Yeah, not too sure behind the science of it all. But anytime I'm tournament fishing 20+ feet of water, I'm fizzing the fish. Usually you can tell when you put them in the livewell and they rest on their side.

I don’t have a livewell. I catch, maybe take a picture if it’s a nice one, and release it.

Never had to do either in 30+ years of fishing. Bass come up to strike topwaters from 30-40’. They have no problem swimming back down. I’ve never had a fish struggle to go back down in 10-20’ of water due to swim bladder issues. Fizzing opens the fish to bacterial and fungal infection and clipping weights to it hinders it’s movements. Seems unnecessary in the vast majority of cases. Not to say fizzing isn’t helpful for 50’+ feet or whatever. But not 10-15’.

For those that have made your own fin clips, could you post the materials you used?

Fizzing , put in livewell first and watch .

Yet another benefit of having the VT-2 vent system installed!!

a pack of these:
https://www.amazon.com/iExcell-Alli...ator+clips&qid=1597425216&sr=8-8

At first I was using big egg sinkers and drilling holes in them and using superglue or epoxy to keep it attached but then I just started using smaller lead weights 1/2 oz and up and just stuck the angled end into the hole on the gator clip with some superglue then dipped them in plastidip to help hold the whole thing together and make it look nice.

That's because you were using a pink fairy wand with 6# test so it took you 10 minutes to land the fish.

My fish are so small they dont even have bladders!

Exactly! Of course, a 15.75" fish is small but you've won a carp load of money out there on those fish. Remember you are the under specialist.

If a fish has the energy to swim deep they will be fine. The issue is when they stress themselves out after trying to stay upright for hours in a livewell.

when you release a fresh deep caught fish the bladder can self regulate (think fish farts) because you have water pressure helping as they go deeper.

drop in a 12" deep livewell and their is nothing to help the air escape easily so it takes them a while to compensate. leaving them in this state will mess up insides if left on their side or upside down.

how it was "splained" to me a long time ago on a lake far far away.

I use weights, no needles, ever read about an alien abduction? well, that is what that poor fish is thinkin too, I don't want them seeking revenge when the mothership comes back.

I have fizzed 100 fish outta Fork. Go to Tractor Supply and buy the needles for horse & cow shots. They're about 99 cents each. I keep several in my tacklebox.

"To Fizz or not to Fizz, this is the question"
Y'alls feedback has been great and the debate goes on!
Lots of risk in fizzing.... one slip and I can see alot of problems primarily for the fish...especially the Small Mouth Bass who's blatter is much smaller....
Researching/studying in progress: for now I will clip when necessary and in dire straits consider Fizzing [img]http://[/img]

*Knowledge is priceless*
Trump 2020
Fish ON

Just watched Justin Lucas on FLW Live fizz a Smallmouth he caught on Lake Erie this past tournament in crazy, rough water. They usually don't show this on TV. It's very interesting to see especially because I've been fixated on this technique.
Experience, skill & time on the water....
Fish on!!