Catching a Lunker with no camera or video

[vicdotcom]

Hey I have a question for everyone,

If you happen to be fishing and caught a huge lunker that might be a record but had no camera or anyway to document the fish, what would be the best thing to do? Return the fish? Bring it back with you (taking a chance of killing it) Note the spot and try again some other day?

Vicdotcom

[Gatorbassman]

If I caught a bass that tipped the scales (obvious record) I would take it to the scales to get it weighed and measured and documented. If that means it dies than it dies. But, with that said, I always have a way to transport a fish. I keep a large cooler in my truck with a areator and some "Please Release Me" water treatment just in case.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Just in case

[cart7t]

A potential WR bass will recieve more scrutiny than Anna Nicoles kid.  

Do whatever you have to to document, document, document.  

[bighed]

World record, state record I'd be on the cell calling everybody I know to help.  Lake record or personal best probably would slip her back in and enjoy the memory.

[Alpster]

You  must have a plan for "just in case". Time is of the essence, not for keeping the fish alive, but a big fish begins to lose weight quickly when stressed and will expell a lot of fluids when they die (even less weight) .If I caught a state record in the waters I normally fish, I know where the nearest place to begin the documentation process (certified scales, witnesses) is and how to get there pronto. Aways have a camera, and nothing beats uninterested witnesses (a fishing buddy is useless as a witness). Always find strangers, and preferably non fishermen to witness THE weighing. I am a Land Surveyor and pull my boat with my work truck, so I have a certified measuring tape I would photograph the fish along side this tape and use it to record girth, etc. Like Cart7 said, you can't work too hard at verifying and documenting.

I have a good live well in my boat. I would leave the fish in the live well and transport her carefully on the boat trailer. I have torrnament weigh in bag (for quick transport to certified scales & witnesses). If you really have a record fish, the odds of the fish surviveing the process of verification is pretty slim, so you just do your best. In your scenerio, if I'm not absoulutlety sure I have a record fish, and I was too, hurried, dumb, lazy or whatever to bring a camera, fish gets released for another day. JMHO

Ronnie

[Hawg_Hunter]

Be careful transporting a live fish in your livewell, it is illegal in many states.

I have a couple of DNR phone numbers stored on my cell phone, just in case  8-)

Darrin  

[Gatorbassman]

Be careful transporting a live fish in your livewell, it is illegal in many states.

I have a couple of DNR phone numbers stored on my cell phone, just in case 8-)

Darrin

That's one thing I forgot about. I also have the numbers for the DNR and also my states outdoor magazine. (Georgia Outdoor News) It never hurts to get a reporter there to write up the story. Now that's documentation.

[Alpster]

Darrin,

I have never transported a fish in a live well and probably never will. The original post painted an extreme scenerio where everything goes wrong except catching a state or world record bass. The plan I outlined above was a "desperate times call for desparate measures". The Reservoir that I fish in 90% of the time is run by the Park Service and there are several DFW rangers there any time the park is open for fishing. The picture that vicdotcom painted is not very likely for me, especially the WR catch part.

Ronnie