Pineview 2/22

[Paddler]

Biggest were just over 10".  Is there a way to get those fish back down without killing them?  I tried a couple times, but they'd just lay there in the hole.  The swim bladder thing seems to do them in quick, so i wasn't able ro release the smaller ones.

You can try making up some "descenders"...or as I call them "perch savers".  Keep one rod rigged with one of these weighted goodies on it and whenever you get one too small just poke the wire through the lower lip, let the weight pull the fish back down to depth and then give a lift on the rod to pull it free.  There is likely still some mortality, because crappies suffer eye damage as well as a distended bladder.  But even being able to save a few is better than wasting them.

     

Fish descenders are big in ocean fishing.  It's mandatory to have a descender rigged and ready on your boat if you're fishing for rockfish.  You can make one yourself, but I made a donation to OCEANS and got mine plus ID cards.  Google Shelton fish descender.  Overkill for crappie, but it will work just fine.