What To Try After Dark?

[pt1]

Nice fish. Should make good eating and a some nice large filets. Great job.

[Sac River Jim]

nice fish and enjoy a nice fish dinner.

[REDSOXWSCHAMP]

should of gave the fish some of the coke you were holding, and it would have made it.

[Sprint21fter]

_{1 big fish isn't going to kill the gene pool. Stuff happens sometimes. Buddy of mine a couple of years ago was fishing the Mill Creek Night Tournaments caught what would have been the big fish of the night and stringer. Put the fish in the livewell with rejuvinade formula checked the fish through out the night and on their way back in opened the livewell and she died on them lost big fish and stringer due to their rules. Things happen that are out of our control. Nice Fish.}

[Champ188]

Sprint is right. Fish die sometimes despite our best efforts. It's been a challenge on some days lately to set the hook before they swallow it. I'm happy to say that Donna and I have only killed one in the last few weeks but it could've been a lot worse if not for us being diligent to set the hook before they swallow it.

Good call to keep it instead of throw it back dead (or mount it). Having it go to waste would have been far worse than it dying and going on the dinner table.

[Old plug]

Every picture I see of this bed rig it is stuck in their throat. How often does this happen????? I rarely fail to lip hook a bass.

[BiteMeBaits]

To answer your question rather than probe you for keeping a legal fish, use a texas rigged black or dark colored craw type bait or even brush hog. Also a black spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade slow rolling works well.

[dtrs5kprs]

Every picture I see of this bed rig it is stuck in their throat. How often does this happen????? I rarely fail to lip hook a bass.

Plug...it's a worry, but usually resolves as folks develop some touch. I rarely have an issue with it at this point, and would say I end up with far more fish deeply hooked when dragging a split shot rig with a doctor or centipede. Tubes are also bad. Really a lot of the smaller plastics we have to use in clear water can be a hazard.

Very important to know how to deal with a deeply hooked fish, if/how to remove a hook, areas deeper in the mouth where hooks can be safely removed. I carry a set of the lever action removers. They will spin and back out a large number of hooks that can't be reached with pliers, and seem to cause minimal damage. Pretty much anytime you can get the little notch on the bend. I also carry diagonals with a long reach and will snip the occasional hook.

Worst thing you can do is go to ripping on a deep hook. If they are not bleeding when they come in the boat, they should leave the same way, most of the time. If you are using the right heads, the small size and fine wire should help you keep them healthy.

Most of mine come in looking like this on the little rig...

[dtrs5kprs]

Not sure how I got double pics. Sorry.

Should note, fish in the bottom pic has the bait well in her, but is stuck up top. You will see a good bit of that, sort of looks deeper than it is because the bait is so small. Scares the dickens out of me once in a while.

Another like that...

Also remember a post from a Bill about ten days ago, and the trouble they were having with deeply hooked fish on the doctor. Think it happens more this time of year as well, when water temps are really in the prime range, and the little devils are fired up.

[Ham]

this Ozark bass had it In the lip