Summer Live-well Tips

With summertime temperatures well above the century mark in the daytime and ever so close at night, anglers need to take a little extra care to keep their catch alive. Tournament anglers generally practice catch and release in the name of conservation, not to mention that dead fish deduction, while the angler with harvest on the mind does not want his catch to spoil before the trip is through. A few simple measures must be taken in order to successfully care for your fish, regardless of the reason you put them in the well.

First of all you need to be sure your live-wells are clean and in working order before even leaving the house. A good way to accomplish both is to rinse a little biodegradable solution, such as Simple Green, through your system before hitting the lake. Next make sure you pack plenty of ice. No matter how good your live-well is, a periodic chunk of ice will help matters. A friend of mine I fished with all last summer likes to freeze several plastic containers in the pint to quart size, prior to going fishing. These work well since they are solid. Bagged ice will melt way too fast, but is still better than nothing. There are two things to remember when adding ice though. Do not add too much or put it in too soon. You can put your catch into shock if you do. Ideally your well water should be ten degrees cooler than the lakes water temperature. Another key item to have on the boat is a bottle of Sure Life-Please Release Me. This stuff is good to use year around. A cap full in the live-well helps calm the fish along with increasing the oxygen level in the well water. This item can be found at just about any of your tackle dealers, and if they don’t have it, they need to get it. The next step is to make sure that the aerators are coming on periodically. Most bass boats have a three position switch that will re-circulate the water in the well while aerating it on the "recirc’ position and replace the old water with new, along with aerating, on "auto". The third position is off. In the auto or recirc. position the live-wells are controlled by a pre-set timer. You will still want to listen for them to insure they are working. People who do not have this type of well will need to manually pull the plug, re-fill, and run the aerator often. It is also a good idea to take the time to visually check the condition of your fish, at least hourly. Finally, an item you should carry on board is a needle. Fishermen are often fishing in water deeper than 20’ in the summertime and pulling fish from deeper water can blow up their air bladder. If you do not properly release excess air, your fish will die. You can usually tell that the fish needs the needle by the obvious bloated look. If you miss that, you will find him floating in the well fighting for life. Again, your tackle dealers should carry this item and the instructions for the proper use of the needle come on the package and is simple to do.

All in all, these tips will only aid you in your fish care, not only in the summer, but year around. Repay the thrill that fish gave you by taking top care of her while in your possession so somebody else can experience it again someday. And if you plan to harvest your catch, these tips will ensure you don’t spoil or waste the fish. Take Care and Good Fishin’, KIP POLLAY (AZOD)