Different Method of Landing Fish

[Capt Steve]

All the years I was growing up and bass fishing, when a person was landing a bass at boatside they either used a net or lip landed it.
I rarely watch tournaments on TV but this weekend I was watching a tournament and noticed nowadays everyone reaches over the side and belly lands a bass. 
Is this just personal preference or is there a particular reason for this?

I know some saltwater fish, snook for example, go partially paralyzed when you lay them flat in your hand.  Is this the reason for landing bass like this?  
I used to read that lip landing a bass paralyzes it so it's easier to land and unhook. But I've also heard that it can damage the jaw of larger fish. 

[Mike L]

What I do is if it’s a larger 3-4+ or using a treble hook that is not wholly in its mouth, I always belly land. 
Maybe that’s what you’re seeing. 
For smaller ones I’ll boat flip or lip. 
 

If hooked with a single hook It doesn’t matter as much because I make certain that the lower lip is always straight never bent forward. 
 

What I would NOT do is use a Boca grip kinda thing.

If you’re not careful the clamps will grab thier jaw too tight causing unnecessary damage or worse they will jam and grab the tongue!

 

 Yes, lipping a bass will momentarily “stun” it but it must be done right. 
The problem comes in when it’s held by bending it’s jaw forward too much as I said, especially with a heavier fish. 
 

 

Mike

[TOXIC]

I do know that belly landing Smallmouth stops them from thrashing.  And they will thrash crazy when lip landed.  Landing a peanut smallmouth on a jerkbait is a dangerous proposition. 😜

[Zcoker]

I fish from a kayak and all my fish get the net. Reaching into the water out in the everglades to grab a tired or even bleeding fish could bite off more than able to chew, literally! I also never reach for them because of the hooks, trebles and the likes. I've seen many so called tired out fish suddenly explode with new life. 

[casts_by_fly]

i use a net from the kayak (or boat flip smaller ones).

 

However, a belly grip like you're seeing is great for treble hooked fish like noted above.  It keeps your hands away from the hooks.  Also for smallies like Toxic said, they chill out a little some times.

 

Also, if you were watching a tournament it was probably the opens on St Clair.  Remember, they aren't allowed nets.  And trying to get your thumb in a fish's mouth that is thrashing around is a tough ask.  You can try to tire them out even further, but at the risk of them getting off or getting so tired that they die in the livewell.  With belly cradling them you can more or less pin them to the boat and then pin them to your body (or worst case flop them into the boat) to control the fish.  If the full length of the fish is pinned its really hard for it to flop away.

[GRiver]

Any thing with a treble, I use a net. Threw a monkey wrench in my day, having to deal with a hook in my finger

[Zcoker]

Trebles are trouble. It takes almost a premonition way of thinking, a sorta prediction of events and how they might unfold. At least that's the way I always approach them. I try to visualize as many bad case scenarios as possible about the fish and lure that I'm about to unhook. In that way, I've never been stuck....knock on wood. 

[TOXIC]

I’ve learned the line method to remove hooks very well.  Even solo.  While I do everything possible to avoid getting stuck, if you fish long enough and hard enough, it’s going to happen.  As a guide it happened a lot.  I am impervious to “hook pain” now.  I’ve just gotten used to it.  

[gim]

I don't think I've ever belly landed a bass, smallmouth or largemouth.  Its too risky based on nothing to grab and its a slippery surface (literally).  I'm not in any tournaments so I can use a net on sizable fish.

 

Dinks I generally boat flip in.

 

I can attest to the risk associated with treble hooked lures and smallmouth that aren't very big.  There just isn't much to grab there.  A small pike might be worse though.  Skinny and slimy and always wiggling.  Its an accident waiting to happen.  I cringe at the thought of a 21 inch northern pike and a jerkbait.

[DaubsNU1]

I am very similar to @gimruis when boating my fish.

 

@Mike L I do use a fish gripper for pike...I got hooked once...never again.

[Mike L]

51 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

I am very similar to @gimruis when boating my fish.

 

@Mike L I do use a fish gripper for pike...I got hooked once...never again.

I get it

I’m sure you know how to do it without causing injures. 
I mentioned it because I’ve see more damage done with those things that I care too. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Alex from GA]

Treble hooked lures always get a gripper or net.

[PourMyOwn]

40 minutes ago, Alex from GA said:

Treble hooked lures always get a gripper or net.

I net them all and take them out with a gripper. (Imitation Boga Grips) I've been hooked too many times!

[MN Fisher]

All fish above a certain size get netted, and it's a judgement call as they get close. I've certainly netted fish below that threshold, but I've never line-landed any above.

[LonnieP]

Dinks get boat flipped , all others get lipped

[WRB]

Never thought of belly landing big bass.

My technique was mouth landing by putting 4 fingers inside the mouth grabbing one side with the thumb on the outside. Lifting the bass while turning over  on its back lifting the fish out of the water belly up. This technique freezes and the bass doesn’t move making handling the bass easy. 
Maybe the belly hold does the same thing?

Treble hook lures use a net it’s  too dangerous get your hand near those hooks. Learned my lesson trying that with my hand with a hook completely through my hand between the nest of thumb and index.

Tom

[casts_by_fly]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Never thought of belly landing big bass.

My technique was mouth landing by putting 4 fingers inside the mouth grabbing one side with the thumb on the outside. Lifting the bass while turning over  on its back lifting the fish out of the water belly up. This technique freezes and the bass doesn’t move making handling the bass easy. 
Maybe the belly hold does the same thing?

Treble hook lures use a net it’s  too dangerous get your hand near those hooks. Learned my lesson trying that with my hand with a hook completely through my hand between the nest of thumb and index.

Tom

most of us aren’t catching bass you can fit four fingers in their mouth….

 

 

[Terrova80]

On 7/17/2024 at 9:51 AM, gimruis said:

I don't think I've ever belly landed a bass, smallmouth or largemouth.  Its too risky based on nothing to grab and its a slippery surface (literally).  I'm not in any tournaments so I can use a net on sizable fish.

 

Dinks I generally boat flip in.

 

I can attest to the risk associated with treble hooked lures and smallmouth that aren't very big.  There just isn't much to grab there.  A small pike might be worse though.  Skinny and slimy and always wiggling.  Its an accident waiting to happen.  I cringe at the thought of a 21 inch northern pike and a jerkbait.

I had a 30" pike thrashing in a net and made a trip to the hospital. I never reach into them net until they stop thrashing. 

I also don't lip bass because it causes too much harm to them. I look at it the way that if someone grabbed you by your lower lip and picked you up, would it hurt, and maybe cause permanent damage?

[Swamp Girl]

I'm surprised Tom (@WRB) didn't write, "Eventually, I had a winch installed in my boat and a two-man crew to secure the bass once aboard. A nice bass can sink a boat unless it's controlled and I lost two boats before I learned my lesson: Winch and crew!"

[gim]

8 hours ago, Terrova80 said:

I had a 30" pike thrashing in a net and made a trip to the hospital. I never reach into them net until they stop thrashing. 

I also don't lip bass because it causes too much harm to them. I look at it the way that if someone grabbed you by your lower lip and picked you up, would it hurt, and maybe cause permanent damage?

 

I generally don't even net pike unless I am actually muskie fishing and I pile into a big one so I can use my muskie net.

 

You could argue that shoving a sharp hook into a fish's face, gills, eyes, or throat is more damaging than grabbing them by the mouth.

[The1Fist]

I've been experimenting with different landing techniques, and I've found that belly landing is a great way to handle larger bass. It's gentler on the fish and helps prevent jaw damage. Plus, it gives me more control when handling the fish.

That being said, I still use lip landing in certain situations, like when I need to get a quick grip on a smaller fish. But for bigger fish, belly landing is my go-to method.

[BayouSlide]

No reason for me not to net any fish too big to boat flip, no matter what lure I used. When I release a big bass I always support the bass with a belly hold, sometimes against the side of the boat for a big one, until it recovers equilibrium to freely swim away.

[Zcoker]

All this reaching around and belly grabbing into the water is all fine and dandy but I would not promote it in certain areas of the country. These big gators here in south Florida hug the bottom, waiting around for things like that, a dangling fish for dinner. I've had them take swipes at my fish when netting them. I've had them slam and bite at the kayak. I've had them follow me. They get espeically fired up when a fish is caught and jumping, often chasing the fish in. If anything, be mindful of that when trying to subdue a captured fish with your bare hands. 

[Bankc]

I boat flip small bass.  For larger bass, I'll often lip them.  Sometimes, if I can't lip them and there are treble hooks, I'll run my hand down the line and grab the lure itself and lift them in that way.  I don't recommend that, but it is something I do.  Sometimes, I'll belly grab them.  Especially if they're in a position to make that easy.  Sometimes, I'll run my hand down from their head and grab them by the back or sides.  So long as you move head to tail and get a solid grip (and hold them head up), you shouldn't have issues getting poked with the spin or damaging a fin or gill or whatever.  And I always expect them to thrash.  If a fish isn't moving, I expect it to "surprise" me at the worst possible time, so I'm ready when it does. 

 

But really, I don't think about it.  I just do it.  I've been hooked several times before, but never while trying to land a fish.  And I know I'll get hooked again one day.  And when I do, I'll remove the hook and keep on fishing.   Just like last time and the time before.  It's just a part of fishing. 

[A-Jay]

3 hours ago, Bankc said:

But really, I don't think about it.  I just do it.  I've been hooked several times before, but never while trying to land a fish.  And I know I'll get hooked again one day.  And when I do, I'll remove the hook and keep on fishing.   Just like last time and the time before.  It's just a part of fishing. 

I do think about it.

There's a ton of mostly very small and delicate structures in our hands.

Repeated driving any type hook deep into them is a little wacky and mostly unnecessary. 

Certainly Not part of my fishing. 

Not looking to change the quality of my life.

Using a net and as well as following a safe handling practice is more my style. 

Especially when treble looks are involved.  

A-Jay