Catch and released bass

[agelesssone]

As I was loading out after a trip yesterday, a bass tournament weigh in was taking place. (Long Hunter)
I had to wait my turn to get to the dock so I was sitting out in the water, watching guys come down to release their fish.
A couple of guys would reach into their sack, grab a fish by the jaw and just give it a heave, like a carcass from a fileted fish.

When I got to the dock and tied up, there beside the dock was a four pound bass, belly up, doing its last quiver.
There was another bass that looked to be about three lbs just sitting in 10 inches of water like it was confused and didn't know what it was supposed to do.
Makes a person wonder how many fish the bass tournament anglers kill every year, doesn't it?

[SAMBOLIE]

You gotta have a positive outlook.
Those poor fish give their life so that the fishermen can boast of their skills in winning. Never mind that they may be having a detrimental effect on our fisheries.

[TNBronzeback]

I launch out of long hunter almost exclusively for convenience and its like that just about every weekend.
Sounds corny but i honestly feel bad for the bass. They dont get treated with the respect in thier care and handling as they should if the tourney people actually cared about thier sport. Maybe its just a few isolated people, but still. Seems like a tourney launches from almost every ramp on the lake every weekend and if several bass per ramp die X so many ramps....thats alot of dead fish per weekend across the ramp.
Its sad. Not a tree hugger, but similar to people putting bad shots on deer and not caring about the suffering animal. Not apples to apples, but fairly close.

[jad2t]

Guys don't be ridiculous here. Bass's sole purpose in life is to be used for a tournament, slung around in a livewell, grabbed by the jaw, weighed in a plastic bag, and almost certainly dying as a result of it.

As long as they feel morally superior for releasing a (soon to be dead) fish, that's what matters here.

I see guys online making a cult out of catch and release bass fishing "so they can spawn" but they have no problem killing a deer during the rut, a big deer at that. What's the word I'm thinking of here... oh yea, hypocrite.

[TNBronzeback]

Just out of curiosity cause i dont know, when the big crappie tours are on, like on KY lake soon, are those C & R as well or do the guys have the option to keep/donate? Same with the PWT Trail up north as well i guess.

[thehick176]

Like all Hybrid and Stripers are caught and released unharmed. Smh

[Lepomis]

Kinda like keeping fish "for pictures" to be released later. If the color is faded from about half the tail or other fins of a fish, it's doubtful it will live.

Maybe someone here knows the legalities of it, but could those dying fish be dipped up or picked up and cleaned for eating?

The quality and size of the livewell counts for a lot. That's why I don't put a fish in mine unless I'm sure I'll eat it or give it to someone else who will.

[Texas_Rig]

This is a touchy subject for me. I have feelings on both sides. I absolutely love fishing bass tournaments. I've gotten more serious into bass fishing the last couple of years and started to fish a few tournaments. When I have a tournament coming up; it's all I can think about. I'm not fishing for any large sums if money but the competition just drives me to fish and prepare as hard as I know how. Now with all that being said I fished a tournament on KY Lake last summer and had a 2nd place finish. When I went to release my fish on the second day I released a 5lber that was alive but I was sure wasn't going to live. I knew I wasn't going to eat the fish and no one else was either. So I released her. I thought about that fish the whole ride home and for the next couple of days. I had a large sense of guilt knowing that fish died just because it ride around in a livewell all day in June so I could weigh it in and show it off. It didn't sit well with me but I got over it after a couple days. Luckily I haven't had one die since as I'm sure I would have the same feelings. I understand both sides and have just decided to take care of my fish the best I can and hope for the best.

[thehick176]

I agree totally with Texas Rig. There are points from both sides, which are brought up a few times a year on here. It stirs up a commotion then goes away.
Just someone searching for attention obviously.

[deezelteck]

I like the Major League Fishing method. The fish is measured and weighed, then returned to the water within minutes.

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[agelesssone]

SMH, saw the same thing today.
Nice 3 lb smallie, released nicely at the boat ramp, the fisherman, watched it go belly up and he walked away.

Delayed mortality was also highly variable
......https://www.bassmaster.com/tips/keeping-bass-alive-inital-delayed-deathe studied tournaments, ranging from zero to 52 percent.

[agelesssone]

SMH, saw the same thing today.
Nice 3 lb smallie, released nicely at the boat ramp, the fisherman, watched it go belly up and he walked away.

Delayed mortality was also highly variable
......https://www.bassmaster.com/tips/keeping-bass-alive-inital-delayed-death studied tournaments, ranging from zero to 52 percent.

[Heiny57]

i like the major league fishing method. The fish is measured and weighed, then returned to the water within minutes.

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x2

[oldhick]

I like to fish tournaments and I can count on one hand the number of fish I have had die on me the last 10 years. I guess delayed mortality is a possibility, but those fish are wild in my livewell when I go to take them out - doesn't seem like the grim reaper is nearby.

I do always:
Run recycle every 3 minutes
Run areator every 3 minutes (unless in real shallow warm water)
Rarely use culling tags
Keep the top closed and water cool
Cull rapidly w/out putting fish on floor/seats

I don't feel morally superior, I just want the fish to live like most folks.

[AllOutdoors]

As I was loading out after a trip yesterday, a bass tournament weigh in was taking place. (Long Hunter)
I had to wait my turn to get to the dock so I was sitting out in the water, watching guys come down to release their fish.
A couple of guys would reach into their sack, grab a fish by the jaw and just give it a heave, like a carcass from a fileted fish.

When I got to the dock and tied up, there beside the dock was a four pound bass, belly up, doing its last quiver.
There was another bass that looked to be about three lbs just sitting in 10 inches of water like it was confused and didn't know what it was supposed to do.
Makes a person wonder how many fish the bass tournament anglers kill every year, doesn't it?
Could make one also wonder how many that live? Many tournaments are better than others as far as getting fish weighed and back in the water. There are many variables involved out side of just the tournament. Many days that I fish I will catch one or more that might be hooked in the gills. If I'm fishing just because I like to fish, should I quit? Good discussion and points made. I just think there are too many variables involved to assume tournament anglers are just there to rip lips, slam on the the floor, and jostle around in a live well all day. I see lots of folks do the same while fishing for food and not have enough for a mess and turn them loose at the end of the day. Some just haul them around to get pics at the end of the day. I wonder how many they kill? I see plenty of pics of jaw jacking through out forums and most of them aren't from tournament anglers. I could go on. Fish how you like, educate where you can, and respect the fish and the resource. There are some that want us to stop fishing period! And it has nothing to do with 2 dead fish out of a tournament.