Jump to content

  • GUESTS

    If You  want access  to member only forums on FM, You will need to Sign-in or  Sign-Up now .

    This box will disappear once you are signed in as a member.

Barotrauma and crappies

Kettle

By Kettle
in Ice Fishing Minnesota

 Share

Recommended Posts

Kettle Mentor

Kettle

Posted
Posted

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?

  • Thumbs Up 2
  • Thanks 1
BobT Grand Master

BobT

Posted
Posted (edited)
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 by BobT
  • Thumbs Up 1
smurfy Grand Master

smurfy

Posted
Posted

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???

gim Mentor

gim

Posted
Posted

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.

  • Thumbs Up 1
Hookmaster Mentor

Hookmaster

Posted
Posted

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.

  • Thumbs Up 2
  • 2 weeks later...
Wanderer Grand Master

Wanderer

Posted
Posted
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.

  • Thumbs Up 2
  • Popular Post
Rick G Grand Master

Rick G

Posted
  • Popular Post
Posted

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" .  

  • Thumbs Up 5
smurfy Grand Master

smurfy

Posted
Posted
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 Mentor

Kettle

Posted
  • Author
Posted

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

20230228_144336.jpg

  • Thumbs Up 4
smurfy Grand Master

smurfy

Posted
Posted

how often  you need that home button!!!!!!!!!🤪🤗🤣

  • 9 months later...
Hookmaster Mentor

Hookmaster

Posted
Posted

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.

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • Thanks 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Similar Content

  • Your Responses - Share & Have Fun :)

    • smurfy
      Gitche Gumee Ice?

      By smurfy · Posted

      🙄 oh yea.....like your a picnic on the beach!!!!!!! 🤣
    • leech~~
      Gitche Gumee Ice?

      By leech~~ · Posted

      Hey, he seems to like starting pissing matches, everywhere!  😒 😉
    • Wanderer
      Gitche Gumee Ice?

      By Wanderer · Posted

      Hey now, that one is all you!  Haha!  Don’t make another thread septic. 😉      Yup, the Looper Bug.  I couldn’t remember that catchy name for it.  2lb test is a little crazy, especially for the line quality back then but I can see that being a thing too.  Such clear water.  Looking down the hole watching the fish swim around and them looking back at you.  The further out I got, the easier it was for them to see me.   My one looper charged in when my jig was just below the ice while I was laying face down like you said.  It hit basically right in front of my face.  The fight was me rolling over and pulling it out of the hole.  That was shortly before the guys in the shallows packed up their little black shelters and left with their fish.     So, by the end of the day I learned: black looper bug; light line; conceal movement; and/or fish shallow.  And then never went back.
    • leech~~
      Gitche Gumee Ice?

      By leech~~ · Posted

      Cuz like I said, he was breaking off a lot and they were like gold at the time.  Guys an't giving up anything when combat fishing, I'm sure he pissed off some folks running around jumping in and out of open holes. 😉
    • smurfy
      Gitche Gumee Ice?

      By smurfy · Posted

      🤔why didnt ya "leech" some of them black flies from the guy!!!!!🤗😂   awe come on....wanderer would of said it too!!!!😉
    • leech~~
      Gitche Gumee Ice?

      By leech~~ · Posted

      Au, yes the black fly, aka the looper bug.  I remember the first time I was introduced to it.  There must have been 20-30 guys out in front of the French on the ice. This one guy was running from hole to hole and pulling fish, but he was also breaking off a lot.  When I finally got close to him, he said he had 2lb line and just the bug on the end and jigging.  I think I had about 6lb line and some jig with waxies.  I jumped in my Suv and buzzed up to the bait store in Two harbors "which is closed now" to get new line and bugs.  By the time I got back and fishing again the bite must have been over!  Spent the rest of the day laying on the ice staring down the hole, ton's of fish went by but not bite!! ☹️    I used to get up at like 3:00am to drive up from Brooklyn Center, fish until dark and drive home.  When I had more of the wander spirit.  Heck I remember when I had no brains or money in the spring, getting up at like 2:30am, driving up and fishing every stream for about an hour that I could get to from Duluth to Grand Marais.  Then driving all the way home the same day.  🤪
    • Kettle
      Waterfowl Photos

      By Kettle · Posted

      Last day of myself hunting before I help my friend with new clients. Back on the bigger marsh, mainly teal but 5 fulvous whistling ducks. A medium size duck but they fly and decoy like Canada geese, big circles and glide in. They are noisey birds
    • Hookmaster
      Waterfowl Photos

      By Hookmaster · Posted

      Kettle, sounds like an awesome trip. Never see drake bluewings in MN during the season. For the bridge my pucker factor would've been 11, and that's walking across both ways!!
    • Wanderer
      Gitche Gumee Ice?

      By Wanderer · Posted

      Gotta love META, right????  Naw, they ain’t tracking’…   
    • Wanderer
      Gitche Gumee Ice?

      By Wanderer · Posted

      I did the looper steelhead thing in front of the French River once.  It was fun. I got one looper but the sight fishing aspect of it was the most fun.   We saw a couple guys limit on steelhead up close to shore and learned the black fly was the way to catch ‘em.  We didn’t have any.   My first 40+ hour day that I can remember.  Went to work Friday morning, Van Halen concert Friday night, too jacked up on the way home to call it a day so we loaded up for the North Shore.  Fished all day, drove home Saturday night.     Those crazy kids…   Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands have always been a want but an undone deed.  The wander spirit has faded from my old traveling buds.  They like to stick to what they know now.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.