How to properly deflate a crappie?

[Travman]

A few buddies and I took a trip to CJ Strike reservoir in southern Idaho about a month ago and really put the hurt on the crappies, but we ended up having to keep several that were in the smallish range because when we tried to release them they would swim off but float up after a few seconds. I assume this is because we were pulling them from water up to about 45 feet deep. Their bladders weren't coming out of their mouths or anything but they definitely weren't gonna make it. Anybody got a good solution?

[OregonBassTeam]

Take a needle and stick it in the mouth of the fish right behind the crushers and put some pressure on the belly of the fish, you should hear air come out the fishes mouth....something I do several times a year to largemouth should work on the crappie aswell...

[Crappie Chaser]

Hold the fish by the tail 4 or 5 feet off the water and drop it straight down so it hits mouth first. It may take a few drops but it will spit out some bubbles when the swim bladder is pushed back and take off. It will be able to go back down but I think the hemmoraging that goes along with the pressure change kills the fish anyway.

[bassdad54]

Hey OregonBassTeam
Are you near the Albany area?I would like to talk to you about coming to our Bass club(Mid Valley Bass) and do a presentation on deflate a fish/If interested you can email me at bassdad54@midvalleybass.org

[oface]

I find the swim bladder much more accessible after the fillets are removed.

[fishonjon]

I find the swim bladder much more accessible after the fillets are removed.

Deep fried! ha ha ha thats funny. Sorry I've never heard of this before.

[bsteves]

There is a tool called an SFD (Sheldon Fish Descender) used for descending rockfish out in the ocean and I don't see why it wouldn't work for crappie suffering from barotrauma as well.

I'd post a link to the actual product, but I like many IFisher's, live in fear of the mighty AUP.