How long can bass live out of water???

[shootermcbob]

I have caught a few nice fish over the past couple weekends. I have recently purchased a digital scale. How long do I have to get the fish unhooked, weighed, and then put back in the water? I have been hesitant to use the scale because I don't want to harm the fish. I fish from the bank, so a livewell is not an option. Thanks for the help.

[bassfanatick]

Hi, I too fish from the bank most of the time and I think it depends.  Usually you have to release them faster if it took you longer to land the fish, they tires out more.  In the hot weather they are prone to stresses as well. Ill say the safe time span is inside 2 minutes, from the time you get him out of the water to getting him back in.

[-HAWK-]

I normally try and have them back in the water in less than a minute.

[WRB]

Landing a good size bass from shore can wear down the bass depending on your tackle and the fish. Make yourself a simple one clip stringer about 8 feet long. You are not tournament fishing, so clip the bass on the stringer and let it revive while you get your digital scale ready. Know the weight of the stringer, weigh the bass and put it back in the water, only takes a few seconds.

To answer you question; about as long as you can hold your breath, about one minute out of water the bass starts to go into shock unless revived quickly.

WRB

[RoLo]

The answers thus far are surprisingly accurate.

On balance, a bass should not be kept in air, any longer than YOU'D want to be kept underwater.

Uh huh, so is it any wonder why tournament mortality rates are much higher than stated.

A fine restaurant on the shores of Lake Kissimmee went belly-up, simply because the customers lost their appetite

ogling the rotting bass carcasses that gathered in the cove due to tournament releases.

Roger

[Crestliner2008]

I'm a CPR fisherman and have had no problem releasing a bass after unhooking, photographing and releasing them. A quick weight sample is quick and easy with the kinds of scales they have today and should not increase the releasing time that much. Know what you are going to do BEFORE you have to do it. Practice the procedure and get the bass back in the water as soon as possible. You'd be surprised at how efficient you will become at doing that.

[-HAWK-]

Shooter and Hawk: Ever try that stuff you put on your hands to keep the bass' slime coat intact, when shore fishing?

I fish some ponds and a couple of rivers from shorelines and i was thinking about the potential harm I may be doing in warmer weather situations.

Muddy, I haven't tried it. But I think as long as you aren't laying the fish down that its not really necessary. I normally wet my hands in the lake before handling a nice fish.

[Dwight Hottle]

If you use a boga you can lip them & weigh them immediately. It also saves your hand from hooks if your using crank/jerk baits with mutiple trebles. Hang the boga from a belt loop & its alway there when you need it.  8-)

[Paul Roberts]

Check this out:

http://www.bigindianabass.com/big_indiana_bass/2008/08/re-examining-holding-your-breath-guidelines.html

[Lobster Monster]

I can usually catch and a weigh a bass in less than 30 seconds, but I've  held bass for several minutes with no ill effects and the article above seems to say the same thing.  I wouldn't worry about it.

[shootermcbob]

Muddy, I have not tried the product you spoke of, but I also wet my left hand before I land a fish. I love catching them, but certainly don't want to harm them while getting them back into the water. Thanks for all responses.

[bottledgt]

The answers thus far are surprisingly accurate.

On balance, a bass should not be kept in air, any longer than YOU'D want to be kept underwater.

Uh huh, so is it any wonder why tournament mortality rates are much higher than stated.

A fine restaurant on the shores of Lake Kissimmee went belly-up, simply because the customers lost their appetite

ogling the rotting bass carcasses that gathered in the cove due to tournament releases.

Roger

yes, tournaments suck...but with the money involved they will never go away sadly

[shootermcbob]

Not to worry today. The only Fish I caught was about 6 long...on a four inch bait. Got to love that never say can't attitude though. I had no problems getting that little guy back into the water right away.

[jrskblx125]

yeah i've had a bass out of water for 2-3 minutes and it had no problem swimming off. smallies are much more resilient it seems when it comes to being out of the water. i always take the front treble hook off minnows and cranks though just to avoid that extra time getting those things out.

[DEbassman17]

If I feel as if I am holding them out of the water for too long (I fish from the bank too), In between un-hooking, weighing, and taking a picture or two of the fish I will hold them in the water, sometimes for up too a minute, and them pull them out again to do what I have too do. I don't like having them out of the water for more than 45 seconds to 1 minute at a time.

-Jason

[Hammer 4]

Ditto..even on warm days if I'm having a problem removing the hook, I'll stick em back in the water, and move them forward to get some oxygen in them. While we are on the subject..Please don't lay your bass on the ground..not good for em.

If I feel as if I am holding them out of the water for too long (I fish from the bank too), In between un-hooking, weighing, and taking a picture or two of the fish I will hold them in the water, sometimes for up too a minute, and them pull them out again to do what I have too do. I don't like having them out of the water for more than 45 seconds to 1 minute at a time.

-Jason

[DEbassman17]

Ditto..even on warm days if I'm having a problem removing the hook, I'll stick em back in the water, and move them forward to get some oxygen in them. While we are on the subject..Please don't lay your bass on the ground..not good for em.

If I feel as if I am holding them out of the water for too long (I fish from the bank too), In between un-hooking, weighing, and taking a picture or two of the fish I will hold them in the water, sometimes for up too a minute, and them pull them out again to do what I have too do. I don't like having them out of the water for more than 45 seconds to 1 minute at a time.

-Jason

Yes don't ever lay your fish on the ground UNLESS it's absolutely neccessary and the grass is healthy and green, not with all that dead crap and leaves that's not good for the fish.

[tyrius.]

Please don't lay your bass on the ground..not good for em.

But hooking them is?

8-)

[32251]

Please don't lay your bass on the ground..not good for em.

But hooking them is?

8-)

They will recover faster from the hook than from being laid down on the ground and having either their protective slime coat destroyed in places or their eye damaged on the side they are lying on. Remember that...a fish cannot close its eye to protect it.

[treble_hook_smile]

The best thing to do in situations like this is to make sure you are organized and prepared. Its great that you are concerned about the fish so make sure you know how to operate your scales before hand and that you have everything in a designated spot. If you have issues with your scales (as most of us do from time to time) walk over to the bank and hold the fish in the water while using your free hand to set up your scales.

[retiredbosn]

As a general rule I don't worry much about it.  I'll never forget the day I came home as a kid and found the sink full of redeye (rock bass).  Seeing how it was at least a 20 minute drive to the river these fish had been out of the water a while.  Being young and mischevious, I filled the sink with water, while filling the sink I held a couple of the fish under the water, letting the water flow over their gills, most of those fish began splashing around in the sink after a few minutes.  I think most people worry to much about factors that have little to do with the survivability of a fish.  In the neighborhood pond I've caught fish, brought them home in cooler months for pictures and then released them, with no problems.

[tennwalkinghorse]

If you use a boga you can lip them & weigh them immediately. It also saves your hand from hooks if your using crank/jerk baits with mutiple trebles. Hang the boga from a belt loop & its alway there when you need it. 8-)

2 X

[dolomieu]

Bass survival is almost directly proportional to the temperature of water.

I remember as a child having a ~5lb smallie out of water for at least 15 min, and it swam away after some reviving. It may have (and probably did) experienced delayed mortality, but it was alive when we released it. This was in the dead of winter.