ADAM’S ANGLERS’S TIPS – LIVE FISH……………..
Every bass tournament angler has experienced the shock of opening your live well lid to upturned bellies from your prize catch. Dead fish! In most cases this means that you cannot cull the fish and you will also be penalized on your total catch. There are several factors that may cause a fish to perish throughout the day. Some of those factors may include Ph balance, temperature of your live well, injury incurred by the fish when hooked or handled, transporting a fish through rough waters, removing fish from deep water or simply overcrowding your live well. I have a simple tip that I learned from an angler from Minnesota named Josh Douglas (JoshDouglasfishing.com) that will help you reduce the mortality rate of your fish to ensure that they arrive at the scales and are able to swim free. Often times when a fish has been hooked and fought for a long time or handled excessively it will show signs of exhaustion exhibited by rolling over or going “belly up.” If you experience this simply clasp a 1-2 oz clip weight (commonly used for lake trout and walleye rigs) onto the anal fin of your worn out bass. This will allow the fish to sit calmly at the bottom of your live well while it is rejuvenating. In turn it reduces how often you have to handle the fish roll it over by hand. Also add some oxygen pellets or a release-aid and keep the water well re-circulated. You can’t save every bass but this technique will certainly help reduce the mortality rate of your catch in the heat of summer when it is tough to keep your live well properly cooled, and also when you are taking bass from deep water. You can make your own fish saver from some cheap alligator clips and some 1 oz catfish weights. Should you get lucky enough to catch a giant you may need a few ounces to keep the fish down at the bottom.
Adam Daywalt
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