Bass & Boat carpet don't mix

[TR20bh]

Just a point to get out to everybody with rising water temps & stress on our fish. Please don't high stick your fish onto dry, hot boat carpet or take pictures with the fish on dry carpet or other surfaces. This removes scales & the protective slime coat that keeps infection & fungus from attacking them. It's like our skin that protects us from infection! I saw a number of bass last summer dying with white fungus growing in patches on them. These were bass that were mishandled, released with good intentions, swam off strong, but died later. Please protect our fish by using a rubber meshed net or lipping the fish out of the water. Take pictures in a wet net or on a dampened weigh-in bag. Letting them flop around on dry carpet WILL kill bass. BASS' No-net ruling is a terrible example & if they could accurately measure delayed mortality, they might rethink it! Makes me sick to see these pros high stick a fish onto the floor & it flops everywhere before they throw it in the livewell!

 

[Gator]

Well said Ben !

 

[Miles_11]

Thanks for the insite. All good points t9 follow.

 

[bassinbrian]

Great point!

 

[pinsandfins]

Well said and very true

 

[pinsandfins]

Once again, well said and should be read and followed by everyone. Don't be lazy people.

 

[TR20bh]

Sometimes a bass is going to hit the floor & you can't do much about it. But with a little extra care, that can be held to a minimum, & fish can be released in the best possible shape with the greatest chance of survival! We had a fish in the 5# range Sun. that had an eye infected, fungus growing all around its back & sides, had a cull tag hole in its lower jaw. We handled her carefully, released her, but in 5 min., it was floating belly up. Immediately trolled to see if getting her into a cool livewell with non-iodized salt would help, but she was dead when we got to her. No doubt this was a fish that had been carelessly handled & died a slow death from infection, fungus & post spawn stress! We just need to take special care this time of year!!

 

[dtw2]

Release to the grease and you dont have to worry about carpet burn lol

 

[TR20bh]

dtw2 - 6/6/2017 6:40 PM

Release to the grease and you dont have to worry about carpet burn lol[/QUOTE

Hot as carpet gets this time of year, you can just about fry em right when you catch em! Just want folks who are regulars on the Chick to take extra care, cause most of the visitors don't really care! I moved here in '87 & watched the Chick turn into Sickamauga. Just hoping it won't happen again!