Handling BIG bass

The time is upon us to have the opportunity to handle BIG largemouth bass.
That would be about 6-7 pounds Northern strain and 13+ pounds Florida strain
or interbred hybrid, although the techniques should apply equally well to
smaller bass and other species.

As bass these sizes approach their species maximums, if you choose for them
to survive, special precautions should probably be taken. The people
probably with the most experience in proper care and handling of BIG bass is
the ShareLunker program of Texas' Freshwater Fisheries Center. Here is a
link to their 9 key points.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/inf...harelunker.htm


However their list is not complete. It is missing several related but very
import items that must be done.

1. As soon as your BIG bass is secured in an aerated environment and before
any pictures are taken, immediately proceed to the nearest lavatory, head,
restroom or facility and take care of business. The offensive odor will
eventually subside but teletale water marks in the crotch of your pants will
remain in the pictures forever!

2, Call your brother-in-law or close friend and tell them to immediately
purchase in your name just one lottery ticket - that's all you'll need.

3. Call your stock broker tell him to purchase in your account today every
stock he recommended.

No doubt this list needs additional refinement. Good luck!
John

Handling BIG bass

Group: rec.outdoors.fishing.bass Date: Sat, Apr 17, 2004, 3:27pm (CDT-2)
From: (bassrecord)
The time is upon us to have the opportunity to handle BIG largemouth
bass. That would be about 6-7 pounds Northern strain and 13+ pounds
Florida strain or interbred hybrid, although the techniques should apply
equally well to smaller bass and other species.
As bass these sizes approach their species maximums, if you choose for
them to survive, special precautions should probably be taken. The
people probably with the most experience in proper care and handling of
BIG bass is the ShareLunker program of Texas' Freshwater Fisheries
Center. Here is a link to their 9 key points.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/inf...harelunker.htm
However their list is not complete. It is missing several related but
very import items that must be done.
1. As soon as your BIG bass is secured in an aerated environment and
before any pictures are taken, immediately proceed to the nearest
lavatory, head, restroom or facility and take care of business. The
offensive odor will eventually subside but teletale water marks in the
crotch of your pants will remain in the pictures forever!
2, Call your brother-in-law or close friend and tell them to immediately
purchase in your name just one lottery ticket - that's all you'll need.
3. Call your stock broker tell him to purchase in your account today
every stock he recommended.
No doubt this list needs additional refinement. Good luck! John
======
You will know when you have "arrived" at the the true bass fishing
experience when you can catch a "Trophy" bass, release it, and find no
need to tell anyone about it!
JK

It surprises me that they don't tell you to put your fingers in their gills
to lift them. They do it on all of the bass fishing shows, even Roland
Martin and his competitors.

Putting your fingers in a trout's gills is just about the worst thing that
you can do if you're going to release the fish. I suspect that it's not
all that healthy for any fish.


"bassrecord" wrote in message
...
The time is upon us to have the opportunity to handle BIG largemouth bass.
That would be about 6-7 pounds Northern strain and 13+ pounds Florida
strain
or interbred hybrid, although the techniques should apply equally well to
smaller bass and other species.

As bass these sizes approach their species maximums, if you choose for
them
to survive, special precautions should probably be taken. The people
probably with the most experience in proper care and handling of BIG bass
is
the ShareLunker program of Texas' Freshwater Fisheries Center. Here is a
link to their 9 key points.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/inf...harelunker.htm


However their list is not complete. It is missing several related but
very
import items that must be done.

1. As soon as your BIG bass is secured in an aerated environment and
before
any pictures are taken, immediately proceed to the nearest lavatory, head,
restroom or facility and take care of business. The offensive odor will
eventually subside but teletale water marks in the crotch of your pants
will
remain in the pictures forever!

2, Call your brother-in-law or close friend and tell them to immediately
purchase in your name just one lottery ticket - that's all you'll need.

3. Call your stock broker tell him to purchase in your account today every
stock he recommended.

No doubt this list needs additional refinement. Good luck!
John










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"Sierra fisher" wrote in message
...
It surprises me that they don't tell you to put your fingers in their
gills
to lift them. They do it on all of the bass fishing shows, even Roland
Martin and his competitors.

Putting your fingers in a trout's gills is just about the worst thing that
you can do if you're going to release the fish. I suspect that it's not
all that healthy for any fish.

There's a difference between putting your fingers in a fish's gills and
holding one by the gill plate. The former "Might" damage a fish, the latter
will not, be that trout, bass, pike, muskie or walleye.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"Sierra fisher" wrote in message
...
It surprises me that they don't tell you to put your fingers in their
gills
to lift them. They do it on all of the bass fishing shows, even Roland
Martin and his competitors.

Putting your fingers in a trout's gills is just about the worst thing that
you can do if you're going to release the fish.

Well, actually, recent experiments conducted in vivo (as it were) suggest
that splitting them lengthwise with a rusty hatchet can be every bit as
deliterious as mucking about with the gills. Um......haven't done it
myself, so I can't confirm these findings.......but then, I've never exactly
drifted a continent or evolved any new species either.

I suspect that it's not
all that healthy for any fish.

Safe enough bet, I guess.

Wolfgang
and science marches ever onward.

I made the mistake of landing a 17 pound pike once by the gills - tore my
fingers to shreds! I sure as h-ll wasn't lipping that creature...

Warren
--
http://www.warrenwolk.com/



"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...

"Sierra fisher" wrote in message
...
It surprises me that they don't tell you to put your fingers in their
gills
to lift them. They do it on all of the bass fishing shows, even
Roland
Martin and his competitors.

Putting your fingers in a trout's gills is just about the worst thing
that
you can do if you're going to release the fish. I suspect that it's
not
all that healthy for any fish.

There's a difference between putting your fingers in a fish's gills and
holding one by the gill plate. The former "Might" damage a fish, the
latter
will not, be that trout, bass, pike, muskie or walleye.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
I made the mistake of landing a 17 pound pike once by the gills - tore my
fingers to shreds! I sure as h-ll wasn't lipping that creature...

You stuck your fingers in too far and either got caught by the gill rakers
or if waaay too far, the teeth in the back of the mouth.

Practice makes perfect, now you just have to do it a couple thousand more
times and you'll have caught up to me.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

I'm always scared of getting the line or lure a tangled with the fish on
release and catching my hand with a painful of wrong kind of hookset. You
really have to take your time perhaps forgo a picture and check and double
check .
A couple of the Cdn fishing hosts on TV display real expertise in handling
large fish. Positioning a fish and opening the mouth to remove a deepset hook
is another skill. Even if you are just assisting another angler.

How about just pouring the fish out of the net and onto a soaking wet towel?
I've checked local regulations (Rochester NY) and found that it is legal to
photograph a fish on a towel. Holding it up in the air by its gills is
ridiculous and unnecessary, unless your brother's name is Clevis and your
mom wore a backwards Caterpillar hat while she was giving birth, in which
case it's a tradition to hold a fish that way for 10 minutes while telling
anyone who'll listen that a fish should go back in the water ASAP if it's
expected to survive.

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" wrote in
message ...

"go-bassn" wrote in message
...
I made the mistake of landing a 17 pound pike once by the gills - tore
my
fingers to shreds! I sure as h-ll wasn't lipping that creature...

You stuck your fingers in too far and either got caught by the gill rakers
or if waaay too far, the teeth in the back of the mouth.

Practice makes perfect, now you just have to do it a couple thousand more
times and you'll have caught up to me.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

I think if you are taking a picture of a held fish you should take the lure out
of it's mouth before hand. Taking the lure out first tells you how much time
you have left to take the picture. If it is difficult to take out you may
decide to forgo the picture to preserve the life of the fish. JMHO