To fizz a bass, you release the expanded gas trapped in its swim bladder with a sterile needle placed through the side of the fish, just behind the pectoral fin, so it can swim back down on its own. You only do it when a fish shows barotrauma, meaning it floats, rolls over or can’t stay under after coming up from deep water. Done quickly and cleanly, it takes 10 to 15 seconds according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Here is how to know when, where and how, and what tournament anglers should have in the boat.
TL;DR
- Fizz only a bass that can’t stay upright or submerge. Depth alone is not the trigger.
- Go in through the side, not the mouth. Texas biologists found side fizzing saved more fish than mouth fizzing.
- Arkansas’s protocol uses a sharp, sterile 16-gauge, 1.5-inch needle, about three scales behind the tip of the pectoral fin.
- Keep it short: 10 to 15 seconds total, then watch the fish swim away.
- Practice before tournament day and read your event rules, because fizz-kit requirements vary.
Table of Contents
- What barotrauma is and why bass need help
- When to fizz a bass (and when not to)
- Gear: what goes in a fizz kit
- How to fizz a bass, step by step
- Fizzing in tournaments
- Our perspective: fish care is part of getting better
- Keep learning with Bass Angler Magazine
- FAQ
- Sources
What barotrauma is and why bass need help
A bass has a swim bladder, a gas-filled organ that lets it hang at a chosen depth without burning energy. When you reel a fish up from deep water, the pressure around it drops fast and the gas in that bladder expands. TPWD fisheries biologist Randy Myers explained in a Texas Parks and Wildlife release that a fish released right away often has enough energy to swim back down. The trouble comes when a fish has spent time on the surface or in a livewell and can no longer push down against the expanded bladder.
That is why tournament fish are especially at risk. They are caught, held for hours and then brought to a scale. A bass that floats helplessly is stressed, exposed to the air and easy prey. Fizzing gives it a way out.
The Bass Pro Shops tournament guide mentions deep-water catches of around 20 feet or more as a common setting for this problem. It also makes clear that the fish’s behavior, not a depth number, tells you what to do.
When to fizz a bass (and when not to)
The question we hear most is whether every deep fish needs a needle. It doesn’t.
Texas Parks & Wildlife’s catch-and-release guidance treats treatment as the answer to a released fish that can’t swim normally. That framing keeps you from poking holes in fish that are fine.
Fizz when you see:
- A bass that floats at the surface after release and can’t dive.
- A fish that rolls belly-up or tilts and can’t hold itself upright.
- A fish that tries to submerge and bobs back up.
- Bloating that clearly keeps the fish from swimming down, especially after a deep catch.
The AGFC instructions say to fizz when barotrauma symptoms appear, especially when the bass can’t remain upright or submerge after coming from deep water.
Leave the needle in the case when:
- The fish swims off strong the moment you lower it into the water.
- It was caught shallow and shows no signs of trouble.
- You aren’t sure. Hold the fish in the water, support it, and watch for a few seconds first.
A fish that kicks down on its own needs nothing else from you. Needless punctures are a risk of their own.
Gear: what goes in a fizz kit
Keep it simple and keep it in reach, not buried in a rod locker.
- A sharp, hollow needle. The AGFC protocol calls for a 16-gauge, 1.5-inch needle. Some smallmouth guidance, such as In-Fisherman’s, points to an 18-gauge sterilized needle, so gauge advice varies with the fish and the agency. Follow your state’s guidance if it has any.
- Spares. A dull needle can cause a larger tear, according to the Bass Pro Shops guide. Replace needles that have bent or touched the deck.
- Sterilizer. Rubbing alcohol or similar, and a clean cap or case.
- Wet hands or a wet towel. To hold the fish without stripping its slime.
- A quick-reference card. Handy for a new partner or a co-angler.
Purpose-built tools exist that enclose the needle in a spring-loaded body. The Bass Pro Shops author describes using one of these for ease of use. A plain needle works fine if you have practiced.
How to fizz a bass, step by step
This follows the AGFC fish-fizzing instructions. Read it before you trust anyone’s memory of it, including ours.
- Stay low and stay wet. Keep the bass over the water or in it, supported with a wet hand. Minimize air exposure.
- Find the spot. Count three scales back from the tip of the pectoral fin, on the side of the fish.
- Insert at a shallow angle. AGFC says to enter at roughly 30 to 45 degrees, using the sterile needle.
- Raise the angle. Lift to 60 to 90 degrees while the fish is in the water until bubbles escape through the needle.
- Keep it quick. AGFC says the whole process should take 10 to 15 seconds. For bass under 3 pounds, vent for 3 to 5 seconds. For larger bass, 5 to 8 seconds.
- Remove the needle and watch. Hold the fish in the water and see if it can submerge.
- Repeat if needed. If the fish still can’t go down, AGFC says to flip it over and vent more gas as described. If no bubbles come out, check whether the needle is blocked by blowing through it.
The goal is not to empty the bladder. It is to let enough gas out for the fish to dive. The AGFC window is built around getting the bass submerged fast, not around venting until every bubble stops.
Why through the side and not the mouth
Some anglers were taught to press down on the tongue or throat to push gas out of the mouth. Texas biologists tested this. The TPWD release reports that their two-year study found side fizzing led to 14 percent more fish surviving than fizzing through the mouth. That is the reason current agency instructions point you to the side.
Common mistakes
- Using a dull or dirty needle. It tears more and risks infection.
- Going too deep. The needle needs to reach the bladder, not push through the fish. Use the shallow-then-steeper approach above.
- Fizzing at the wrong spot. Count scales from the fin. Don’t guess.
- Taking too long. A fish held out of water while you fumble has two problems.
- Fizzing by habit. Fish that swim down need no needle.
- Never practicing. The Bass Pro Shops guide advises practicing the procedure before competition.
Fizzing in tournaments
This is where the knowledge gets practical. Many events want you ready before the boat leaves the ramp.
The New York Bass Federation rules expect all competitors to possess and know how to use a fizz kit, and they make each angler responsible for fizzing their own fish. Fish brought to the scales may be held in an observation tank for five minutes before weigh-in. Those rules also suggest extra ice in warm-weather events and keeping bass in livewells during culling.
Other organizations write their own rules. Read yours before launch, and check state regulations for the water you are fishing.
A few habits that help on tournament day:
- Put the kit where both anglers and the co-angler can find it.
- Agree before the start who handles a floating fish.
- Treat fish when you see the trouble, not at the scale.
- Keep livewell temperature and oxygen in check so fewer fish need help.
- Tell the weigh-in staff if a fish has been fizzed, if your event asks for it.
If you are new to the game, our guides on preparing for your first bass tournament and the conservation-first weigh-in process show where fish care fits into the day. Our walk-through on how to get started in tournament bass fishing covers the wider picture.
Our perspective: fish care is part of getting better
We built Bass Angler Magazine around one idea: helping anglers become better bass fishermen while growing the sport we all love. Growing the sport means there have to be healthy bass to catch next season and for the next generation of anglers.
Here is how we think about fizzing.
It’s a skill, so practice it. You wouldn’t tie a new knot for the first time with a fish on. Learn the spot, the angle and the timing at home, with the diagram in front of you. Then the first time you do it on the water won’t be the first time you’ve thought about it.
It’s a response, not a ritual. The best anglers we meet don’t fizz everything. They watch the fish, make a call, act fast and let the bass go. That respects the fish and the rules.
Read the room. Event rules differ, and so do state regulations. A good trail tells anglers what is expected before the day starts, and a good angler reads it twice.
Share what you know. When a new co-angler or a kid on the dock sees a bass floating and doesn’t know what to do, you’re the teacher. That is how a sport grows.
When you’re pre-fishing a lake, include a plan for deep fish in your game plan. Our guide to pre-fishing tournament waters is a good place to think about what depths you’ll be working and what that means for the fish you catch.
— Mark
Keep learning with Bass Angler Magazine
If you want more practical, detailed bass content from working anglers, Bass Angler Magazine brings you print and digital articles, product reviews, instructional pieces, tournament coverage, livestreams and podcasts all year. And if you’re ready to put your fish-care skills into a real event, take a look at the BAM Pro-Am Series and read the event information before you register.
FAQ
When should you fizz a bass?
Fizz a bass when it shows barotrauma, meaning it can’t stay upright or can’t submerge after coming from deep water. Agency guidance treats the fish’s behavior as the trigger. If a bass swims down on its own, it doesn’t need a needle.
Can you fizz a bass without a needle?
Videos online show different ways, but the agency instructions we found describe a sharp, sterile hollow needle inserted through the side of the fish. We’d follow the AGFC procedure and carry a proper kit rather than improvise.
Where do you put the needle?
Insert it into the side of the bass about three scales behind the tip of the pectoral fin. AGFC says to start at roughly 30 to 45 degrees and then raise it to 60 to 90 degrees while the fish is in the water, until bubbles escape.
How long does fizzing take?
AGFC says the entire process should take 10 to 15 seconds. Venting itself is about 3 to 5 seconds for bass under 3 pounds and 5 to 8 seconds for larger fish. Then remove the needle and watch whether the fish can submerge.
Is fizzing required in tournaments?
It depends on the event. Some rules, like those of the New York Bass Federation, expect every competitor to carry and know how to use a fizz kit. Always read your tournament’s rules and your state’s regulations before launch.
Sources
- AGFC: Fish Fizzing Instructions, Relieving Barotrauma
- Texas Parks & Wildlife: Catch & Release Tips
- Texas Parks and Wildlife: Video on Fizzing Bass (news release, 2011)
- New York Bass Federation: Tournament Rules
- Bass Pro Shops: Venting/Fizzing Bass for Tournaments
- In-Fisherman: Fizzing Smallmouths