Fish care at the derby

Caring for and reviving the fish caught during the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship–which had been taken from live wells, weighed, displayed to audience, held in tanks, and then measured and aged before taking them back to Rainy Lake–requires much effort and a great number of volunteers.
According to Leo Korosec of the Fort Frances Sportsmen’s Club, and organizer of the fish care area, 12-15 members were needed each day of the derby.
Whether or not the fish survive depends mainly upon how they are handled from the time they are caught to the time they reach the holding tanks in the fish care area.
Korosec described the process of taking care of them before they are released.
Once the boats arrive at the dock, the bass are carried in plastic bags of water by the anglers to the trough, where they are put into baskets and immersed in the water.
The water in the troughs is kept at a fairly constant temperature (68-70 F), which is slightly lower than the lake temperature. A sportsmen’s club volunteer frequently inserts a thermometer into the water.
If it is warming up, ice is added.
The fish are held here until the competitors are called up for the weigh-in.
At this time, the part of the lake from which the bass originated is determined (i.e., where were they caught–North Arm, South Arm, or Red Gut Bay).
After weigh-in, the baskets of fish are taken to the holding tanks which were on the east end of the big tent. Subsequently, a flurry of activity occurs because speed is essential in dealing with the fish.
Someone monitors the water in the holding tank to ensure the aerators are working and pumping water through the rock to produce millions of tiny bubbles. These bubbles produce a good source of oxygen, which helps revive a weakened fish.
Next, each bass is taken to MNR biologist Darryl McLeod, who measures and weighs it and removes a piece of dorsal fin to determine its age.
After this, the fish are carried in plastic bags to the transport tanks on half-tons and boats. There are two sizes of transport tanks–one holds 60 fish while the other holds 120.
Water in the transport tanks is oxygenated. It also contains salt (sodium chloride) to reduce stress, malachite green (as in aquariums), a chemical to kill bacteria and fungus, and a chemical to neutralize the chlorine.
Each day, four truckloads and two boatloads of bass are taken to appropriate areas of the lake (North Arm, South Arm, and Red Gut Bay).
Afterwards, the tanks are drained and cleaned–ready to start all over again.