Care Of Bass – Cutting Edge News From Texas, USA!

QUESTION: I enjoy watching YouTube videos of guys (and girls) catching bass, tournament shows included. What I really don’t like seeing is when these guys, whether fishing a tournament or for recreational purposes, pull the bass straight out of the water and slam them down onto the deck of the boat. To me it makes no sense, I feel like that, as a recreational bass fisherman, these fish need to be respected in a way, especially if it is making your money! What is the use of catch and release if you’re just throwing these fish around your boat? Does that slamming the fish down on the deck of the boat create any sort of short-term or long-term injuries or illnesses for the bass? Also, how should we handle the bass we catch? -Justin, Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal.

Excellent question, Justin, and to obtain the most authoritative info on this issue, I asked Juan G. Martinez, SHARELUNKER Coordinator / Hatchery Biologist at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center of the Texas Parks and Wildlife-Inland Fisheries for the answers (and his recommendations).

The SHARELUNKER programme is an ongoing research project to involve the public in the conservation and enhancement of trophy bass fishing in the state of Texas and to ultimately produce a world record bass through selective breeding.

The way it works is that any angler who catches a Largemouth Bass in Texas that weighs more than 13lbs is asked to donate the fish to the programme. Upon catching such a bass anglers are encouraged to call a 24-hour, Texas Fisheries hotline number. A fisheries professional is dispatched to collect the fish and transport it to a designated hatchery. The initial survival rate for donated fish was 72%, but through experience and education the survival rate is now 87%. Information collected from the Sharelunker programme regarding the care and handling of bass remains the most thorough and up to date.

“Handling of the fish after the catch is very important and most professional anglers are diligent in the care of their catch and use proper techniques,” says Martinez. However, he adds, just like in any sport, there are a few who get caught up in the moment and forget to respect their avocation and the resource that supports it.

Martinez says that good fish handling starts the moment a fish is caught. “An angler must land the fish as soon as possible because playing a fish to exhaustion diminishes its chance of survival,” he points out, and also cautions anglers to use a landing net with at least ¼” mesh and to ensure that it is wet before touching the fish, adding that rubber nets are safer than the more popular nylon nets. “We recommend a rubber or cotton net be used for handling largemouth bass. Rubber nets are safer than nylon due to the smoother surface of the rubber. The nylon strings can act like a blade, causing injury to the fish if it flops in the net. A small net mesh size is recommended to reduce the chances of injuring the fins and gill plates that might get stuck between net gaps,” he explains.

Anglers must also avoid excessive handling and dropping of the fish. Proper hook removal can be accomplished by gripping the lower lip, holding it vertically while still suspended in water, either off the side of the boat or in the livewell. “Do not allow the weight of the fish to rest on the lower jaw,” he cautions. “The correct method to lift a large bass horizontally out of the water is to use the two-hand hold. Clamp a thumb on the bottom lip and support the weight of the fish by using the opposite hand to cradle it just behind the anal fin,” he advises.

“We have seen a few entries into the Sharelunker programme with broken jaws due to holding the fish laterally from the lip with no second hand supporting the torso. The broken jaws were only observed when a necropsy was done on the fish,” Martinez says.

Data obtained through the Sharelunker programme has taught biologists that a bass should not be out of water more than thirty seconds at a time. This appears to be a new and revolutionary concept and should provoke thought for photographers and weigh station officials alike.

“The 30-second rule is important for a couple of reasons. Most importantly, if a fish is out of water it cannot get oxygen.  Keeping the fish out of the water for a long period of time is similar to restricting oxygen to one’s body. I tell anglers that a fish should not be out of water longer than they can hold their breath,” Martinez states.

The second reason for the 30-second rule is that the mucous membrane begins to dry quickly which can cause damage to the eyes of the fish and/or spawn a fungal or bacterial condition that leads to mortality. This stress is exacerbated by wind and temperature extremes. In addition anglers must always handle fish with wet hands.

 That is all good, solid advice, and ALL bass anglers should follow it, no matter what we see on television!

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