Bass handling

[jwo1124]

Protective fish handling is preached throughout the catch and release community. You are suppose to be careful with the fish you catch, only handle them if you have wet hands, be concious of their protective silme coating, etc. Why is it though that tournament guys think nothing of yanking  abass out off the water and dropping it on a dirty floor rug? This is just an observation. I know that time is money in tournaments, and you want to be as productive as possible and use every minute productively. But still, you are catch and release anglers first, I think they should take better measures when handling the bass. Anyone else notice this?

[Tokyo Tony]

When it comes down to thousands, or hundreds of thousands of dollars, the life of a bass doesn't really factor in past making sure it lives until just after weigh-in.  I'm always very careful with my fish, but if there were that much money on the line, I can't say I wouldn't do the same thing as those guys.

[roadwarrior]

There's no excuse.

I think tournament fishermen, especially those in the top circuits.

[.ghoti.]

I think they should also be penalized for hoisting a fish up and dropping it in the boat. Rubber nets are so much easier on the fish. I don't see why they don't use them.

[roadwarrior]

Yeah, the thing I like most about rubber nets is that they are so user friendly. You don't have to even take the fish out of the water to remove hooks and release it. If you are taking a picture the fish can be held in the water while you or your partner are getting things set up. Rubber nets are THE BOMB!

[David P]

I think they should also be penalized for hoisting a fish up and dropping it in the boat. Rubber nets are so much easier on the fish. I don't see why they don't use them.

Some tournaments a net is restricted, which I think is DUMB, but that's the rules.

[jwo1124]

On the FLW tour, anglers can use nets. I do think this takes some of the challenege away from landing a fish since you can just scoop it up when it's 4 feet away with out having to play it all the way into the boat and land it, but if it is easier on the bass, and ensures good fishing for the future, its a fine rule.

I have dropped my occaisonal bass in the boat by accident, but for the most part I try not to let them hit the ground when bank fishing or the bottom of the boat. I'm sure it's not gonna kill the bass if it touches the boat rug or even grass or some sand, but I just thought it was funny how they just whip the bass around. I guess it's just the name of the game.

[tntitans21399]

I think everyone has had a bass hit the boat or something, usually as soon as you get him to the boat he jumps off the hook or something.  I try to get the hook out as soon as I can, take a picture if I remember, and look at him for a second and then put him back in the water.  I also know out on my lake they have a couple of local bass tournaments weekly and I have only seen about 3 dead fish floating on the water the whole summer.  And I think that was more because they were old and heat from the summer, not from the tournaments.  I also see a lot of people that like to fish but don't like to touch the fish either put them on the ground and lightly step on them so they don't move and get the hook out of them.  That can't be the best thing for the fish, but they seem to always have the fish swim away and you don't see him dead later, so he must be doing ok.  But it would be good if the tournament guys did use the oxyedge or something like it.

[bass109]

I like holding a bass on its side, I think it relieves stress to the fish, instead of holding it by the mouth.

[Tokyo Tony]

A tool I always have with me is a lipper/scale device (Great White I think, about 34 bucks).  This thing, for me, has become an indispensable tool when I'm using baits with trebles, especially when fishing for smallies.  Get the fish close, and just grab her lip with the device and take the hooks out with pliers.  It prevents self-hooking, and it really seems better for the fish because you don't have to touch her at all if you don't want.  Sometimes when I catch a smallie on an X-Rap, there's no way I can lip the fish without one of these things, and for the last year I've always had one with me.  Can't remember the last time I had to grab a fish by the body to remove the hooks.  Oh, and you can see how much she weighs at the same time.

[Bud]

                  I also know out on my lake they have a couple of local bass tournaments weekly and I have only seen about 3 dead fish floating on the water the whole summer.  And I think that was more because they were old and heat from the summer, not from the tournaments.      

A lot of fish that is release after a tournament will swim off and look ok but die a couple days later.  Chance are they will never float.

[Matt Fly]

Protective fish handling is preached throughout the catch and release community. You are suppose to be careful with the fish you catch, only handle them if you have wet hands, be concious of their protective silme coating, etc. Why is it though that tournament guys think nothing of yanking abass out off the water and dropping it on a dirty floor rug? This is just an observation. I know that time is money in tournaments, and you want to be as productive as possible and use every minute productively. But still, you are catch and release anglers first, I think they should take better measures when handling the bass. Anyone else notice this?

This is what I noticed,     You mentioned yourself on later response, that you have dropped some bass a few times.    You even try not to drop them in the dirt while bank fishing.    So its no just tournament anglers who mis handles the bass.

Be nice on how you describe a tournament angler "yanking" a fish out.     Most anglers land the fish the same, pleasure and tournament.

Although rubber nets are better for bass, they still take some of the slime coat off in rubber nets, they are not 100% fool proof either.

Try lipping all your bass, no nets, no decks to  lay them on.   When you do this, maybe you'll  have the right to come back and  run the tournament fishermen down.     Until then, quit pointing a finger at us and watch your own fish handling methods.    You don't seem to do any better, yet you point the finger!!!!

Thats how I see it!!!!

Matt

[jwo1124]

I know that on occasion a fish will fall off the hook into the boat or onto the shore. Thi sis inevitable. I'm talking about when guys purposely do it. I won;t argue that sometimes there is no way around it if the fish decides to flop loose. But don;t do it on purpose to save a few seconds of time.

[fishfordollars]

I use a rubber net, please release me in the livewell, ice the fish in the hot weather. My boat has timers, areators, and constant refill. I think I lost one fish all summer(throat hooked). I run the areators constantly in hot weather and use from 2-3 10lb. bags of ice in the livewell in the summer tournaments. i have been quilty of lifting them in on the carpet many, many times and have yet to see one die from it. I check them every hour and if need be I up the ice or additive. A 10lb. bag of ice usually will last 2-3 hrs. and it will not hurt the fish. i never fill the livewell until I catch the first fish.

[jwo1124]

Just to throw this out there, I wasn't trying to get on anyone's case. I'm not a bass activist, I was just pointing out an observation. I'm not really mad about it. I just think if you can avoid doing so you should. And I have seen in many cases wherwe it would be avoided on the pro circuits where it is not. But I will say that I fully understand when you are fishing for hours on end and finnally get a niuce tug on your line, the adrenaline starts rushing, and you're just thinking about getting this bass up as fast as possible. I'm sure it won;t kill the bass, but it'd be nice to try to remember correct handling tips even when we find ourselves alittle excited.

[32251]

I watched a few videos on YouTube of bass fishing.  I got so fed up of watching guys parade around the boat waving fish in the air and acting like gladiators for several minutes.  Whether you use a net or not the best thing has to be to get the fish to the boat as quickly as the circumstances allow you to. Unhook quickly, take a good quick look and photo if you want and get the fish back in the water.  Excessive playing the fish is not good either. The lactic acid build up in a fish that has been played until he just about gives up will kill him in a short time.  Try to avoid gut hooking unless you are keeping your catch for food.  

One thing I do which I dare say many fishermen do is to bend down the barb on my hooks when I am in the catch and release mode.  It makes it so easy to remove the hook and adds some sport in that you have to really work at the hook set and the retreival as not to lose the fish.  With the fish being attacked by $30K bass boats, hundreds of dollars worth of rods and reels and a fish finder that will allow the angler to actually see the fish.........bending down a barb is the least you can do to give the poor fish a chance.

[jwo1124]

I know you shouldn't "over play" your fish. When I think of this I think of a game of cat and mouse. I think excessive play of the fish when it can easily be landed is just going to hurt the fish. But playing a fish for a minute or two like bill dance to tire the fish out somewhat isn't going to hurt it. I feel doing this makes it easier to land and remove the hook since the fish isn;t still spazzing out while you try to safely hold it and take the hooks out. This can also benefit your own safety. If you are trying to remove some treble hooks from a fish and it lashes around and sticks you with those sharp little hooks, you're heading to the ER. So I wouldn;t play with the fish on the end on your line for 5 minutes. But giving the fish a minute to splash around and expend some of that adrenaline and energy is a good idea. Anyone else agree?

[Crestliner2008]

Do not confuse tournament angling with recreational angling. The pros don't have time to fiddle-faddle with a fish. Nail 'em and move on to the next. $100 grand could be in the scales. No man alive is going to screw around with those odds! I don't care how good his intentions. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning bass mistreatment by anyone - period. I'm just saying that if your livelihood was predicated upon bringing 5 fish to the weigh in - even if barely still kicking - I can understand the mindset. Tournament angling is a two edged sword. On this side of the spectrum you have damaged fish - some - but not as many as it is perceived by purists. However the overall benefit to the sport of bass fishing in general is humongous! I can guarantee you this, you would NOT be fishing a Senko had it not been for tournament angling.