There has been some discussion recently that always seems to be a topic of interest and debate every few months concerning livewell additives. The argument stems from which is better and what is in them. Some people in discussion have made claims that haven't been "backed up" with any type scientific review, and therefore the credit worthiness of the substance is called into question. In general, I think any proper use of a publicly available treatment is probably better than no treatment at all. I'm not sure arguing "which is better" really gets us anywhere, though I think the greater intent is to try and get said company to list their ingredients in some fashion.
But I took the time to dig through some research and came across the peer reviewed article typically alluded to in the arguments. You can read the abstract here: "Survival of Caught and Released Largemouth Bass after Containment in Livewells". Reading through the full paper later mentions the use of a "commercially available water conditioner" that was used in this testing. Based on the date of publication I would guess that this was the old "Catch and Release" formula. Not sure of all the business doings, but I believe at one time that Jungle Labs owned this product. They are still in business, especially in the commercial arena with aquarium trade-type products. However, at present it appears that Sure-Life Labs is now the owner of said conditioner, along with the product "Please Release Me". The other product always brought up in debate is Rejuvenade from Bassmedics.
The research paper goes on to list a set of ingredients used to varying degrees in the commercial conditioner tested. I've listed them here along with some follow-up comments as pertains to their typical usage:
- Sodium chloride: Used as an osmotic regulator at the cellular level. It has also been used to disinfect wounds.
- Potassium chloride: A white crystal or crystalline powder used as an electrolyte replenisher, in the treatment of hypokalaemia, in buffer solutions, and in fertilisers and explosives.
- Sodium thiosulfate: To dechlorinate tap water for aquariums or treat effluent from waste water treatments prior to release into rivers. The reduction reaction is analogous to the iodine reduction reaction. Treatment of tap water requires between 0.1 grams and 0.3 grams of pentahydrated (crystalline) sodium thiosulfate per 10 liters of water.
- Pyrogenic silica: Is widely used as a filler and thixotropic agent. Its behavior is caused by the fractal structure of the secondary aggregates that exist after good dispersion in liquid media.
- Dimethyl ketone alphamethylquinoline: The best known tranquilizer. The easiest to obtain is "Hypno" fish calmer by Jungle. It is 3.5 percent dimethyl ketone alphamethyl quinoline acetone and carmosine red, in aqueous solution. When the fish reach their destination they are relaxed and once put into their new tank become very active and in good shape. Tranquilizing fish helps!
- Methylene blue: Methylene blue is used in aquaculture and by tropical fish hobbyists as a treatment for fungal infections. It can also be effective in treating fish infected with ich, the parasitic protozoa Ichthyophthirius multifiliis.
- Nitromersol: The anhydride of 4-nitro-3-hydroxymercuriorthocresol; a synthetic organic mercurial compound, used as an antiseptic for skin and mucous membranes.
- Ethylene diamine tetra acetate: A chemical that is used to remove all traces of magnesium and calcium ions from a solution because it binds tightly to them, in order to control unwanted side reactions with these metals during a laboratory process.
- Triethylene glycol: C6H14O4; 2,2'-Ethylenedioxybis(ethanol);used in the vapor state as an air-sterilizing agent; toxic to bacteria, fungi, and viruses in very low concentrations in air; variations in the humidity of the air limit the germicidal effectiveness.
- Acriflavine: a topical antiseptic; used as treatment for external fungal infections of aquarium fish.
You don't hear a whole lot about barbless hooks in the bass fishing world, but the evidence keeps piling up showing no significant difference when it comes to mortality caused by barbed vs. barbless hooks in nearly all scenarios tested. In fact, I've only found 1 study suggesting that barbless hooks lead to lower mortality rates. 
Another even grander idea though is to get you to think about all the components that go into setting the hook and landing a fish. One of the biggest complaints you hear from people on message boards is losing fish. Everyone likes to talk about line size and rod action and try and solve the dilemma. Some even suggest changing hook brands. In reality though, there is no one single answer to this problem. But part of figuring out an answer for your particular setups has to do with analyzing many of these attributes and how they affect the overall process of hooksetting. For example, thinner wire hooks are more likely to flex on a hookset and thereby not generate as much direct pressure at the point, yet that thin diameter can mean less pressure to puncture. The same can be said for different styles of hooks, with varying eye bends or hook configurations (sproat, widebend, EWG, etc.). Change any of these and you change the physical principals. Wide gaps versus small gaps, big barbs versus little or no barbs all come into play when putting together a system and trying to be as efficient as possible when it comes to landing your fish.
"These fish were right next to where the shad were migrating into the creek, but they were in deeper water. It kind of surprised me that the shad weren't migrating in the deepest water. You can also see that these fish are right above the thermocline. 
A Perpetual and Universal Fish Report
Trips: 83 Hours: 222.0 Bass: 898 No. > 5#: 1
Here is a piece I came across several years ago and saved. It seems appropriate since I just got my butt kicked by the fish out on the water today (I scrounged 2 dinks in 3 hours). It came from the gentleman who used to run a little bait shop (Castaic One Stop?) by Lake Castaic in California during the big bass boom out west.
"Fish are always catchable somewhere on the lake and not catchable somewhere on the lake. Phrases such as “the fishing rocks” or “the fishing sucks” imply that the speaker is some sort of prophet or at least a fortuneteller. Fish do what they want, when they want. They will bite out of hunger, fear, aggravation, or just because. Fish move sometimes and fish are still sometimes. Fish are caught with hand lines and with 400 dollar G-Loomis rods. They are caught from boats, rafts, tubes or standing on the shore. They are caught on plastic worms and live worms. They are caught on almost ever color imaginable in every type of weather, 365 days a year, at any hour of the day. From the tiniest dab of pink powerbait to monstrous trout imitations... they all have and will continue to catch bass.
The point is this:
The single most important factor to catching larger fish and higher numbers of fish is time on the water. Everything else is of limited, secondary, and minor importance, or is simply a case of marketing. Fishing is big business. Most fishing tips are massive generalities, regardless of what lure manufacturers, heavily sponsored patch covered pros, or bait shop guys might say. A single passing cloud, the smallest of temperature variations, minute barometric flux, current shift, and yes, even the whim of the fish itself, can turn the fishing from bad to good or vice-versa.
Time on the water.
Somebody else’s bad day could be your best day ever. Experiment. Trust your instincts. Be patient. Fish within your budget, and remember that you can't get 'em if you're not there. To most truly great fishermen, fish reports are little more than entertainment. They are going to fish regardless. Confidence and steadfastness is what makes them grow as fishermen. Become more versatile, experiment, and ultimately, it means that you will catch far more quality fish than the guy who decided to stay home because somebody told him that fishing was tough, or he's afraid the wind is gonna blow or the moon isn’t right.
Time on the water.
I think many fisherman have forgotten that fishing is a sport, and like all sports, excellence comes at a price -- one major price great fisherman pay is giving up an extraordinary amount of their time, which is one of the reasons why I myself will never be a great fisherman. Why do I write all this? Although I have enjoyed writing the fish reports these last three years, I have begun to loathe the question, "Howz da fishin!" I cringe because the question is absolutely unanswerable. Anything I could say about the fishing at any given moment could be completely false the next. Fishing really is a personal experience and the goodness and/or badness of the experience depends only on you, your personal skills, the fish, and his personal skills. '-) I understand why some publications simply list that Joe Shmoe caught a 10 pounder in their fish reports... it was something that I wanted to stay away from, but I have found this type of report almost inevitable. Why tell the angler about the 5 guys who said it was the worst day of fishing in their life when you can tell him about the guy who caught a 10 pounder on a waterdog! You want to try and boost their confidence, right? So many times in the back of my mind, as I am doing my best to describe the fishing at Castaic, I am thinking to myself... "Just go fish man. If you want to fish, then just grab your pole, drive up here and GO FISH. It doesn't matter if Jimmy and Johnny and Steve caught anything or not this morning, because it's not this morning anymore!" Have I simply grown cynical you may ask? Am I just burned out on the question? Perhaps. But I am still the kind of fisherman who, after a whole day of not even a bite, can still say "I had a great day!" because I got my time on the water."
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