Losing a national title and a huge chunk of winnings by a mere 1/100th of a pound is heart breaking. For the winner, it’s just a “close call.” But for the fish, it can be anything from a win-win to a losing situation, depending on who’s holding the weigh-in bag, and how they hold it.
Contenders come to the weigh-in line excited or disappointed and it’s easy to start talking about the day on the water and forget the bass are going”belly up” gasping for oxygen (water.) The bags should have plenty of water especially with a limit of fish. Our intent and number one priority to insure our sport should be to return every fish alive and healthy. After all, we’re only borrowing them for the day.
Most circuits offer”bonus” weight for live fish to encourage safe handling. To the general public and animal rights activists, nothing seems more wasteful or sets a bad example as letting fish die at the scales. Not to mention the kind of impression it makes on youth.
The way to keep fish alive begins with the “hit,” especially when fishing soft plastics. When you feel a strike on a worm for instance, a quick hook set drives the barb through the bony mouth, a prime target area. Waiting too long, going”on point” aiming the rod tip at the fish and waiting 10-20-30 seconds only lets him swallow the lure and become”gut-hooked”- nearly certain death for any bass. If you DO happened to gut hook a bass and are not familiar with the technique for removing it, just cut the line and let him have your hook.
Otherwise, fish should be unhooked and placed in your live well as soon as possible. A water treatment such as “Catch & Release” calms fish and treats their protective layer of slime coating. Break that coating and the fish can develop infection and die.
During hot summer months, running live well aerators constantly gives fish more oxygen. (But it can unknowingly drain your batteries if you fish one area all day, failing to run the big engine.) On extremely hot days – you can toss a small chunk of ice in the live well to keep fish cool. Too much ice can shock them so add it gradually and set aerators to re-circulate, adding fresh water and more ice now and then.
Once on shore, live well bags should be filled several inches of water above the fish. If it’s heavy, you can carry the bag inside your fish net for additional security. Once in line, fresh, aerated, treated water should fill the bag. Moving quickly through the weigh-in line once fish are measured, bagged and largest handed back to you, helps prevent fish mortality.
Expect photographers and friends to ask for a shot of you with your fish. If the fish is over about 3 pounds and you are”lipping” it vertically, consider changing to a horizontal hold – supporting the belly with your other hand. Biologists say that holding them by the lip alone can damage jaw tendons and cause death from an inability to eat.
By keeping adequate aerated water on your fish at all times and proceeding quickly through photos and weigh-in, bass can be returned to the lake to live again for coming generations. At your next tournament, take a moment to notice others in line with you at”the tanks.” Are they laughing and talking? Are their fish completely covered in water or floating belly up in plastic bags? If so, remind them with a smile and a nudge that their catch needs more water.
Hats off to professional tournament staffs of BASS, FLW and other tournament promoters for their outstanding job moving every contender and their catch through the weigh-in process quickly-preventing fish mortality. Most bass live through the ordeal. Unfortunately, a few don’t – depending on the care they received throughout the tournament day and weigh in process.
You can make a difference. It’s our right to catch fish but our moral obligation to only “borrow” them for the day. Catch & Release for the survival of fish – and survival of our sport.
*****If you catch a trophy bass, why not consider a replica mount? It’s a win-win situation for both angler and fish!By: Kathy Magers
