Why does a bass quit thrashing when we lip them?

[Darth-Baiter]

I wish it worked on my dog.

[Jig Man]

Yours maybe mine not so much, especially if on a bait with treble hooks.

[Kirtley Howe]

Maybe it is just me, but I have found that with Smallmouth, if you hold them belly up, they pretty much hold still. I have not found that to work so well with largemouth. And neither hold still when I lip them.

[Captain Phil]

If you must hold bass, do it with wet hands. Bass have a protective slim on their bodies to keep them from bacterial infection. Never use a net or drop the bass on the carpet of the boat.   It is best to handle them as little as possible.  The only thing worse is carrying bass around all day in a live well, especially in the heat of summer.   All my bass are released immediately on the side of the boat and as quickly as possible.

[geo g]

You should try a big Peacock, there is no quit!  They will tear a thumb up quickly!

[Captain Phil]

1 minute ago, geo g said:

You should try a big Peacock, there is no quit!  They will tear a thumb up quickly!

 

How about a Cobia or Big Mahi?  They'll tear up your boat!! 

[WRB]

Wahoo are the worst.

Mako the nastiest teeth.

Big LBM bass settle down belly up for not held by the lip.

Tom

[Catt]

7 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I wish it worked on my dog.

 

Some dogs you really don't wanna lip!

[NorcalBassin]

Seems like the spots I catch don't start thrashing UNTIL I lip them!

[Hammer 4]

11 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

If you must hold bass, do it with wet hands. Bass have a protective slim on their bodies to keep them from bacterial infection. Never use a net or drop the bass on the carpet of the boat.   It is best to handle them as little as possible.  The only thing worse is carrying bass around all day in a live well, especially in the heat of summer.   All my bass are released immediately on the side of the boat and as quickly as possible.

Amen. 

[Darth-Baiter]

15 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

If you must hold bass, do it with wet hands. Bass have a protective slim on their bodies to keep them from bacterial infection. Never use a net or drop the bass on the carpet of the boat.   It is best to handle them as little as possible.  The only thing worse is carrying bass around all day in a live well, especially in the heat of summer.   All my bass are released immediately on the side of the boat and as quickly as possible.

Great advice.  I do use a rubber net.  But this is a que about lipping. Like you’re doing in your tiny photo. 

[Captain Phil]

18 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

Great advice.  I do use a rubber net.  But this is a que about lipping. Like you’re doing in your tiny photo. 

 

Anglers have been holding bass by the lip since the first one was caught.  Why do they calm down when lipped?  I have no idea, I only know they do.  I would ask the fish, but they're not talking.   If you catch enough bass, you will become familiar with "Bass Thumb".  Bass Thumb is when the skin on the inside of your holding thumb gets torn up from bass teeth rubbing against it.  I actually like this as it tells me I am doing my job.  ?

[Cbump]

19 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

If you must hold bass, do it with wet hands. Bass have a protective slim on their bodies to keep them from bacterial infection. Never use a net or drop the bass on the carpet of the boat.   It is best to handle them as little as possible.  The only thing worse is carrying bass around all day in a live well, especially in the heat of summer.   All my bass are released immediately on the side of the boat and as quickly as possible.

Ok

[DaubsNU1]

3 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

 

Anglers have been holding bass by the lip since the first one was caught.  Why do they calm down when lipped?  I have no idea, I only know they do.  I would ask the fish, but they're not talking.   If you catch enough bass, you will become familiar with "Bass Thumb".  Bass Thumb is when the skin on the inside of your holding thumb gets torn up from bass teeth rubbing against it.  I actually like this as it tells me I am doing my job.  ?

 

Bass-thumb got so bad a few weeks ago that I could not open my phone with the thumbprint detector

 

(isolated incident, but I wish that happened more!!)

 

Agree, lip them vs. netting them. My brother fishes walleye a lot...and always asks if I want the net when hook a smallie. I say, "nope, I'm going to lip him..."

 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

our LMB are relatively smoothed mouthed.  our Spotted bass will ruin a good fingerprint.  

 

you all can divert a thread topic like pros!!!  wow.  

17 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Some dogs you really don't wanna lip!

hahaha.. my dog won't bite.  but on the other hand we have to pay someone to trim his nails.  if I could lip him and shut him off like  bass...game changer.

[Glenn]

33 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

you all can divert a thread topic like pros!!!  wow.

Agreed.  Let's keep it on topic guys.

[Mike L]

In my unscientific opinion, a bass will go limp because you have your finger in its mouth bending her lip backwards which it’s not intended to do and then held in another unnatural position being vertical. 
 

The next time you lip a fish (which if not done correctly will cause more damage than using a net or laying down)

after she “gives up”, hold her the correct way by supporting her with 2 hands under and outside her body, and then see if she is still motionless to the same degree the entire time. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Zcoker]

I don’t know, I’ve had some pretty big bass go absolutely psycho when lipped. Others can be much calmer…they all have very distinctive behaviors, imho. Probably has something to do with the sudden exposure to atmospheric  gravity, the vertical pose, blood leaving the brain and so forth. 

[king fisher]

I think in the case of large bass, the reason is simple, I start shaking enough for the both of us.

[ironbjorn]

When I was a kid and I was being a loud, mouthy brat, I too shut the hell up when mom grabbed me by the ear. I imagine it's similar.

[the reel ess]

On 5/27/2023 at 3:08 PM, geo g said:

You should try a big Peacock, there is no quit!  They will tear a thumb up quickly!

I fished for peacocks for a day with a guide. He had me using a Super Spook with 3 trebles. I caught a good one and had it beside the boat. He had no net and didn't want me to boat flip them. He says to me "Handle your fish." I said "I'm not paying you $400 to get a hand full of trebles attached to a peacock flopping around the boat." My hands were like hamburger. They were throbbing. I didn't even have lotion at the hotel. The wife suggested I try Chapstick. It did the trick overnight.

[Woody B]

Decades ago someone told me holding them vertically by the lower lip makes them dizzy.   I've asked a few by they didn't answer.   

 

Bass, (or any fish) thrashing around can't be healthy.   If you horse a bass in quickly it will show off more in the boat.   I let them get tired before I attempt landing them.  Especially little ones I could just snatch in.  So what if a little one get's away occasionally.  I suspect their survival rate is better.   

[WRB]

You don’t want to lip bass over 4 lbs damages their jaw when thrash to get away. Holding bigger bass by the jaw side works better for me. 

Don’t why you all think bass a docile when lip gripped this hasn’t been my experience with some bass.

Tom

 

[geo g]

3 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I fished for peacocks for a day with a guide. He had me using a Super Spook with 3 trebles. I caught a good one and had it beside the boat. He had no net and didn't want me to boat flip them. He says to me "Handle your fish." I said "I'm not paying you $400 to get a hand full of trebles attached tp a peacock flopping around the boat." My hand were like hamburger. They were throbbing. I didn't even have lotion at the hotel. The wife suggested I try Chapstick. It did the trick overnight.

 

Good move by you.  I catch Peas every week.  I have caught hundreds over the years, and they are getting more common to catch.   I would never thumb a pea with a treble hook in it's  mouth.  I don't use a net and have no problem thumbing a large black bass, or even a small mouth bass.  Peas are just all muscle, with an attitude, and never quit even when on your thumb.  I do thumb them with single hooks like a fluke or swimbait.  I place the thumb deep in the mouth and squeeze hard.  It's amazing how much force they can put together when on your thumb.  You can feel their body tense right before the explosion.  They are like holding a pitbull vrs a poodle.