Found this on the Bass website thought it was a good time to share it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/columns/story?page=b_col_bt_1106_f...

I want to try the "through the mouth" method.  It sucks to try to fizz a fish and see blood come out instead of air, cause that means you probably just killed the fish.

Anyone tried this thru the mouth?  Is it really easy?

Stu

Good luck on the mouth technique. You don't even see the bladder thru the mouth of a smallie. I had over 10 fish that I fizzed last weekend and yes I missed the bladder a couple of times and my fish still lived. It takes some practice but you must do it in order to save your catch and be able to catch them at your next tourney.

All of our fish came out of 25 feet or better and had to be fizzed. Just make sure that you check your fish in the livewell so that they do not become floaters.

Russ

Thane was at the Auburn sports bass class he said no problem fizzing fish this way for him. Next meeting or fish in Thane might want to clue us in on this.  As for the skeptics I wonder why BASS with all its PROs input keeps turning out info that you seem to think is wrong.  Not bashing just asking I have never fizzed a fish so I cant say much.

I have fizzed fish both ways and learned from a biologist about 5 years ago at a tournament how to fizz fish through the mouth. Once you know the spot it takes no time at all.

As for hurting the fish I do a lot of deep water winter fishing and I have not had a fish die from fizzing through the mouth that I know of.

Fizzing through the mouth takes less time and you don’t have to take any of the slime off of the fish by laying it on the floor of your boat this is the main reason the biologist did it through the mouth and the margin of error is less beacuse you are in a smaller area trying to find the bladder.

If anyone wants to learn how to do this at the frostbite I would be more than willing to show you.


Thayne Hatch

WCCT,

It sounds as though you and your partner were doing the Hokey Pokey!!

Russ

I too would love to find out how to fizz thru the mouth so I don't end up doing the Hokey Pokey. Yes I missed several attempts and had some slight bleeding issues with my fish. I hate missing the bladder since it is not an exact science unless your an emt like Larry is who could find it in a heart beat.

Sure I have looked at pictures of where to probe but those aren't always accurate.

Let the class begin.

Russ

Is there any difference in needle placement, for either technique, between Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass?