Stop holding the fish vertical!

Well, more topic to play with, and get flamed.

Since us floaters are close to the surface, we're already at arms level to hold our fishes in horizontal, double-handled method, wetting our hands before man-handling the fish.

However, I can confidently say 90% of us still hold the fish vertically when we CPR (capture, picture, release). Why would this matter?

Fishes in the water swim horizontally. They descend and ascend horizontally, in an angle. They don't go vertical in the water. When being pulled out the water, the majority of the body mass suddenly shifts from horizontal to vertical, creating stresses both on the jaw and the body. Imagine you're wearing a 100lbs weight in additional to your own body weight, and someone grab you by the jaw, lift you up, and suspend you. What's the damages resulting from that event?

The comeback statement probably fired back like, "Well, I CPR, and nothing happen to the fishes."

How would you know? Do you swim with the fish for the next 3 to 5 days, to monitor their physiological damages before they go belly up? Recently, there were double digit basses bellied up, not only being dragged from the depth too quickly without proper deflation, but also jawline damages due to improper handling. There goes the prized sport fishes you guys are chasing after.

"I handle my fish with one hand horizontally with no problem."

Sorry to say, but you just damage the fish's jaw, preventing it from properly feeding due to permanent opened jawlock. You might as well have kept it.

"I properly handle the fishes using both hands during CPR."

Did you actually protect the fishes by wetting your hands first, or place it on a wet towel to prevent the protective slime layer from being stripped off?

Sport fishermen like to toss their catches right back into the water like the fishes are dolphins. My gosh, I see 10 to 25 years veterans, holding the huge fishes by one hand on the jaws, and just swung those poor things right off into the waters like their yesterday dead baits. I'm just baffled of their knowledge in handling prized fishes that they are chasing after. For me, I don't really care. I chase after fishes that I can eat, not released to be caught over and over again. However, catching a water monsters and release it will be a blessing to brag about in the decades to come, with cautious handling tactics.

We're all guilty of mishandling the CPR fishes. I'm included at time when I have to handle an aggressive fish for CPR. However, since I'm on the float, I tried my best to hold onto the fishes in the water, setting up the CPR station/deck/apron, and get the fishes into/onto it. But, the fishes that I will hold onto for my dinner, I will manhandle it vertically, or with one hand, clearly indicating that those victims will be my meals.

What's your take?

What a topic i saw if they are so delicate maybe they should not be eating my baits
Ok for real you have a good point i always thought that lipping a bass might kind of rough for the fish. I know i have plenty of pictures of my catches hanging by there lips. I will try to do better, but my question is as far the fishes protective coat, would the apron still be a bad thing for the fish. Thanks for the post bro.

Jeff, we all have a tendency to lip the fish, me included. Lipping is fine, but from the water level to assist the other hand to grab it out of the water. The problem is, when we pull the fish out of the water, the gravitation pull downwards becomes so great that the internal organs shifts to the bottom/rear of the fish as it goes vertical, and tearing the vital organs from the connective tissues. Tossing the fish back into the water create massive traumatic shocks. It's like you land horribly wrong in a belly flop from a 12ft high diving board.

The apron is a great way to use to protective the slime layer. However, that apron got to be wet at all time during the handling. Otherwise, have a micro fiber/tight woven cotton towel fully wet, and place on the apron.

i would have to diss agree on some of that stuff fish being lipped and held vertical is fine as long as u keep it vertical if u start going horizontal while liping it then yes that is the problem also fish do swim vertical sometimes iv seen a bass jump 2 feet straight out of the water to hit a top water bait and never use a wet towel of any kind your hands r the best thing im no expert on this but iv read and seen alot of this stuff on the fishing shows

Fisher, dully noted. However, here's someone, Tim Overbaugh, with many years of experience in fish taxidermy of prized catches that offer a bit of an insight to LMB, which pertains to various other species:

"Back when I use to do only skin mount taxidermy (Over 20 years experience), where all the muscle tissue had to be removed and the skin "taxied" on a manikin then dried, I observed an interesting find. When removing the muscle tissue from the inside of the lower jaw bone there is a clear solid tubular like tendon which extends from the front to the back on each side. What's interesting is, I found that when cleaning out this area, fish with the plate teeth such as Bass, Crappie, Sunfish and Perch this tendon would be fractured and or have hemorrhaging associated. The injury would be in the area were the jaw bone meets the cheek muscle, this is the pivot point of the lower jaw. I noticed this more in LMBass. Fish such as Northern Pike, Muskies and walleyes with sharp or pointy teeth did not have this injury. You usually don't want grab these fish by the lip.

This is only my observation of trophy fish that have been caught by anglers (years ago when we were't that aware about how to handle fish) and brought to me to have mounted. This only leads me to believe that the classic vertical 'lip' hold is not the way to go. I have found that fish struggle less when caught if they are cradled vertically under there bellies."

You are dead on about bass, carp, and various other species jump right out of the water, doing water ballet in mid air, but 2ft from the water's surface less than 3 seconds. We're talking about tossing the fishes from the boats, roughly between 5 to 7 feet above water's surface, after holding vertical for a duration of period lasting more than 30 seconds. The shift of internal mass lasting a few seconds vs a compressive-hanging internal mass in the minutes are much much greater in damages.

By the way, vertical ascending hasn't been studied in any aqua-species. It appears to be traveling at a vertical vector, but in reality, the vertical body in water creates less supportive force due the lack of supporting surface for that explosive movement out of the water. I'll introduce you to fishery management teams that will verify my findings from across the nation if you like.

Like This Topic.
U Know Its The Simplest things We Overlook. N This Is One.
U Rationalize AnD Say Hey If The Fish Can Handle A Hook In The Mouth And Struggle My Finger Is Nothing But Theres NO Way To Reallly Know.
As Enthusiast We Should Always Look For The Most Efficient Way To Handle Our Catches Just Like We Do Our Equipment.
If That Lunker U Bragged About Last Week Dies Bcuz Of Mishandling How Can We Give The Next Enthusiast That Same Experience.
I Will Try My Best To Remember This Piece Of Critical Info. thanx

Hey guys,

Here are my thoughts on this,...
Here again is a HUGE hot point issue that has been studied and argued about ad nauseum... (this is one of THE key issues amongst the anti sport fishing trolls)
Again I do not wish to get into the details, studies and arguments regarding "lipping fish" or "out of water handling" I think the point is moot. I think we need to back up a step to really approach this issue properly. And I think for we toobers and tooners it is especially applicable. We (toobers and tooners,) are as close to the surface, and the fish, as can be.

I am a strong advocate for not lifting a caught fish out of the water at all.

So here is how I humbly suggest you handle your caught fish, IF the issue of the fish's well being is an issue at all

1) net everything, no matter how small,

2) use a deep pocketed, large head, silicone mesh net.

First of all, the silicone mesh is considered the lowest impact net material to the fish's body and slime. Secondly, the deep pocket allows you to keep control of the fish without lifting him out of the water, or him escaping out the top. The added room and the soft nonabrasive material, allow the fish space to continue to thrash about safely and tire out so that he can be handled.

3) do not lift the fish out of the water!!! Raise him as close to the surface as will allow you enough control to unhook.

4) try not to touch the fish at all!!

OK,.. obviously hook removal is immediately an issue but, it is a learned technique to unhook a fish while keeping the fish in the net. It is not difficult to learn. There are numerous tools on the market today to help aid you with this. One way to alleviate the difficulty is to FISH BARBLESS SINGLE HOOK ARTIFICIALS ONLY!! (it's the future guys,)

4) if you want a photo, then shoot the shot with the fish in the net, while in the water.

Here is where a few intrepid photographers have developed some very slick techniques for capturing that trophy shot while keeping the fish immersed. From foldable plexi glass boxes to stretcher nets attached to their boats.
The simplest rig I have seen is a net holder attached to the side of the boat, that holds the net horizontally, close to the surface of the water and allows the angler two free hands to take the shot. (Special assignment for all you mad scientist PVC builders!!)

For me personally, (as most of you well know) I could care less about pix. I have fewer than two dozen for a fishing career spanning decades. But I realize that especially for a web site such as ours, pictures are key, as well, they are just the coolest record of a unique life experience.

OK,... all that being said, I think all of us do the best we can when catching and releasing our fish. But there are always improvements to be made.

bodfish

All fish must die, I like to use rags and gloves that dry to handle all my fish. I just hate having fishy smell on my hands. 

I have found the best way to handle them is by place the rags around there gills as this kills them faster 

LMFAO !!!!!

bodfish, very dedicated approaches. Indeed, it can be achieved. Would everyone adhere to your perspective approaches, I can only envision in my dreams.

miller,

miller wrote:All fish must die, I like to use rags and gloves that dry to handle all my fish. I just hate having fishy smell on my hands. 

I have found the best way to handle them is by place the rags around there gills as this kills them faster 

LMFAO !!!!!

Hee Hee!
Miller the Killer, you crack me up dude!

bodfish

use  a quality net

How about when we weigh the fish?

ChompOnThis wrote:How about when we weigh the fish?

    Easy, 
    weight the net (wet). when you net your fish weigh the fish and the net, subtract the weight of the net from the total. granted you will have to raise the fish above water for a moment, but at least he is within the protection of the net, and hopefully it won't take but a few seconds. There a few nets on the market that have scales built into them. 

    bodfish