Forced Swinning Effects on Smallmouths

[Bonefish]

"When and how we play fish could have long-term consequences after release."

Researchers at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada, performed a study to gauage the physiological effects of catch and release on nesting smallmouth bass. This article may be found at http://www.smallmouth.org/NationalConservation.html in relation to the The Smallmouth Alliance and Smallmouth Conservation news.

This article states nest-guarding smallmouths were caught by hook and line and played either less than 20 seconds or to complete exhaustion. Next, the scientists measured in the fish, the depletion of a chemical used for energy, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and the accumulation of lactate, the chemical responsible for sore muscles after exercise. Concentration of ATP and lactate were compared to the length of time that fish weere played. Two other parameters studied were the amount of predation on their young while absent from the nest and the time elapsed before individuals returned to nest-guarding after release.

Smallmouth bass played to exhaustion had about 50% of their ATP reserves depleted. The resultant lack of energy corresponded to higher levels of lactate. Smallmouth quickly landed had an 8-fold increase in lactate compared to a 13-fold increase in fish played to exhaustion.

Catching and releasing males off the nest obviously disrupts parental activities. But what impact might it have on offspring? A lack of protection from a parent leaves young fish, or eggs, vulnerable to predation. It took exhausted fish an average of eight minutes to return to nest-guarding. Those landed quickly returned in just two and a half minutes. Thirty-five percent of nests of those fish played less than 20 seconds were preyed upon while the guarding males were absent. Half the nests of the exhausted fish experienced incidents of predation. The total time predators took liberty in unguarded nests was 13 times higher in the nests where fish were played to exhaustion.

While each smallmouth bass fishery is unique in terms of populations dynamics, even catch-and-release at this particularly vulnerable time of year will have detrimental effects on smallmouth populations. Maybe we should give a wide berth the next time we see that ring of bare cobbles in the shallows in the springtime.

[GeoFisher]

Great article.......

I've always thought that over playing a fish did more harm to them.

I usually use heavy braid, and winch the fish in pretty quickly.

I know this is mostly about spawning fish, and preditation of the young, but I wonder how this ties into winter fishing, with light line.........or even worse, the dreaded float and fly.

Later,

Geo

[stratosjoe]

I have wondered the same thing about the F-N-F cause my biggest smallmouth came on that method and I sure did'nt horse her. I spent a few seconds with her and she appeared fine but now I wonder how she did? I have always used light line but maybe I should rethink that. I do not bed fish in the spring for bass period and never have just a personal thing. But in the summer and winter they still may be at risk according to this article.

[Duayne]

Your F-N-F released fish should be fine since the F-N-F is a cold water technique. This state is more prevalent in warmer water. The cooler the water, the less lactate is produced.

[Bonefish]

Good point, Duayne. Less oxygen consumed as well in cold water.

[Duayne]

Exactly. Also at a slighly different angle, oxygen is released easier in colder water. Works for us too. Hot days, you can't seem to catch your breath. Same with fish. Just as they give athletes oxygen to recover faster on the sidelines, gaining access to "easier" oxygen for fish works the same.

Great topic!

[thebassman30]

I usually use heavy braid, and winch the fish in pretty quickly.

Later,

Geo

This is putting it lightly. lol

[Bobby Headrick]

Wonder when some one will develop a livewell formula that has these chems in it so to replace them in the fish and thus a speedy recovery, wish I had the chem knowledge. Good topic, probally is the same in all species.

[Duayne]

The process is the same, but the affect is different from species to species. While SM are stressed for longer periods in warm water, stripers, for instance, lose all ability to move, sink to the bottom and die.
They attempted to use a tuna tube with stripers. The idea was to put the fish in a tube with constent water flow and body support. They hoped to oxygenate the fish by flushing large amounts of water through the gills. I think the end results were mixed to poor at best. I'm not sure if they ever tried salt water with the tube, but that is the direction I would go if it were me. Salt water holds more desolved oxygen and stripers are salt water fish. I think that is a big part of the difference between the affects of these two species in the first place.
The good news for SM: They do not get to this point.
The only thing I can think of would be to place them in an oxygen injected tank at a very slightly cooler temp. Very dangerous. There are oxygen tablets, but I don't know how well they work.

Of course the very best thing is to wench them in as fast as possible and get them back in the water as quickly as possible.

[Bonefish]

Maybe we should place a hyperbaric chamber in our boats to improve recovery time. That would do it.