A Reminder

[Mainebass1984]

http://www.majorleaguefishing.com/news_details.aspx?id=14223

[Catch and Grease]

"The jaw will Almost always break"??? I don't know if I believe that... You probably shouldn't hold 10lb+ behemoths but how can that hurt a two, three, four or so pounder?

[SPEEDBEAD.]

The vertical hold does not break the jaw provided it remains vertical.

 

Trying to hold it like the bottom pic without supporting the back end can and does injure the jaw.

[a1712]

The vertical hold does not break the jaw provided it remains vertical.

 

Trying to hold it like the bottom pic without supporting the back end can and does injure the jaw.

I don't catch fish big enough that it would matter. Brian.

[Dwight Hottle]

I don't catch fish big enough that it would matter. Brian.

 

 

Sorry for your luck, Brian.

[Mainebass1984]

 I am not sure I agree or disagree. I can see how it could break the jaw of a larger fish.  I do know one thing for sure. The individuals that are responsible for the Texas Parks and Wildlife's share lunker program sure do know a lot about bigger then average bass.

[Steveo-1969]

I don't know if I agree or disagree either.  I'm not a freshwater fisheries biologist.  But if they are purposely being over-dramatic about "almost always breaking the jaw" it's probably a good thing.  Get's people more conscious of how they hold/handle fish.  We've already hooked it in the mouth, gill, gullet, side, back, tail, etc. and had it fight us all the way in.  Time to treat it gently and get it back into the water quickly.

[BassObsessed]

I'm guilty of the one hand hold on DD bass as well. I don't doubt it's not the best way to hold them although I have held 7lb bass locally with one hand and caught the same bass a few more times that year. With the excitement of catching this one below in a neighborhood pond I focused on using two hands to support her.

 

[everythingthatswims]

I don't catch fish big enough that it would matter. Brian.

Your PB weight says otherwise!

[a1712]

Your PB weight says otherwise!

That was July 17, 1988, 11-14 on a black jointed Jitterbug. I think the statute of limitations makes that null and void. Brian.

[Big C]

If that is true than just about every bass ever caught has most likely suffered a broken jaw.

[Smokinal]

Whether it actually breaks anything or not?.?.; either way it's a good reminder to just handle your fish with care; try not to let em flop around on the bottom of your boat, in the bushes etc... I cringe when I see the pics of bass lying in the shrubs, leaves all stuck to them next to a rod.

[OntarioFishingGuy]

I hate watching guys hold fish out of the water while they talk about their rods, baits, etc. PUT THE DANG THING BACK IN THE WATER, IT CAN'T BREATHE AIR!!!

[Mainebass1984]

In an effort to get more information on the subject I contacted the manager of the sharelunker program. He had this to say :

 

"As far as we know, no one has done a scientific study. That would require deliberately sacrificing big fish. Our recommendations are based on what we have seen on big bass over the 29-year history of the ShareLunker program."

 

They are professionals. I am going to listen to what they have to say. It does seem that they were indicating it is only an issue with bigger fish. I personally have caught bass that have had bone infections. They were always larger fish, over 4 lbs. All of these fish, although still feeding, were most likely going to die soon. If my actions can personally have an impact on the survival rate of the bigger bass that I am so lucky to catch I am going to do everything I can to increase there chance of surviving and getting bigger.

[buzzed bait]

i am for once seriously not being a smart*** here, but am asking a somewhat rhetorical question.  if this were true, would it not mean that every fish landed by means of "lipping" it would have been subjected to the jaw breakage?  i'm just saying that i've never landed one with two hands because the other hand is typically on the rod.  granted my "bigger"   fish typically go in the net (also fishing in a kayak). 

just saying that i agree with the premise of managing them better when out of the water, but am also a bit skeptical like some others here of the vertical hold.  the horizontal/45 degree holds are what are painful for me to look at.  the iaconelli type shots of holding it by the jaw to jam the largemouth into the camera lens is ridiculous and is my idea of bad management.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

I agree that everything possible should be done to protect the resources we have available to us. I won't dispute that as it seems like a pretty common sense approach to maintaining the fish we love.

 

I'll still steadfastly hold to the notion that a true vertical hold on green fish does nothing to harm them. Please see the example here:

 

 

 

That's 11lb 1oz of goodness. Why do I post this pic? Because the guy holding it was commissioned to autopsy the most famous US bass ever caught. His name is Steve Pagliughi. He is actually a biologist living in California, sticking GIANT fish on the regular. He will also state that a TRUE vertical hold, as you see in this example, does nothing to harm a fish's jaw.

 

I applaud the message in the OP. Fish care is important. I cringe when I see the "Jimmy Houston hold" pics with the jaw getting jacked and the fish sticking out parrallel to the ground. That is bad.

 

I actually take photos both ways of big fish in an effort to get the best portrayal of a fish's size. I believe keeping fish out of the water too long for pics does much more harm than a true vertical hold. Just my opinion.

 

Good topic for discussion.

[Mainebass1984]

We will never actually know for fact if it does break the jaw or not until, for the sake of science, someone intentionally sacrifices a bunch of big bass.

 

All we have is opinions. One professional opinion against another. Apparently no one has ever studied this. We wont know until some intentionally kills a bunch of big bass.

[Slefler]

I don't care how big or small the bass is I don't hold it horizontally without supporting its body. Why run the risk of killing it?

My biggest thing is watching shows professional or tv personality swinging them around or like a previous poster mentioned talking for 5 minutes on the gear just used to boat the fish. Ike holding em horizontally with zero support to where the viewer can see down the throat of a bass is just stupid. I know what a bass's throat looks like no need to make sure they get it on camera. The frustrating thing is knowing younger generation fishers are watching and just like sports "do what the pros do".

[OntarioFishingGuy]

Another thing. Boat flipping the fish, then slacking the line in midair so the fish falls 5 feet onto the deck, then flops around on the deck while the 'pro' starts yelling like a chimpanzee. Hate it.

[Brnnoser6983]

They say never more than 10° off horizontal with just the jaw. If you do you could injure the fish.

[Glenn]

This is probably the #1 misunderstood "fact" about fish handling.  Too many people are taking this little tidbit too far and taking it to extremes, claiming every fish has a broken jaw and is killed if they're not held horizontally.  That simply isn't true.  Otherwise every single fish that has ever been caught would be dead, unless somebody has figured out a way to horizontally lip a fish out of the water.

 

The fact is, the larger fish, the greater the RISK of injuring their jaw when held at an angle.  It is not a given, nor automatic that their jaw is instantly broken if they're held at an angle.  But there's a potential. And if a fish is under 5lbs, it's not an issue. Simply put, there isn't enough weight on the smaller fish to put any stress on the jaw.  You need leverage to put stress on that jaw.  More weight = more leverage.  And the greater the angle = the greater the leverage.  It's simple physics.

 

While it's ok to hold them at an angle if they're under 5 lbs (and even larger fish - briefly), I put the limit at about 3 lbs, just be safe.  Holding a small fish at a slight angle won't hurt them.

 

One other fact, holding them perfectly vertical will not cause any damage whatsoever, regardless of size.  There's no leverage at play when you hold them that way.  However there is a risk if they start wriggling and violently shake their body.  The torque created increases the risk of damage.  Again, the bigger the fish, the greater the risk.  But again, it's not automatic.  It's a potential.

 

It's irresponsible of the TPW to state a fish will "almost always be killed" by holding them vertically.  It simply isn't true, and causing a lot of confusion as a result.

 

Here's a video with more information on it:  http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/hold-fish.html

[bassguytom]

I use care when handling bass I catch but if they tick me off I use brass knuckles to break their jaw.