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photo contributed by Kathy
Magers
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.
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