Results 1 to 2 of 2
  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    raymond, nh
    Posts
    2,711

    Fizzing smallmouth ???

    Okay guys so I would like to hear your thoughts on this. So I have caught many smallies over the years fishing drop shots deep. 20-45 fow. I have never fizzed a fish in my life and don't think I have ever lost a fish due to the lack of fizzing. Some were just deep or possible gill hooked. After reading up on the Thousand Islands tournament it seemed to be a huge problem for a lot of guys if they didn't fizz. Am I missing something here? Do any of you guys fizz fish?

  2. Member Ranger519VS's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Traverse City, Michigan
    Posts
    4,115
    #2
    Ok, If you catch a smallmouth 20' deep or deeper and you put it in your livewell chances are its going to have to be fizzed. If you catch one and immediately release it, no problem, it will go right back down where it was. I have even had problems with fish if we keep it out of the water for a couple minutes for weighting or photographs.

    A comment I heard at the live broadcast was do all the fish need to be fizzed?. The answer was that many of the Elite pros are now using fin clips on the fish and they will stabilize their own swim bladder and don't have to be fizzed. https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Flip...-FHCPSWTS.html

    I bought some of these and have tested them and find they do work. In my experience I had to hold the fish in the livewell for an hour or so before they equalized their swim bladder. I also had problem with one that the weight wasn't enough to keep the fish down in the livewell. Seems like the bigger the fish and the deeper it came from leads to it blowing up more.
    Butch Derickson
    2011 Z521 w/250 hp SHO
    Traverse City, Michigan