How to Revive Striped Bass

November 13, 2008

Question: While fishing the Sacramento deep water channel last winter we caught a number of large stripers but were unable to revive and release them, even after working to revive them for extended periods of time. Water temperatures were cold and there was no current so the oxygen level was probably low. Do you have any suggestions on how to revive these fish? (D. Bell, Sacramento)

Answer: According to Environmental Scientist Heather McIntire, dissolved oxygen levels in cold water are actually higher than oxygen levels in warm water. So, oxygen was not likely the issue.

In talking with other biologists who are also avid anglers, the consensus is that stripers do not tend to recover well from stress after such a hard fight or when confined in live wells. In addition, environmental factors such as food availability (which may be limited in winter) or pollutants could weaken their ability to respond to stressors.

Despite your valiant efforts to revive the striped bass, the fish you caught last winter appear to have been too physiologically stressed to be able to recover.

I had floaters at san liis resivoir when jjq an i went. Luckily he had a 4oz weight that got the only non legal one decended. Pulled from 70 fow

A descender is great for resolving swimbladder issues on deep caught fish, but I have also heard from other experienced striped bass fisherman that striped bass sometimes die after a fight as described here. I haven't caught enough striped bass to know