Fizzing walleyes

[rabbit]

I was wondering if insulin needles would work for fizzing or would they plug up inserting them. Has anyone used these?
If they don't work, where can I get other type of syringes that do work? Thanks for any reply.-----------Paul

[GR8WTHUNTER]

I got to see this done this week. I was told that the needle is one used by vets. Not sure where you can buy one other than asking your vet the next time you take your pet in for a check up.

[rabbit]

Thanks for the reply. I looked at one of the insulin needles my brother's mother-in-law gave me and they are too short I think. I am friends with our vet so I will go see him tomorrow. Thanks

P.S. The insulin needles work great for injecting air into crawlers. After a couple injections the needle plugs up and you have to grab another syringe. The hole is so small that the air won't leak out.

[bob oh]

This is what Ohio Sea Grant's Fred Snyder had to say on the subject:

This one's a matter of degree - answered with a "Yes, but..."

Yes, fizzing can relieve excess air pressure caused by rapid depth change, if it's done correctly. Experience in the field has shown that many anglers aren't able to fizz fish effectively - sometimes the gas bladder is missed, frequently the needle is plugged with tissue.

The point of it all is to allow walleye to survive after release, but other factors come into play. For all the good intentions of livewells, the fish often have taken a beating in the livewell by the end of the day, and then face more physical stress at the weigh-in station. Survival has been shown by past studies to be spotty - often mortality occurs well after the tournament. Mid and late summer bass tournaments, when the water is warm, can be especially bad.

This is NOT an indictment of walleye tournaments. They don't harvest enough fish to stand out from the normal lakewide harvest over the same dates, and we fall short of our overall walleye harvest quota every year anyway. The more reasonable objection would be from the standpoint of wanton waste. You'll notice that the professional tourneys on Lake Erie have gotten away from fizzing and releasing, and now just donate the fish to charity kitchens. I belive this is the best way to go - the fish are eaten and appreciated rather than decomposing after delayed mortality.

If an angler wants to release a walleye, do it right away, not after dragging it around for hours. Those able to dive toward bottom won't need to be fizzed - water pressure will do it.

[Kolby]

good post bob...

It seems to me that sticking fish with dirty needles could cause infection, or maybe they miss and hit a vital organ.


Kolby