Venting / Fizzing

A venting/fizzing tool is a tool that helps you release trapped gasses from a fish's over-expanded swim bladder. Many venting/fizzing tools are available today, they are similar to a 16 gauge syringe with the plunger removed. It is an important tool that you will want to add to your tacklebox.

Many marine and freshwater fish have a gas-filled organ, called a swim bladder, that controls buoyancy and allows a fish to maintain its depth in the water column. When a fish is brought quickly to the surface from the depths, usually greater than 60 feet, the change in pressure can cause the gas in the swim bladder to expand. An over-expanded swim bladder can rupture causing gasses to escape and continue to expand in the fish's body cavity. When a fish is in this condition, known as hyperbuoyancy or barotrauma, it may not be able to swim upright or properly submerge. Look for the following symptoms when you reel a fish in from deep water.

* A bloated belly
* Bulging eyes
* Stomach protruding from the the mouth
* Intestines protruding from the anus

If a fish exhibits any of these symptoms, the fish is probably in a hyperbuoyant condition and needs to be vented/fizzed. This condition can usually be confirmed if the fish cannot right itself when it tries to swim.

To vent/fizz a fish execute the following procedures:

* Moisten your hands
* Place the fish on a flat surface and hold in place gently but firmly
* Insert the venting tool at a 45° angle under a scale in an area about 1 to 2 inches behind the base of the pectoral fin
* Insert the venting/fizzing tool into the skin just deep enough to release the trapped gas (you'll hear the gas escape or "fizz" out of the tool)
* Remove the venting tool and release the fish with the head at a downward angle (the first kick from the tail fin will propel the fish downward)
* Clean your venting/fizzing tool

A venting/fizzing tool should not be used if a fish appears normal, not bloated, and appears able to swim down to habitat depth on its own. A fish that is reeled in from the depths may not exhibit any symptoms immediately but may after being placed in a a livewell. As Randy Myers, a fisheries biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, notes "it's important to understand that if you catch a fish from 30, 40, 50 feet deep and immediately release it, it usually goes right back down with no problem." He adds that "even after it goes through the struggle of being caught, the fish may have enough energy to swim back down to a depth where neutral buoyancy is regained. But if that same fish is kept in a livewell for several hours with an over-inflated bladder, it becomes exhausted from struggling to stay upright and floats on the surface." Keep an eye on those fish that you place in your livewell, look for signs of hyperbuoyancy, and be prepared, if necessary, to vent/fizz any fish that lists on its side or upside down.

Venting/fizzing is not a complicated procedure. It is, however, worth your while to practice; when you are in four to ten foot swells and you need to vent/fizz a fish, you will thank yourself for taking the time to become familiar with the procedure. Practice will will also enable you to vent/fizz quickly and efficiently. This will help you to keep the fish out of water for a minimal amount of time and increase the fish's chances for survival.

You can practice venting/fizzing on an orange. The skin of an orange has resistance that is similar to a fish's skin. Practice setting your tool at a forty-five degree angle and just puncturing the skin.

The Florida Sea Grant's website provides more information regarding venting/fizzing.

Why venting is important to fish: A fish that exhibits signs of hyperbuoyancy is less likely to swim back to a safe habitat depth. If the fish is released in this condition, the fish may float away and die from exposure to the elements or become an easy target for predators. By releasing the trapped gasses using a venting/fizzing tool prior to releasing a fish, we help to increase the fish's chances for survival.

Add a venting/fizzing tool to your tackle box and take the time to practice using it. When the time comes, you will be able to vent/fizz and release a fish who will survive to fight another day.