Water Dogs update on the yellow gold

[Water Dog]

Fishing SE of G can at the honey hole (area), shiner golden mix, 3 hours max, have been getting 12 - 14 yellow gold, nice size and enough to start a fill on the freezer. I have caught many young yellow gold, most make it back to the drink but for some reason the stress of the process makes them sea gull food, (my late father always said they have to eat too) I have noticed that lately I have been in the white perch hot hole too. Catch 4 white perch then a keeper yellow gold. An old timer told me if that happens move to deeper water. Any one have some tips on this? Short legs keep me here, but I am doing good as far as getting the freeze stocked.
Gut pile says they are eating GOBIES!

Be Safe and put the life jacket on,
~Water Dog

[West Basin]

Saturday, August 09.
8am - 12:30pm.
South of Rattlesnake, on the north side of the pack.
7 nice size perch. Slow. 4 dinks and a few sheepshead. Perch spreaders and crappie rigs on the bottom, golden and shiner minnows.

One thing you can do to help the dinks (little perch, the 4-5" ones) survive is don't squeeze them hard, or at all. Handle them very gently. Don't put pressure on their heads or gill area, the front third of their body. It's not hard to damage their gills or throat area, which then makes it hard for them to swim back to the bottom. They just float, and the gulls get them pretty quick. And of course remove the hook as fast as possible, without harming them, or the least possible, and get them back in the water ASAP. Also helps to have them enter the water head first. That way their first instinctive tail thrust pushes them down into the water.

Remember, when you bring these fish up from the bottom in 25-30 foot of depth, even 20, the pressure difference is a lot less. Their entire insides, and swim bladder, expand. The longer they are at the surface, the more damage can be done. Which is why for fish that are kept on the boat for awhile, usually to get a stubborn hook out, often don't immediately swim down into the water. Their balance is all messed up, and it's hard for them to get their bodies pointed down and then swim that way.