TAKING CARE OF YOUR FISH AFTER THEY ARE CAUGHT

I am a strong believer in "CATCH & RELEASE" of your fish. This does not mean that you cann't take some home for the table but use common sense and limit your take home amount! Releasing larger fish will help to establish a good population of larger fish in the future! Now, having said all of that, there will be times when fish will be kept in a live well for a weight-in during a tournament or until the end of your day! To ensure the health of your fish so they can be released, after you win the big prize, takes some care and planning before you catch a fish.
The first thing to know is the capacity of your live well. This can be determined (if you do not already know) by filling your well with water to full capacity, then using a measuring device, measure the depth of the water in inches, then the width of your live well, then the length of the well. You then want to convert the inch measurement to feet by dividing each measurment by 12. when you have the three measurements converted, multiply them together then multiply this number by the constant of 7.5, this will equal the capacity in gallons of your live well.
There are additives for the live wells to help protect the fish. Three of which are produced by SURE LIFE LABORATORIES. These are "CATCH AND RELEASE", "PLEASE RELEASE ME" and "FORM". More information on these products can be found by going to their web site at www.surelife.com and can be purchased through BASS PRO SHOPS.
DOUG HANNON, A.K.A. "THE BASS PROFESSOR", recommends using HYDROGEN PEROXIDE to increase the oxygen content of the water in the well. Hydrogen peroxide has similar chemical make up as water only 1 part more of oxygen then water. You only want to add 1 ounce of hydrogen peroxide to 3 gallons of water again, you must know the capacity of your live well!
The water temperature of the well should never exceed 65 degrees and needs to be checked on a regular basis. You can add ice to bring the temperature down but be aware that most tap water will contain Chloride which will kill the fish! The "CATCH AND RELEASE" product mentioned above will absorb the chloride there by not harming the fish! Another idea is to take water from the source you will be fishing, and freeze it in small plastic water bottles or ice cube trays. This way you will illiminate any chloride from getting into the well! More to follow!