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Livewell
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that water to stay cool all day long.” Wendlandt also uses bags of ice to keep the water about 65 degrees. Generally he keeps five or six bags of ice in an extra storage compartment on his boat. He adds half-bags of ice into his livewell every hour or so, depending on how high the water temperature is. Mixed blessing But, by the addition of ice, chemicals such as chlorine can enter into the water system, which can be equally as dangerous as not cooling the water. That is why the use of chemicals to improve oxygen levels and eliminate harmful toxins is fairly common among most professional anglers. Rejuvenade allows for the replenishment of resources and counteracts any chemicals that may have come from the ice. A capful of the powder can revitalize a 20gallon livewell for several hours. Well-oxygenated water has 8 to 12 parts per million of oxygen. When a livewell’s oxygen level dips below 6.5 ppm, a bass will begin to suffocate. Lower levels can cause what Bill Taylor, the director of tournament operations for FLW outdoors, calls delayed mortality. “Anglers need to be aware that in hot weather conditions the fish are more susceptible to a delayed mortality,” Taylor said. “If you don’t have proper care from the first catch it can be serious towards the end of the day.” The more fish that are in a contained system, the higher the demand will be for oxygen. This is especially taxing on an oxygen supply when many fish weighing several pounds each are present. Other technology that anglers use in their boats is the use of onboard aerators and oxygenators. These filter water, working more oxygen into a livewell system, giving the fish a more realistic lake environment. The drawback to this technology is that it is not standard on many fishing boats and cost an angler upwards of $100. Taylor does agree that although the initial cost may be more to equip a boat with advanced water systems, it can mean placing higher in tournaments. “It (aeration systems) should impact their purchase decision,” Taylor said. “If I was going to be a tournament angler I wouldn’t want to lose money or weight due to expired fish.” Part of the role that Taylor plays in oversee-
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Living longer ■ Avoid deep-hooking bass while fishing; focus on clean removal of hook from the fish. ■ Avoid touching or slamming bass onto the hot carpet deck of the boat; this will remove their slimecoat. ■ Measure or weigh the bass as quickly as possible and place it into the livewell immediately. Do not keep fish from water for extended periods of time. ■ If photographing fish, hold at lip while supporting the body of the fish. Holding only the lip can break the jaw, which will lead to feeding issues later. ■ Fill livewells early in the day during cooler temperatures. Do this in areas of lake the where the oxygen level in water is high. ■ Use bags of ice to keep livewell water cool throughout the day. Add slowly over time so as not to shock the fish with cold water. ■ Run aerators and recirculate water constantly throughout day. Avoid leaving on timed aeration. ■ Flush water from livewells every few hours, and replace with clean water from main parts of the lake. Flushing removes waste or chemical accumulation that may harm fish. ■ Chemicals can help revitalize fish and eliminate the adverse effects of ice-borne chemicals. ■ At weigh-in, quickly transfer fish from livewell to holding area, minding the time that the fish are out of the water.
ing FLW tournaments is in the regulations that tournament directors have for fish care. He works with many tournament directors to ensure anglers have the proper knowledge and skills to keep the caught fish alive. Taylor said that most tournaments have geographical restrictions on them to reduce the stressful factors that warm-weather areas present during tournament dates. The cut-off for most tournaments south of the Ohio River, he said, is generally by July 1. He said that tournament directors focus heavily on providing resources for the anglers. At a recent tournament at Lake Guntersville in Alabama, they provided anglers with a bottle of Rejuvenade and bags of ice at the boat ramp. “They are all about trying to keep the resource alive and not hurt the fish,” Wendlandt said.
July 9, 2010
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