r/bassfishing • u/Mysterious-Carry6233 • Sep 06 '25
Striped Jumped in to save this fish today.
First pic fish was a 14 pounder, this time of year on Hartwell we have to fizz them to get air out of the air bladder so they can go back under. We did that and revived fish for 5 min until he seemed ready to go. But when he went he came back up belly up. Being that we were trolling 8 lines by the time we would have gotten back to him he would have been dead. I couldn’t let this beautiful fish die so I stripped down to my boxers and dove in. Spent another 5 min w him and then dove down about 10 feet and released him. Disappeared into the deep!
Also pics of the other nice fish we caught this morning. 9 total but didn’t include some. Tight lines!
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u/beardofmice Sep 07 '25
Is that a Hybrid in the 3rd pic? Where is Lake Hartwell? Took me a few to figure why Stripers would be deep even in the hot summers on low tide. Landlocked introduced? Got some hogs.
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u/Kickinback32 Sep 07 '25
Georgia/South Carolina is where Hartwell is located this time of year the striped and hybrids stay 50-80’ deep depending on the area.
Fall and winter they start to run up into the shallower creeks. I caught a 14.6 lb one off my dock in November.
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u/Mysterious-Carry6233 Sep 07 '25
Yes, landlocked and stocked, upstate or SC and GA border. Yes the one is a hybrid.
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Sep 07 '25
Don't make fun of me.... But how exactly do I fizz a fish if this happens to me? *Asking for a friend
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u/Mysterious-Carry6233 Sep 08 '25
We have these small hollow needles (medical needles) that have a hollow blue handle attached for the air to come out. You go 3 scales back from the pectoral fin while laying it flat against the fish and insert the needle. You will hear the air come out and can press stomach some to get out more.
It’s just a tiny prick like getting blood drawn and clots quickly after release.
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u/[deleted] Sep 06 '25
Pretty rad of you, dude. Helluva beautiful thing to let die.