Quote:
Originally posted by Edward P. Eitel:
Soooo, can you veteran HSB growers help us neophyte HSB growers out a little bit on the “fight to the death” concerns of this fish?

Namely;
1. At what surface water temp. do you consider lethal when angling HSB? (81 degrees?)
2. At what water temp. would you expect to loose say 50 %?
3. At what temp. do you consider maximum for near 100% survival? Using proper angling techniques (i.e. Quick catch and proper release, proper hooks, etc.)
4. As you mention, larger fish are much more vulnerable to “fight to the death” syndrome. Are there standards you use for say 3#, 4# fish, etc.?

Thanks,
Ed
Ed, I consider myself a neophyte HSB grower as yourself, but I’ll take a shot at your questions.

We first stocked our first HSB in 09-26-03, but survival rates were low due to predation, and supplemented in the fall of 2005.
http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000199;p=1


We are now catching 3+ lb HSB, presumably from the 2003 class, having lost by long distance release possible larger fish. I have observed one small school of HSB possibly in the 4# class.

ML has been more successful than we have in growing larger fish, reported to be in 5-6# class if I recall correctly, so he should be more qualified to comment.

1. My experience is limited to the lethal temperature HSB, but I successfully revived one last week at 86.3 near surface temperature. I stop fishing for striped bass at 83 degrees, not because I can’t revive them, but because I can’t catch them with flies or lures in shallow to intermediate water. Live bait fishermen catch them in 60 ft of water just barely in oxygenated water at thermocline, but they are dead when they hit the surface.

2. I believe your 81-degree is a good one – unless you intend to resuscitate in aerated live well. I don’t intend to lose 50% - I’ll stop fishing for them same as stripers.

3. I have to rely on my striped bass experience – I would say that 100% survival, with proper landing and release procedures, optimum near surface water temperatures would be between 45 and 80 degrees.

4. Ed, again with striped bass – small stripers up to a couple of pounds can be caught anytime at any depth near shoreline structure and in shallow coves, usually running with white bass, with no concern about survival. Large fish will school in open water in warm water months.

Again I want to emphasize that proper handling has as much to do with survival as water temperature, regardless of the temperature.

Great sport fish – they will out fight a striped bass with the toughness and survivability of a white bass.

Bruce Condello can address these questions better than anyone that I know of – he’s very knowledgeable and has been very helpful to me.

George Glazener
N.E. Texas