Summer Fishing C&R

[lund1]

I'm still wondering about Gators original question....would a dip in cool water before releasing make a difference? That big cooler sitting under my seat would make a perfect 50 degree bath.

[mwardncsu]

Don't know..... My gut says it won't really help - it would seem that it would need to spend some time in cooler water that was WELL aerated to have any benefit - and then its going to get shocked again back in the warm water heading back down - along with extra handling, etc.

Not sure if you've ever seen a "striper tube" - was sold by Warren Turner and used by most of the guys that used to fish the old Striper Trail - it's basically a tuna tube, but instead of pumping in surface water like a typical tuna tube does, it sits in an outer box and there is a Rule pump in the bottom with an aeration plate that recircs water into the bottom of the tube - you put the fish in head-first and supposedly the combination of that orientation and the well aerated water will allow the lactic acid which builds up during the fight to release and help revive and keep the fish alive till it can be weighed in and then released. However, these are typically used in cooler water situations.



Now, if you filled the tube with cooler water - in the low 60's - and could keep it that cold and steady (which would be hard to do given the lack of volume of water involved), would it help revive a fish well enough that it could be released? Maybe? Maybe not?

I think the bottom line here is that striper as a rule don't release well in warm water, especially bigger ones, and you need to keep that in mind when fishing this time of year......


There were some studies done with striper tubes on C&R - 100% survival in spring/Fall, but regarding summer release...

www.manhattancup.com/striper-tube/

The study states that despite the recovery of the striper in Striper TubesTM, the summer mortality was over 80% and thus the recommendation from these fisheries scientists explained that the current creel and size limits are probably ineffective in managing striped bass (specifically on Lake Murray) during hot summer periods. The recommendation also states that a moratorium of striped bass fishing during the July–August period may be the best management tool. As an additional recommendation is to ban the release of striped bass during these extreme hot weather periods. In other words, summertime fishing means catch a limit and quit.

[Gator]

Jun 23, 2014 12:01:52 GMT -5 @bigun2 said:

one more..... catch your limit and stop. This is the time of year the fish start to school up big and in deeper water....you can catch (kill) huge numbers of fish. I know how hard it is to stop when you get in them really, really good in the summer months, but it has to be done. One of my favorite spots in july and august is a 40 minute boat ride each way from my dock. I go, keep whatever our limit is and quit.....and yeah, i've made that trip many times to fish 15-20 minutes and have our limit and quit..... if you catch 30 and keep 2, you may as well throw the other 28 up on the bank, they aren't going to make it. 

Bigun I couldn't agree more. After much consideration I have decided to limit my striper fishing to my limit and done during the summer months. I can target other species at SML and other lakes and have just as much fun. I am not going to kill a bunch of fish for my enjoyment. I am NOT throwing fish on the bank!!

Besides, it's bull bucking season. Ride rank friends!! 

[Deleted]

May 20, 2014 20:25:06 GMT -5 @bigun2 said:

just to be clear....i'm not for or against summer time fishing, it's up to each to decide what they think is best.......it does take some of the smaller fish out of the lake......is it detrimental to the fishery......could be........until the biologist figure out what they want ?.....more vs bigger....I'm lost

  That post was spring 2014....

with the shortage of fish in the lake.... guess the questions were answered on both fronts.