Thread: Keeping Fish Alive In Hot Weather

Originally Posted by KnightShadow10

What do these weight set UPs look like?

Here's what the store bought ones look like,you have to put 2-3 on a big fish,dont really weigh enough in my opinion

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Originally Posted by Rees Guide

I got my weights fixed up little while ago, test run starts at 5am, will post some differences. Going to put every other one in one box without fizzing and in the other box fizz and weight them, pumping air to both boxes.

We usually put weights on the ones we see on there sides.

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I made the weights after reading an article 2 or 3 years ago on MCC.The weights are 3/4 oz attached to an alligator clip.One weight on each lower fin to keep the fish upright.....I'll look for the article for you and let you know.....

This is not the article I was talking about but good just the same ,still huntin for the other one...
B'n'M Fishing Tips'n'Techniques

5 Ways To Keep Crappie Alive In The Heat Of Summer

Phillip Gentry

Whether you’re using live bait to catch crappie, fishing in a summer tournament, or just looking for some tasty fillets to take home, knowing how to keep fish alive and healthy is an important part of summertime crappie fishing.

Adding pure oxygen via a small tank with regulator and air stone can keep bait tank or livewell fish healthy even in hot weather and warm water.

Using B’n’M’s Crappie Saver and a hollow needle to deflate the swim bladder of a fish caught from deep water will help the fish stay alive in the livewell or after being released.

Crappie soaking in warm water on a hot summer day will turn great tasting meat into mush. Come prepared by bringing extra ice and bring fish to be kept straight from the water to a cooler full of ice.

Whether the fish you’re trying to keep healthy are in the bait tank or in the livewell, there are several tricks that you can use to keep crappie alive (or at least tasty) during the summer and they all boil down to one thing – oxygen levels. Once you understand how to control and manipulate oxygen levels, or at least the fish’s intake of oxygen, keeping them alive isn’t that hard. Here’s 6 tips to do that:
1. Oxygen tanks – Higher water temperatures reduce dissolved oxygen that fish need to survive. By inducing pure oxygen to the water via a regulated flow of oxygen dispersed through an air stone, higher dissolved oxygen levels can be maintained even in higher water temperatures.
A portable oxygen system can be obtained online through retail tackle warehouses or bought at some high end bait and tackle stores. Oxygen refills can be obtained at welding supply houses, medical supply stores, or these same shops.
“A lot of anglers are scared of them, but there’s no need to be,” said pro-staffer Kent Driscoll. “My portable tank has kept bait alive through the hottest summer days as well as crappie in the live well during a tournament.”
2. Fizzing – Aimed at fish in the live well, fizzing entails ventilating the air bladder of a fish caught from deep water so it swims upright in the live well rather than on its side where only one gill can reach the water.
B’n’M pro staffer Ronnie Capps designed a measuring device that even shows the novice how to ventilate a crappie. It’s called the Crappie Saver.
“Take the fish and place it head first into the Saver,” said Capps. “There’s a sliding scale near the head that shows where you would insert the needle. You can get these hollow needles at most veterinary supply places.
“Going in from the tail side, slide that needle under the scale at a 45 degree angle and go straight down,” he said. “You’ll see bubbles come out the other end of the needle and you can even hear the pressure release. Just let the pressure equalize for about 8 seconds, remove the needle and then you can release it or put it in the live well, knowing he’ll survive till weigh-in.”
3. Weighting – A layman’s version of fizzing, some anglers prefer to make fin weights by wiring an alligator clip to a 2 – 4 ounce sinker. The weight is clipped to the fish’s pectoral fin, making it ride upright in the live well.
“If you’re not comfortable with fizzing, or don’t have the needle and stuff, this is a cheap and quick way to keep crappie caught from deep water alive and healthy till weigh-in,” said staffer Rod Wall.
4. Add Ice – Adding ice cools the bait tank or live well water and helps it hold more dissolved oxygen.
“When adding ice, don’t use store bought or any other ice made from chlorinated water which will only remove oxygen, not add it,” said staffer Brad Taylor. “Lake or well water frozen before hand in milk jugs or two liter bottles is a good way to make your own chlorine-free ice.”
5. Straight to the Cooler – Not much use for bait or tournament fish to be released, by putting crappie you intend to eat directly on ice, and lots of it, the fish will chill faster and not marinate all day in a warm soup, making the meat much tastier on the table.
“You can tell when fish have sat in a hot live well all day,” said staffer John Harrison. “The meat gets mushy and the guts will start turning. That gives the fish a really strong taste and it’s a waste of some good eating fish. All it takes is a little planning to bring some extra ice and put your summer time fish right in the cooler.”

Don’t let the heat get you down or keep you off the water this summer. Pick your choice of weapon from our online catalogue at bnmpoles.com then hit the water with the backing of the America’s best crappie specialists . “Wherever fishing takes you, B’n’M has been there.”

Awesome read, thanks

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2 in each livewell so far, one box has straight lake water in it with the pump set on a timer and air going to it. Other box treated water and fish fixed, air and ice

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Lots of great advice here. I have one more tidbit that might help. I fill my Minnow or in this case fish coolers or live wells with tap water that I run through an RV water filter. The filter removes the chlorine and medals in the water. I've used one for a few years now on my minnow tank at the house without any chemicals. It works great. I also use it on long trips where I take 3-5 pounds of Minnows in a big cooler. I take the filter with me on those trips so I can exchange the dirty water after a few days. You can get the water filters at Walmart.

When new, run water through the filter and remove the excess carbon dust in the filter before you fill you tanks, coolers, or live wells.

The biggest key is dissolved oxygen in the water. Cooling the water doesn't keep the fish alive as we've all caught shallow fish in 95 degree water. Cooling the water helps hold a higher concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water. Oxygen is the real key. I used to use a floating Minnow bucket when summer fishing. The minnows were always fine regardless of the surface temps because the lake water has plenty of dissolved oxygen in it for the bait and fish to survive. I think the chemicals work just fine, but may work more to calm the fish than anything else. I also agree with the weights on a weak or deep caught fish to keep it breathing over both sets of gills. I've never fizzed one, but the BnM Capps and Coleman (pink/red) fish checker has a place on it to fizz the fish in the right spot properly. If not done properly, you can kill your fish by attempting to fizz it.


BRM

Please put fresh water in your tanks every night. The slime build up will suffocate your fish if you don't.


BRM