J-Doc Posted February 9, 2014 Posted February 9, 2014 Due to the winter blues and frozen water conditions, I've been watching a lot of fishing shows on weekends instead of fishing. Which sucks! But.........better to watch fishing than no fishing activity at all. I especially enjoy watching Major League Fishing. What a hi-stress situation to put the pros to the breaking point. Part of the series imposes a 2min penalty for every improper fish landing and improper release of fish. If the fish hits or touches the floor, their body (belly), there is a 2min penalty. If the pro tosses the fish, there's another 2min penalty. I've watched several people on shows simply chunk the fish back into the lake. This REALLY BURNS ME UP. I have a great deal of respect for the fish especially when I'm trying to release it safely vs. taking it home for table fare. I always release the fish slowly by holding it by the mouth and allow the fish to get it's bearings for a nice stress free release. Sometimes, I get a spash from the fish which means he/she was freakede out a bit and was still a bit stressed. If they swim away slowly, they are being released properly. I'm no scientists and no one has proven how smart fish are or how a carefull release of fish is impacting the fish itself (even though studies have been done). It's just my personal opinion that fish should be released carefully and gently. Respect your sport and don't "toss" fish or chunk them back into the water. That can cause damage in some instances. That's my soapbox for the day....... Need marine repair? Send our own forum friend "fishinwrench" a message. He will treat you like family!!! I owe fishinwrench a lot of thanks. He has been a great mechanic with lots of patience!
dtrs5kprs Posted February 9, 2014 Posted February 9, 2014 No doubt. But...watching the same thing (on now) have noticed one behavior that all of the competitors seem to have developed as a response to the "no floor" rule. Looks like they are all clutching the fish to their bodies after swinging them...jerseys, pants, etc. Not sure how much better that is vs. putting them on the carpet. Gut feeling is this method is not much better. Maybe they will address it down the road.
J-Doc Posted February 9, 2014 Author Posted February 9, 2014 Most of the "swing in the boat" fish I saw they bring up and into the boat and then grab the line, then the fish. If it touches their body, they are supposed to be penalized. Regardless...........it just burns me up when I see people throw a fish into the water. Is it hurting the fish? I don't know. Maybe not. I just have enough respect for them that I personally prefer to gently release them into the water. Need marine repair? Send our own forum friend "fishinwrench" a message. He will treat you like family!!! I owe fishinwrench a lot of thanks. He has been a great mechanic with lots of patience!
Ham Posted February 10, 2014 Posted February 10, 2014 Why don't they issue them a nice rubber landing net that would not hurt the fish at all ? Every Saint has a past, every Sinner has a future. On Instagram @hamneedstofish
dtrs5kprs Posted February 10, 2014 Posted February 10, 2014 Most of the "swing in the boat" fish I saw they bring up and into the boat and then grab the line, then the fish. If it touches their body, they are supposed to be penalized. Regardless...........it just burns me up when I see people throw a fish into the water. Is it hurting the fish? I don't know. Maybe not. I just have enough respect for them that I personally prefer to gently release them into the water. We just watched three of them (in demand DVR) from the Chatauqua NY event. There were lots of bass pinned between legs. Never saw a penalty for that. Did see penalties for digging fish out of wrap ups, which is bizarre. One of the worst was Jason Quinn. Had a couple come unbuttoned swinging in, hit the carpet, then when the penalty was already earned he would just pin the fish to the deck with his foot, camera rolling on all of it. Given the rule, and the goal, it was pretty bad. I'm with Ham. There are certainly worse ways to boat fish than with a nice wet and slimy rubber net.
Quillback Posted February 10, 2014 Posted February 10, 2014 I bet Shaw Grigsby was wishing he had a net when he got that 5+ lb. smallie to the boat only to see it pull off the hook. Not that he would have caught KVD anyway.
dtrs5kprs Posted February 10, 2014 Posted February 10, 2014 I bet Shaw Grigsby was wishing he had a net when he got that 5+ lb. smallie to the boat only to see it pull off the hook. Not that he would have caught KVD anyway. No kidding. That was the MI event. Did you see the brown fish Hackney caught in NY that weighted 6-14? Flipping a foot of water under a dock? Crazy.
Justin Spencer Posted February 10, 2014 Posted February 10, 2014 It is much worse to grab a fish with dry hands then it would be to toss them in. I ALWAYS put my hands in the water before handling a fish even in winter. It is all about protecting the slime coat. Keeping the fish out of the water for too long is also very harmful, if you cant get the picture right away hold them in the water until you are ready. Tossing them in probably isnt great for a fish but unless it is violent I doubt it really hurts them long term. You harm the slime coat and they may die a week later. "The problem with a politician’s quote on Facebook is you don’t know whether or not they really said it." –Abraham Lincoln Tales of an Ozark Campground Proprietor Dead Drift Fly Shop
Al Agnew Posted February 10, 2014 Posted February 10, 2014 I agree...grabbing them with dry hands is probably worse than tossing them in, unless it's a big fish that you've played for quite a while before getting them in. For one thing, the big fish hits the water with more momentum, and it's more stressed and worn out when it hits. I always release my larger fish very gently, but the little ones usually get dropped, not tossed, from a foot or so above the water. I doubt if it harms them. I've caught a few fish, and seen quite a few in aquariums after being caught, that had black areas or fungus growing on their lower lips, which is obviously from having been grasped by the lower jaw and the slime coat removed, so I too always make sure my hand is wet when I lip them, and try not to let them touch any dry surface. Definitely do not want them touching the boat carpeting, and that does drive me nuts about the tournament guys who hoist them in and let them flop around on the carpet. When I measure one in the canoe, it's always on the wet, smooth, cool paddle blade. In the jetboat, I have a measuring tape on the flat aluminum edge of the front deck, but I take the time to splash some water on it before lying the fish on it to measure. Since I very seldom use the jetboat in the summer, I don't have to worry much about that aluminum being hot, but if I did that would be another thing to make sure of, that the deck plate wasn't going to cook the slime coat.
J-Doc Posted February 10, 2014 Author Posted February 10, 2014 All good points. I don't think I have been very cautious on wet hands but will going forward. There are lots if varying opinions on slime coats and what's best for the fish but I'll definately do what I can to keep the fish healthy. So they are there for someone else to enjoy and to protect the fishery. Need marine repair? Send our own forum friend "fishinwrench" a message. He will treat you like family!!! I owe fishinwrench a lot of thanks. He has been a great mechanic with lots of patience!
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