Lake Martin Fishing: Purging Stripers Does Not Work!

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	Name:	Lee Gantt -
	Subject:	Purging Stripers Does Not Work!
	Date:	7/3/2010 10:14:38 AM

After reading the last post, I feel as though I need to inform you that purging striped bass is not a successful catch and release tactic on Lake Martin during the summer months. Last year Auburn University tried to do a delayed mortality study during the summer to see how many stripers died after being caught and released during the summer. The results were 100%. Purging a fish like a red snapper works fine in the Gulf of Mexico when you are bringing them up from 100 ft deep but it is not the air bladder that is keeping the stripers from going down or even living, it is the lactic acid build up that increases the longer you fight the fish, the longer the fish is above the thermocline and the longer you keep the fish out of the water. Let me stress again that there is no such thing as catch and release once the surface temp rises above the low 80's. This is why many guides stop at their limit this time of year to keep from killing a bunch of unnecessary fish. It should also be observed that using a knife to put a hole in the fish instead of the conventional purge tool with the needle opens the fish to infection as well as a much bigger hole that is more likely to cause more harm than help to the fish. Bottom line...be responsible and stop at your limit during the summer to prevent killing fish as catch and release has been shown to not be successful this time of year.