Texas Can Teach Us How It's Done!
If anybody has any question as to how to take care of your catch during a tournament, the people at Texas Parks & Wildlife can sure show you how it's done. There may be as many bass tournaments held in hot weather/hot water in Texas as any other state in the union and despite that pressure, they arguably have the best bass fishery in the U.S.
If you want some help in learning how to take care of your fish you really need to check out the following links:
Livewell Management - http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/recreational/catchrelease/live...
Oxygenation of Livewells to Improve Survival of Tournament Caught Bass - http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/didyouknow/inland/livewells.phtml
Treating Barotrauma in Largemouth Bass (Video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEeQrsHcwf8
and Removing a Swallowed Hook (Video) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RGTL9RBG2s&feature=youtu.be
I have already setup the oxygen injection system in my livewell by using all the vendors they recommended in the presentation referenced in the "Oxygenation of Livewells" article. After I got the parts, it took me less than an hour to put it together. For less than the cost of a decent rod and reel, I am confident my fish will love it when they go in my livewell this year.
I've said it before, I'll say it again. Sometimes things happen when catching fish that they don't make it no matter how hard you try to take care of your catch. But those are the extremely rare instances. Fishermen that don't put forward the effort to ensure the health of their catch should be penalized to the extent that they will never let another fish die because of their lack of attention. That is why I advocated increasing the penalty for every dead fish (1st fish 1/4 lb., 2nd fish 1/2 lb., 3rd fish 1 lb., etc.) and will continue to do so.
I hope you will take the time to look at the info and install on oxygenation system in your livewell. It really makes sense and it is not expensive.
- rbertazon's blog
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Texas Can Teach Us How It's Done! ---- Great Post Rob
Everyone should take the time to read/view links in this post.
Go Fish Yourself! <'')))>< ...Respectfully.
My interest was stimulated
My interest was stimulated after reading this blog to research this topic more. A simple Google search (oxygen and tournament bass care) I found this site which has additional information about taking care of tournament bass using livewell oxygen injection systems: www.oxyedge-chum.com
rbertazon is that, "Fishermen that don't put forward the effort to ensure the health of their catch should be penalized to the extent that they will never let another fish die because of their lack of attention. That is why I advocated increasing the penalty for every dead fish (1st fish 1/4 lb., 2nd fish 1/2 lb., 3rd fish 1 lb., etc.) and will continue to do so."
Maybe a more positive approach should be considered that is better for conservation, for the bass and for the fisherman... bonus points for anglers using oxygen injection systems in bass boat livewells that are willing to provide the best bass care possible while they are rexponsible for the fish in their boat livewell. i.e. an additional 1/2 pound for each live healthy fish turned in at the weigh-in for their extra effort vs. a same old dead fish penality every time a fisherman fails to keep the fish alive.
Just a thought about positive motivation vs. old negative motivation that's been the standard for the last 40 years of bass tournament fishing.
But in doing so, you proposal
But in doing so, your proposal gives more of an advantage to a person that catches three fish than to a person that catches two even though the latter were to have placed the same level of care to the fish they caught. That is not fair.
Rob Bertazon
Tag,
Tag,
Thanks for reading the blogs on the MRAI site. I certainly welcome your input and I have read almost everything posted on the Oxygen-Edge website. I always enjoy good scientific research. The system I am using is the one featured in the Texas Fisheries presentation (their research was even referrenced on the Oxygen-Edge website) with the exact equipment they had specified.
Of greater concern to me than under oxygenating the water is the possibility of over-oxgenating the water. As a result I follow the recommendation of the Texas Fisheries presentation and I cycle my recirculating pump on occasion to volatize oxygen in excess of saturation if the water appears to present such characteristics. Unlike areas in the southern and western U.S., our reservoirs don't have the real potential to produce a huge limit of fish.
No matter what system is employed in livewell aeration, the fact remains that the angler has to pay attention to what is going on. Even the Oxygen-Edge system requires a person to monitor and manually adjust the flow of oxygen in the system based upon the amount of fish, the temperature of the water, etc.
So Tag, and let's be honest, do you:
a. really like fishing and want to protect the resource as much as humanly possible
b. use the Oxygen-Edge system and want to promote its' benefits
c. own, work for, or sell Oxygen-Edge equipment. (in which case we love sponsors and advertisers)
Regardless, thanks for sharing the links to the Oxygen-Edge site and please keep us up to date on good information that helps us anglers and our finny friends! Your comments are always welcome.
Rob Bertazon
Rob,
Fair is always relative and fair is different between gentry and surfs, life can seem unfair, mean and is tough in most parts of the world , but it is what it is. It depends on how one chooses to look at it.
Wanted to answer your post above and saw it was deleated before I got back.
I enjoy reading your blog and appreciate the opportunity to share with you and others additional information I have found to be factual, scientific based, to the point and relative easy to understand with a basic understanding of high school general science.
OK, let’s be honest. I’m a self actualized 51 YO, I was born on the 4th of July; I’ve been very successfully in business, and retired for several years. My wife and I often travel to worldwide destinations to play, fish, hunt, S.C.U.B.A. (wreck diving) and I totally enjoy my station in life. It doesn’t get any better than this. I have been a Certified S.C.U.B.A Dive-Master for many years. I learned to plan my dive and dive my plan. I applied this to my life ambitions and that’s worked very well for me. One of my favorite wreck diving destinations is Truk Lagoon, Micronesia, Central Pacific Ocean and if you like tropical fish and coral, spend a few weeks in Palau which is a short hop away.
By the way, when I fish offshore Marlin and Sailfish tournaments, I use live 8-12 lb tuna. These large live baits are kept in excellent condition in standard boat livewell with pure welding oxygen which is cheap and available worldwide. Oxygen is the only thing that we can do differently that produces the quality of live bait needed for this kind of fishing. We are fishing for substantial money and need the highest quality live bait we can make. This information and knowledge is never shared with our competitors. That competitive bait “oxygen the gas” edge is huge and just too valuable to talk about at any Captains Meeting or bar. Loose lips will sink ships so I never talk how we produce such high quality live bait consistently whether we are fishing in tournament water’s in the Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere.
You know about me now, thanks for asking, now, how about yourself Rob. Do you work for TP&WD selling/promoting oxygen injection systems? Just kidding.
What kind of work do you do, what do you enjoy doing for fun, what’s your favorite part of the world and what are your expectations in life the next 10 years now our world is rapidly Changing as we were promised?
Great sharing with you and getting to know you better.
I mentioned the Oxygen Edge website because it’s the best, most comprehensive fish care/livewell water quality management that's designed specifically for sport fishermen site I’ve found to date. If you know of another that’s offers as much information or more than this one, please let me; I want to visit. I’ll post more sites and information on this topic for you and the information will be factual. Livewell life support systems (oxygen systems) are an important topic for a few fishermen and meaningless to most fishermen and tournament directors. The oxygen injection system I use cost about $1,500 and built with aviation oxygen equipment, the commercial oxygen and oxygen cylinders comes from any welding supply store. The regulators are precision instruments that minimize gas waste with dose adjustment flexibility for a large range of biomass (fish).
You have a turn on and forget oxygen system, turn on the gas and that’s it, there’s no calculation or dose adjustment available for a changing biomass in your livewell. It’s as easy as flipping on an aerator switch, but don’t overcrowd the livewell. The only downside to any oxygen injection system is paying a few bucks for the oxygen when the air is free less the ongoing cost of buying batteries, aerators, water pumps and air pumps.
How’s that oxygen working for you with these long hot days and record breaking temperatures we are having around the country this summer? Mine is working great as expected!
I bet tournament bass kills are increasing now and the worst is coming the next few months, especially hot night tournament fish kills.
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