Good info before season

[Rod Kotarski]

The following link takes you to the BASS website and gives you the table of

contents for "Keeping Bass Alive". I feel it is in our best interest to

minimize the negative effects we as anglers may have on bass. Please take

time to read the articles and consider all the points given to minimize any

injury to the bass.


http://espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/s/b_cons_bass_alive_contents.html

 

[Barb Baggott]

Soooo... Coronas and limes in the livewell are not called for....Mac...Ken!



There are a number of products that are being sold to add to your livewell to help fish. Any one use them?...If so...what are you results?....Do you recommend them?



Barb

 

[Rod Kotarski]

Barb, I do use a product, I'll be darn If I can't remember the name of it right now. I find the product to be helpful, It calms the fish considerably. I only use it when I fish long tournaments or if I'm fishing a 4 hour night tournament when it's rough or hot out. Although I believe that less is more when using the product, I capful is usually all you need. Rod

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Barb,

I have always been a big advocate of catch n release, the policy and the additive. I purchased all the release tablets they had left at the local Wal-Mart. They come 3-4 (not sure) to a tube, and I drop one in the livewell every 3-4 hours. I swear by them. I have not lost a fish in a tourney since I started using them. They relax the fish, reducing stress and promote a good slime coat, which is the fish's natural defense against bacteria. A few other tips, keep your livewell well oxegenated, and change the water at least twice during the day, do it out in deeper cooler water whenever possible. Also, wet your hands before handling fish, a dry hand can take the slime coat off quickly. And NEVER swing a fish onto hot, dry, carpeted decks, if you want them to live! Also in hotter weather, use ice in the livewell, it reduces their metabolism. DO NOT use ice cubes, it cools the water too fast, use chunk ice. I usually freeze 1/2 gallon milk containers the week before and just cut off the cardboard. 4-5 of these throughout the day, with well aerated water, and release formula will help fish from losing weight for weigh-in and insure a healthy release! Just my .02

 

[Bill McElroy]

I haven't caught a fish yet Barb, that's worthy of one of our C&L's!! But that doesn't mean that Champie won't help herself when Neeley and I stuff her in our livewell at the rally!! LOL

Mac

BTW,..I use Catch and Release tablets in my livewell....they work great!!

 

[Ken Neeley]

However, I almost hit the infamous dogfish from Pontiac Lake over the head with one last year!!!

 

[Jim Clevenger]

Since I don't fish tournaments, I usually eat a fish if it goes into my livewell! I keep mostly Kentuckys between 1.5 and 2.5 lbs. (although there is no minimum in Arkansas for them). I will keep a black up to about 2.5 lbs except when spawning (turn all the females back then). Anything else like Crappie is fair game anytime.



Caught a couple of Kentuckys and a 5lb black Sunday. Looks like the bass are ready to spawn any time now!



Jim

 

[Bill McElroy]

LOL...That Dogfish was deffinitely a stupid one....or darned hungry...probably BOTH!! Couldn't believe you caught that thing twice...on two out of 3 casts no less!! ahaha.....unreal.