Don't over crowd fish in holding or hauling container.
Transport fish when air and water temps are cool 52-65F.
Never handle fish with dry hands.
Minimally handle each fish as much as possible.
Do not keep any fish that touches the ground.
Don't keep any fish that is not lip hooked or only those if minimally or lightly hooked inside mouth.
Don't keep fish too long (over 2 hrs) in containers prior to hauling. Make sure you or someone performs regular water changes on fish in containers depending on how many fish are in each holding container. A live box is helpful for holding higher numbers of fish or holding fish for longer periods if catching is really slow.
Rarely do I use any chemical additives on fish that I haul short distances - 20-30 min.
If hauling longer than 20-30 min it is a good idea to have very good aeration. Don't crowd fish in hauling container even with aeration. Stress can cause latent problems with fish adjusting to cages.
Add worm pieces 1/4"-1/2" the next day after fish have been caged. You want vitality - stamina (primarily slime coat) to stay high right away after being placed in a cage and while adjusting to cage life or containment.
In my opinion it is better to make two or several trips to gather fish compared to one trip where fish are crowded in hauling.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 02/18/09 07:45 PM.
