Education is the key to understanding why and what should be done for fish obviously in the state of hyperbuoyant.  Dr. Hal Schramm is leader of the U.S. Geological Survey Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at Mississippi State University. Dr. Schramm explains, “When bass and other sport fish, like crappie and walleye, are rapidly brought from deep water to the surface, atmospheric pressure is quickly reduced, the air in the swim bladder expands, and the fish is unable to maintain an upright position and swim back to deep water.  This condition is called hyperbuoyant and excess pressure can be relieved by depressurizing or repressurizing.”

Anglers should be able to determine if a fish needs to be vented or as some anglers refer to it as fizzing.  It commonly identify as fizzing because if done correctly, bubbles can be seen coming from one end of the needle while the other punctures the air bladder.  There are certain signs anglers can look for to determining if a fish needs to be vented or fizzed.  A fish’s stomach may be sticking out of its mouth that looks like a large pink tongue coming out of its mouth.  This condition is referred to as an everted stomach.  An angler should never push or puncture the stomach back into the fish; doing either one of those commonly result in death.  Another indication is protruding intestines coming out from the fish’s anus.  Again, do not try to push protruding intestines back into the fish.  Bulging eyes is another sign that the fish maybe in a state of being hyperbuoyant.  One more clue is bloating.

Dr. Hal Schramm recommends that you follow three rules to venting or fizzing and release fish unharmed.

1.  Insert the needle into the right place.  Insert the needle through the side of the fish half way down the fish’s flank and on an imaginary line between the notch between the spiny and soft dorsal fins and the vent.

2.  Fizz the fish under the water so you can see bubbles coming out of the plastic end of the needle when it punctures the over-inflated swim bladder.

3.  Although commonly practiced, Dr. Schramm does not recommend moving a fish back and forth in the water to revive it before releasing.  The gills are designed for one-way flow of water from the mouth towards the tail and forcing water backwards over the gills could potentially damage them.  Instead, Dr. Schramm recommends leading the fish around in a head-first, figure 8 pattern before releasing.

Education is the key to fizzing a fish correctly.  Anglers should practice on correctly inserting and locating where the needle should be inserted.  When fizzing is done properly, scientific studies have shown it does not cause injure to the fish.  Being good stewards of our environment means anglers have the knowledge on how to fizz correctly so released fish can survive for years to come for future anglers to enjoy.

A special thanks goes out to Dr. Hal Schramm for his input into this article. Dr. Hal Schramm is leader of the U.S. GeologicalSurvey Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at Mississippi State University. Dr. Schramm also writes a column called Research Update for North American Fisherman Magazine's; in addition to hosting the segment Doc Talk where he explores the biological aspects of fishing. This popular segment is also part of North American Fisherman's television show and on Versus website. During the spring you will find Dr. Schramm's Bass Spawn Report with updates on the progress of the bass spawn throughout the country.