Correct way to hold larger Bass....

[Tony Livingston]

This made the rounds over at PondBoss, thought it might serve us as well over here. Beware the one handed grip! Broken jaws may not be apparent to the angler, but the damage to the bass can be terminal.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4...

[Tony Livingston]

I do the same thing. But, laying that fish on a surface other than water will surely rub off some of its slime coat, which may leave it open to infection or fungus. In the winter, I may fish with gloves and that's bound to rub off the slime. If I'm keeping that fish for the table, then who cares. But If I intend to release it unharmed, I guess my best hope is to support the entire fish with wet hands, photo opp or not.

I do have a lot of photos wherein I'm holding the fish draped across one hand, while grabbing a pic with the other. Someone once told me they knew a photo was one of mine because my wristwatch was usually visible in the pic....

[Andy is OptiMystic]

That's a tasty looking fish right there; just about the perfect size.

[jim cosgrove]

me too david.either in the wet mud or wet grass.i like to post a fish pic now and then but i am not out there to take pictures and i know what i caught cont need pics or mounts to verify it.most of my fish pics are taken by someone else with me

[Slip Sinker]

It'd be nice to see that smiling mug more often Jim

[Slip Sinker]

The only problem then is actually dropping the fish. Myself I've been holding bass with the lip grip since I was 10... I think the real problem is the angle I see pros holding them up at a 45 or so. Being the conscientious angler I am I believe there may be a benefit of horizontal especially with big northern and musky.... that's why I'm evolving into an automatic camera type of angler... go pro etc and tripod for the phone.
I do have two pics of the same bass caught 20 mind apart and a sunfish two hours a part After each being released and caught again.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I gotta feel Ken Is on to something here.....

[Andy is OptiMystic]

There is some truth to that; if you fish at all you will likely harm some fish and sometimes they will not recover. You try to limit it but it does happen.

[Tony Livingston]

I think when we get right down to the root of the thing, fish aren't designed to be held, period. We all do it, me included, and I certainly never considered that every fish I've ever held died from me doing so. But, really, how do we know? Bluegills have physically smaller jaws than bass, are they correspondingly weaker?

Is a "thumb in mouth" hold on a bluegill actually harming that fish?

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I think this is the root of the problem. They were intended to be thrown from the water into the fire.

[DAVID L EITUTIS]

GOOD ONE SCRUFFY !!!!!!!!

[Leo Nguyen]

Over and over again, we always see pros and rookies hold the fishes improperly. Great recap Tony. Keep pushing the awareness.

[Slip Sinker]

the most popular repeat catch and release LMB of all time... Dottie

i am horrified the way these pro on the circuit treat their  catch once out of the water... there is absolutely no need to grab your fish and slam dance them on the deck of their boats then pick them up by their jaws at a 45 deg angle and snap them in front of the camera. i refuse to watch or support any of those "programs" til more respect is shown for their fish..