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View Full Version : Cold water vs warm water release and mortality rates?



DarkSkies
04-16-2009, 09:16 AM
Wondered what the thoughts and experiences were of others here are re: cold water vs warm water release?

A comment by paumanok and the releasing of bass got me thinking. We as fishermen are careful to release fish withut hurting them if we're not keeping. A certain % do die anyway, that's just the way it is.

I feel that they're more likely to survive when the water is colder, but that's only my experience. Let's hear what you guys have to say.

nitestrikes
04-16-2009, 02:52 PM
Wondered what the thoughts and experiences were of others here are re: cold water vs warm water release?

A comment by paumanok and the releasing of bass got me thinking. We as fishermen are careful to release fish withut hurting them if we're not keeping. A certain % do die anyway, that's just the way it is.

I feel that they're more likely to survive when the water is colder, but that's only my experience. Let's hear what you guys have to say.

Dark, in the other post you talked about a bleeding fish. It's my experience that if the water temps are high, say 70's, a bleeding fish has a poor chance of survival.

jimbob
04-16-2009, 10:38 PM
I think that Mortality rates do go up in warmer water due to lower oxygen levels in warmer water. I think that the mortality studies are flawed because they put captured fish into a tank and wait for them to die. that can't be as good as releasing them back into their natural environment.