Smallmouth whisperer?

[nosdog2]

So over the winter I have watched what seems like 2000 hours of fishing shows on tv and youtube.  My smallmouth experience is very limited, having caught my first ever last summer. But dumb question, do smallmouth get "paralyzed" when you scoop them from their underbelly's?  Seems that a lot of pro anglers will scoop them up out of the water and they seem to just hang out for the ride?

[Steveo-1969]

I have never done this to a smallmouth myself but have seen this on countless TV shows where they discuss holding them under the belly to keep them from moving. I'm thinking with so much video evidence it's gotta work right?

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, nosdog2 said:

 do smallmouth get "paralyzed" when you scoop them from their underbelly's?  

While I use a net (or Boga Grip) exclusively - never hand land smallies (Just the way I do it.), landing / handling smallies in cooler water see's less active fish, warmer water see's more active fish.

 I'd be never interested to know what special powers / properties the 'pros' hand possess that us mortals do not.

A-Jay

 

[basscatcher8]

Only takes one time of getting a treble hook stuck in your finger past the barb from a smallie head shake to start finding other ways lol

[OkobojiEagle]

Someone lands you "below the belt" and you'll quiet down pretty quickly also...

 

 

oe

[Bluebasser86]

Seems to work most of the time on smallmouth and walleye both. However, it only takes that one time that a smallmouth with a face full of trebles decides to freak out before you realize "most of the time", isn't good enough. 

[TOXIC]

Yes it works.  It's an option on mid-size and larger fish.  I don't do it on knotheads (smaller fish) because they have a habit of going ballistic no matter what you do.  

[Oregon Native]

27 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Yes it works.  It's an option on mid-size and larger fish.  I don't do it on knotheads (smaller fish) because they have a habit of going ballistic no matter what you do.  

I agree totally...but have caught hundreds of smallies and landed with hand on belly....works great.  Especially with rattle traps in their mouths!!  Something about that trap noise when I go to land a fish......ohhhhhhh scary.

[TOXIC]

19 minutes ago, Oregon Native said:

I agree totally...but have caught hundreds of smallies and landed with hand on belly....works great.  Especially with rattle traps in their mouths!!  Something about that trap noise when I go to land a fish......ohhhhhhh scary.

Yep.  I am a little different, I prefer to lip the smaller fish just because when lipped, the business end of the bait is stationary to my hand.  The fact that it's close freaks a lot of people out so they won't do it.  They do thrash a lot but with the distance so short, if I do get a hook it's just barely stuck.  I've done the line trick to extract hooks on a lot of guys!!  

[J Francho]

I've done it many times, especially when I'm in the kayak.  They generally do simmer down better when you belly land them.  It works with largemouth too.

[Strikeking]

Yes it works. 99.99999% of the time. It puts pressure on their air bladder and it’s very uncomfortable for them.  It’s the easiest way to handle them. 

[Gundog]

I do just the opposite of the belly hold. I grab them from the back and hold them upside down. I do this only when they have a mouth full of treble hooks. I've learned from experience that they wriggle less that way and my hand is out of the way of those sticky barbs. Once the hooks are out with pliers then I lip them. 

[soflabasser]

Good subject. I have noticed that the smallmouth bass I have hold by the belly seem to be more calm than when lipping them. This technique seems to work on small/medium largemouth bass as well but not so well on peacock bass, those fish don't know what giving up means!

[zewski]

what you don't see on the TV shows is how long they fight the fish for to get itreally tired to have a professional looking fish land on camera. Any smallie caughtaround the boat will giggle all around where ever you grab him

[rejesterd]

It doesn't always freeze them, but it generally works.  Practically, I think it's easier to scoop them up from their side or from the back while turning them upside down.  That's how I land any bass (sm or lm) that's over 4 lbs or so, unless I get lucky and have them hooked in the upper lip (then I just lip them).  Using a net is easiest obviously, but the trebles get caught up in it sometimes so it can be a pain.  But if you move them side to side near the boat, you can just reach underneath their underside and scoop them up quickly.

[jim k]

I use a rubber net. Easier on both of us.