Bass tournaments and bass bags – why do bass bags kill tournament bass?

[Tony M]

FACT – “bass transport bags”: Transport 9 lbs. mature tournament bass in 2 gal of water OR 18 lbs. of bass in 4 gal water OR 27 lbs. of bass in 6 gal of water – SAFELY FOR 1 HOUR

Bass consume and deplete dissolved oxygen when being transported in bass bags every summer, DO testing has demonstrated this in numerous test studies.

This period of intense suffocation, oxygen deprivation (hypoxia) in a transport bag during a short transport causes tremendous cellular oxygen debt. The result of that carelessness and apathy is increase tournament mortality and negative tournament publicity, bad, bad, bad tournament PR. Everybody know this.

The poor old bass bags are not the killer in summer tournaments, poor water quality inside the bag is the killer, RE: deadly bag water quality, low, unsafe dissolved oxygen, oxygen deprivation and acute suffocation. Hypoxia comes quickly in seconds and minutes as the catch quickly deplete the available air/oxygen supply in the bag.

Tournament officials and contestants could make better fish care choices if they really wanted to provide the best bass care. They could reduce summer tournament kills (delayed tournament mortality) by using the same bags, but insuring minimal dissolve oxygen in the bag water.

Here is an option and better fish care option (choice) that will insure the catch will not suffocate in bass transport bags in any summer bass tournament.

University of Missouri Extension

Transportation of Fish in Bags http://extension.missouri.edu/p/MX392

By L. Swann
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program, Purdue University

Live fish are safely transported in sealed plastic bags containing small quantities of water and pure oxygen. Bag shipment requires placing a prescribed weight of fish in 1.5 to 2 gallons of water in 3 milliliters polyethylene bags, 18 by 32 inches. Excess air is removed from the bag and replaced with pure 100% welding oxygen. The bag is sealed so the pure oxygen does not escape.
Dissolved oxygen

The most important single factor in transporting fish is the provision of adequate concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO). The importance of supplying adequate levels of DO cannot be overemphasized. Failure to do so results in severe stress which may contribute to fish kills two to three days after transport.

Carrying capacity [– see large fish at bottom of this chart]

The maximum weight of fish that can be safely transported within a given period of time is the carrying capacity. The carrying capacity depends on the duration of haul, water temperature, fish size and fish species. If water quality conditions such as temperature, oxygen, carbon dioxide, alkalinity and ammonia are constant, then carrying capacity will depend on the fish species. In general, fewer pounds of smaller fish can be transported per gallon of water than larger fish. Table 2

Carrying capacity in pounds of warm water fish transported in 18- x 32- inch polyethylene bags containing 2 gallons of water (about 15 pounds). Water should be moderately hard (80 to 100 ppm total hardness) and have a temperature range of 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit (Dupree and Hunter, 1984)

Stage or total length in inches Carrying capacities (pounds) for transport period in hours
1 12 24 48
Eggs 1.0 to 3.0 1.0 to 2.0 1.0 to 1.5 0.5 to 1.0
Fry Yolk-sac 2.0 to 4.0 1.4 to 3.0 0.8 to 2.0 0.2 to 1.5
Swim-up 1.0 to 4.0 0.9 to 3.0 0.8 to 2.0 0.4 to 1.4
Fingerlings 1/2 1.8 to 5.0 1.5 to 4.0 1.2 to 3.0 0.6 to 1.5
1 2.0 to 5.0 1.7 to 4.0 1.3 to 4.0 0.7 to 2.0
2 2.0 to 7.0 1.8 to 6.0 1.5 to 4.0 0.7 to 2.0
3 2.0 to 7.0 1.8 to 6.0 1.7 to 4.0 0.7 to 2.0
Large fish 4.0 to 9.0 3.0 to 6.5 2.0 to 5.0 1.0 to 2.5

Suggested readings
• Dupree, H.K. and J.V. Huner, 1984. Third Report to Fish Farmers. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C.
• Piper, R. G., I.B. McElwain, L.E. Orme, J.P. McCraren, L.G. Fowler, and J.R. Leonard, 1982. Fish Hatchery Management. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 517 pp.
• S.K. Johnson, 1988. Transport of Fish and Crustaceans in Sealed Containers. Inland Aquaculture Handbook. Texas Aquaculture Association, College Station, TX. A1504-A1509.

Of course “how much tournament bass care” is always a choice made by tournament officials and contests. The best tournament bass care is not FREE.

Bass do not have to be suffocated in bass bags in summer bass tournaments. There are good choices that will insure safe oxygenation and bad choices that guarantee oxygen deprivation and suffocation.

The captor that controls the oxygen supply (angler or tournament officials) choose whether to withhold/deprive his captive of oxygen or insure his captive a safe continuous supply of oxygen while being transported. The safe oxygen line is distinct and clearly identified with a DO meter... 100 % DO Saturation or greater is safe.

Oxygen deprivation, suffocation causes the most severe stress for fish and for man. The brain is most vulnerable to short bouts of oxygen deprivation, doesn't take much abuse to damage and kill brain can CNS tissue and it doesn't come back.

 

[churly]

One thing I always try to do; i work hard to make the water in my livewell cool and oxygen rich by using ice, water treatment, and running pumps all day. I like to use that water to fill my weigh in bag. I also dont go to the weigh in stand if the line is long, and I try to get ahold of one of the airstones that responsible tournament organizations provide.

If your boat doesnt offer a pump out (mine doesnt). You can make your own pump out. I used a 6ft piece of garden hose, with one end cut at an angle. With my pumps off I can push the angled piece of hose into the hole that pushes the water out from the livewell pumps. Cut that pump on, and use that to fill my bag with the cool treated water, then add my fish.

I cringe when I see people dipping their bags into the hot shallow water around the boat ramp to transport their fish.

Thanks for tips Tony M!

 

[Hook1]

I agree with you both. You keep the livewell cool, you keep the water as oxygenated as possible, you use fish clips and water additives and do other things to keep your fish as healthy as possible. Why in the world would you not do all the same things when you bag them. I like to wait until there's no line or a short line as well and I always use the water that's already in my livewell.

 

[Tony M]

BERKLEY EVEN KNOWS ABOUT BASS SUFFOCATION IN BASS BAGS

BERKLEY ANGLER EDUCATION

HTTP://WWW.BERKLEY-FISHING.COM/MINI...S-DURING-TOURNAMENT-WEIGH-INS,DEFAULT,PG.HTML
MINIMIZING STRESS DURING TOURNAMENT WEIGH-INS

“It's a crying shame to keep a bass alive throughout the fishing day only to have it die at a tournament weigh-in station. And yet, for a bass that has endured a long day in a livewell, this is where the balance of life or death often hangs.”

“If weigh-in bags must be used, then minimize the time the fish spend in the bags. Studies have shown that ten pounds of largemouths held in a plastic bag with two gallons of water at 86°F will reduce oxygen levels to near lethal levels in less than two minutes. When you know that delays will extend more than five minutes, split the fish into multiple bags to avoid oxygen depletion.”
“Consider using bottled oxygen at the bagging site. Using this method, I have successfully shipped adult bass across the country, with transport times extending well beyond twelve hours.”
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Jeff has a light-weight portable oxygen system… he can bring his oxygen rig with his to the scales with the bag of fish… bag his catch, drop his diffuser into the bag of fish, keep the oxygen running, carry his oxygenated bag of fish to the scale, sit around and safely wait several hours before his fish are weighed and never have an oxygen deprivation, suffocation problem in the bag.

Jeff and Berkley both know, “Consider using bottled oxygen at the bagging site. Using this method, I have successfully shipped adult bass across the country, with transport times extending well beyond twelve hours.”

But this is a lot of aggravation, extra trouble and COST money.... This best fish care is not FREE so who’s going to pay for all this expensive extra bass care even if it will prevent the suffocation, keep the fish alive to fight in next weeks’ bass tournament.

Well, in your heart you know the answer to that.

Here’s how you know which fishermen are willing to provide the best bass care possible. It will be the fisherman in the weigh in line with his bag of fish in 1 hand and his little oxygen cylinder in the other hand with the oxygen bubbling into his bag of fish.

* Do you add pure oxygen in your bag of fish? How many tournament fishermen have you actually seen doing this or ever heard of doing this in any summer bass tournament?
That behavior demonstrates our real concern for our catch and fish care… the answer is crystal clear – the care you see is really what it is. It’s only a fish and the whole point for the fisherman is to get the fish to the scale wiggling and avoid the dead fish punishment---and win the prize. Dead tournament bass are the tournament director’s public relations problem- not the fisherman’s problem.

The amount of tournament bass care any fisherman is willing to provide for his catch and pay for with his own money is always a personal choice … the best care, less than the best care or the real cheap fishermen provide no care at all, a box (livewell or fish bag) is the cheapest and cost the fisherman absolutely nothing if the tournament officials provide free bags. The best care cost too much, cheap care is good, free care is best – again, it’s only a fish.

Non tournament fishermen kill far more bass (big bass) than tournament fishermen kill every year and state bass fisheries are never negatively impacted and constantly restocked by state fish hatcheries so the bass supply will never run low. Bass fisheries in the US are well managed by state fishery experts.

Bass are the #1 fish targeted by freshwater fishermen in the USA. The fishery is safe and sound regardless of all the tournament bass killed.

 

[Rivermont Jeff]

Well said Tony Thanks again for all your input! I think it has reached many people and I have personally seen people making an effort with O2 systems to Keep fish healthy. I have seen an increase in DO levels with the tanks set up with just an air compressor and a hose and stone to drop in your bag as you wait. Although 100% O2 would be great but the compressor is increasing level quite a bit. Thanks again!

 

[Tony M]

Jeff,

Although you feel that you may have reached many tournament fishermen and tournament officials with your research, what real changes have you seen as a result of all your work?

Don't be shy -- Will you be specific and describe the effort people are really making with O2? "I have seen people making an effort with O2 to Keep fish healthy" is quiet ambiguous and non-descript at best. Please be specific and descript reporting any real changes you have seen specifically because of your DO research results.

All the research, education and atta-boys are meaningless if no real changes result.

A historical lesson: Long ago, I believe it was Galileo that boldly proclaimed that the earth was round, not flat. His proclamation of scientific research directly challenged and contradicted popular belief and testimony of powerful people of that time. He was imprisoned for stating this fact for the remainder of his life - But, Galileo was absolutely correct and he knew it and was still condemned. Right does not equal might and people that are right are sometimes rejected and punished.

You can bet you last dollar and win that people in power positions do talk about what you are doing behind closed doors in back rooms and you have their attention after publishing your DO test results on the internet.

I believe your research/work is worthwhile for advancement/ improvement of tournament bass care in 2014, but, your work may be unpopular within some tournament fishing circles and other important players in the tournament fishing industry. Your DO work may adversely affect their pocket-books, especially IF your DO Testing takes root and grows.

What if the a boat's livewell was not certified "functional" at 6 AM when a tournament official heard the hum of a livewell water pump in a boat, but when the contestant arrived at the boat ramp for weigh-in and a tournament official then tested the DO in his livewell full of bass and the DO was below the minimal safe DO saturation limit and the official disqualified the boat because of the livewell was not found to be "functional?"

Yikes, that would not be popular... who is going to pay money to play in a fishing tournament with a hard-ass, ball-busting tournament official that will disqualified your brand new $40.000.00 bass boat in 5 seconds at the end of the day at the boat ramp with... A DAMN DO METER?

Remember a short time back when there they said was no real summer tournament DO problem, be happy. Then came you and a few others like Carl Wengenroth from Del Rio, Texas, Randy Meyers, TP&WD Fishery Biologist and some other fishery experts joined in and came along with those DO meters and rocked bass tournament world posting and publicizing DO test results on the internet targeting the real summer tournament DO problem/ summer tournament fish kills. All this hub-bub dot the attention of some State politicians and State DNR's an they began making new fishing regulation targeting large commercial bass tournaments. All of this because of a fey guys with DO meters wanting to improve tournament bass care, proving and demonstrating what the best tournament fish care possible really is all about.

The fertile ground for change is the fisherman in the bass tournament contest that needs/wants to dodge the "dead fish punishment" in summer tournaments. The fisherman that needs a livewell system guaranteed to insure sufficient oxygen to keep hi catch alive all day in the worst adverse summer conditions is the fertile ground. The fisherman that needs/wants a turn-on-and -forget life support livewell system that he doesn't have to worry about for 1 minute all day on a hot summer tournament day and WIN THE PRIZE.

What intelligent savvy tournament fisherman would discount a livewell system that really works, keeps all his catch alive every summer, no batteries, no electricity, no noise, no hassles and he never has to be concerned again about any fish dying in his hot summer livewell plus he doesn't need or have to buy and carry all this extra stuff again on his boat every tournament. It does not take a mental tournament fishing giant to see the advantage, if he wants a tournament edge over his competitors.

The rest of the fishing tournament industry and all the tournament support business is less fertile ground unless we're talking faster, shinier bass boats and more fish care research often falls on deaf ears there and is rejected because change like that cost money. Hope and Change works sometimes, but is not really popular here. At least that's how it's been for the last 25 years or so. All the fisherman needs is oxygen and salt to keep his catch alive and healthy all day, he doesn't need ice, chemicals, batteries and aerators or need to waste money on these things. Of course you have already figured all this out in the short period of time since you began DO testing with your meter.

So... How much DO change is "quite a bit?" Is "quite a bit" with DO testing only a bag of water with air bubbles or is the testing with a bag of water containing a limit of bass in the bag of water with air bubbles? What is the difference in DO saturation that you discovered?

What changes have the tournament officials and fishermen made after you demonstrated your DO test results in their August tournaments?

 

[churly]

The CBA has purchased and implemented the use of the do dispenser in their livewell release tanks. Id say the oldest and most popular trail in our area making that move is a step in the right direction.

 

[Rivermont Jeff]

Tony I do not have the data in front of me right now but I did take note on this subject. There was a significant difference with the aeration of just an air compressor vs none at all.
The changes I have personally seen is the CBA Tx Trail has implemented a O2 system on two tank to allow fish to get a dose of O2 prior to release. I know It is not the same as have them exposed to 100% O2 all day ( which would be great!) But as Churley said it is a step in the right direction.
I setup a system on every King Frog tx we host.
I have seen 4 people install systems on their boats after seeing and being informed of the whole DO situation. This is what I would love to see on every tx boat that enters a tournament. We have a long way to go but knowledge is power! The more people that see and read and understand the problem the solution is simple and really inexpensive in relation to everything else we buy to catch fish.

I really appreciate you input as many other on here do too. I will continue to test report and spread the word on the whole issue. I believe that most tournament fishermen are willing to do all they can to keep fish healthy not only for the dead penalty point but 90% of tournament fishermen are willing to do what they can to preserve the fishery and take care of the fish. It is just a matter of getting the information out there for all to see and understand.
I think we are a ways off from mandating and enforcing the functional livewell rule but as people begin to understand and see the solution you will see more and more O2 bottles on boats.
Most all of the people I have talked to about this issue have been very interested and wanted more info on the O2 systems and very receptive to the whole idea.
I will continue in the pursuit to achieve all tx boat to have O2 on board but until then I will continue to test, report, and publicize.
I am really disappointed that the major tx trails such as B.A.S.S. and FLW have not picked up on this and implemented it if nothing else just to raise awareness.