!!

[Kettle]

Found a few today..... in about 22 ft of water

[smurfy]

how often  you need that home button!!!!!!!!!

[Hookmaster]

Caught some crappies on the north end of Osakis on Nov 15th. Pulled from 25-27 feet. All laid on their side in the live well. All kept but one.