Big M To The Kings Night Fishing

[merc1997 Bo]

I like that Mill Creek format of only 4 fish to try and keep alive in this hot water. Be nice to hear how they think that is working as far as liveability for the fish.

There have been tons of times both at Shell Knob and at Campbell Point the day after these Summer night tournaments the dead fish around the ramps looked like we had LMV all over again.

Really hard to take proper care of them especially as Bo said if they are coming right at the thermocline and that cool water going into a livewell that is 85 plus degree. Hope everyone is using ice and really trying their best to take came of them.

bill, i have not fished the mill creek tournament on a regular basis for a number of years, but back when kelly williamson and i did, they started lowering the limit brought in mainly because most coould not catch an 8 fish limit. the reasoning was to cut down on dead fish. but, those that were bringing in the dead bass all the time were not the ones that brought in 8 bass limits.

the key to not killing bass this time of the year is to care enough to take care of them in the livewell. your livewell temps need to be 58 to 60 degrees. leave your recirculator pump running continuously, add a bubbler system to your livewell. after adding a bubbler system to my livewell, i do not even have to run the recirculator.

i like the 4 bass limit because it really makes you fish for 4 quality bites. it really changes how you fish.

bo

[Guest]

siusaluki

i have used a lighter jig with the addition of a slip sinker on the line for eons. i only peg it if i am flipping. here is a list of why this is a deadly technique.

1. i rarely ever use a t-rig anymore. why?? because a NuJig is more weedless, hooks more accutately than a bare hook, and allows you to fish soft plastics with an exposed hooks.

2. the reason for using a slip sinker on the line with a lighter jig is profile related. smaller heads blend in with worms or smaller plastic offerings. therefore looking more natural. so, when added weight is needed for deeper water or a faster fall rate, you just add the slip sinker size to get the needed weight.

3. often times bass are keying on smaller profile food. so, when we are fishing a skirted jig, but are fishing 30 feet deep, most everyone reaches for a jig with a heavier head. but, this provides a profile that is bigger than what the bass are willing to eat. so, to solve the problem, you only use a 1/4 to 3/8 jig, and add the needed weight slip sinker to the line to get the required fall rate.

depth and speed are most certainly the most important things to get a bass to strike. but, lure profile can also be a big factor. there are times in the later part of the summer that big bass, especially, key on bigger meals. this is when big worms or crawdads are very effective. but, there are many times that a smaller profile bait will fill the livewell.

hope this explanation will help.

bo

Makes a lot of sense. Thanks for the explanation.

[basscat123]

I'm sure I'll get jumped on for this comment BUT maybe tournament fishing should be halted during the hot summer months. I know anyone who fishes these wants to think they release unharmed fish but that is almost impossible since your livewells are pumping in water from 2 feet down that is very warm and has far less oxygen. Or at least an altered format like they use in some of the TV fishing shows where fish are weighed immediately and released.

Don't worry, I have broad shoulders for those that think I'm crazy.

I think you have a great point and unfortunately Bill is correct too. The summer tournament fishing does take a toll on our fish population. I like what Joe and the gang at Mill Creek have done with the lower fish limit but, there still begs a question. Should we take even more desperate measures during these months. As far as my boat, I bring fresh water from home in my livewell, put some ice in it to cool it and also treat the water and as Bo stated run a bubbler too and I don't seem to have any fish mortality however with that being said...if I cool these fish down and then release them back into 80+ degrees surface water, whats to say that that alone won't stress them to the point that they don't survive? I'm just speaking from a point of reality, it also won't be popular either but, still true. I would be interested what anyone else has to say on this.

Jay

[merc1997 Bo]

I think you have a great point and unfortunately Bill is correct too. The summer tournament fishing does take a toll on our fish population. I like what Joe and the gang at Mill Creek have done with the lower fish limit but, there still begs a question. Should we take even more desperate measures during these months. As far as my boat, I bring fresh water from home in my livewell, put some ice in it to cool it and also treat the water and as Bo stated run a bubbler too and I don't seem to have any fish mortality however with that being said...if I cool these fish down and then release them back into 80+ degrees surface water, whats to say that that alone won't stress them to the point that they don't survive? I'm just speaking from a point of reality, it also won't be popular either but, still true. I would be interested what anyone else has to say on this.

Jay

jay, as long as the fish do not have the bends, they will take off good as new, and seek cooler water if desired. bass are cold blooded, so the issue is O2 levels and bends. with bends, that is the beauty of having your livewell temps 10 to 12 degrees cooler than the water they came out of. gas is expanded by either pressure or temperature. we are expanding the air bladder on deep fish by pressure change. i know many fizz the bass, but temperature control is much less invasive and just as effective. i use this same system on winter fish, and never have any with expanded air bladders that prevent them from swimming off.

bo

[basscat123]

Great explanation on how to care for the fish. One thing we started using a few years ago was when we caught the deeper fish or even a fish that seemed stressed in the livewell was to add the weight clips to their belly fins to hold them upright in the livewell for awhile. Doing that along with cooler water and the bubbler system seems to work really well. I have found that once they have been held upright for awhile that they will be fine also. I know that we need to be vigilant about taking care of them.

[bluebasser86]

I like that Mill Creek format of only 4 fish to try and keep alive in this hot water. Be nice to hear how they think that is working as far as liveability for the fish.

There have been tons of times both at Shell Knob and at Campbell Point the day after these Summer night tournaments the dead fish around the ramps looked like we had LMV all over again.

Really hard to take proper care of them especially as Bo said if they are coming right at the thermocline and that cool water going into a livewell that is 85 plus degree. Hope everyone is using ice and really trying their best to take came of them.

Some of our local weeknight tournys are going to 3 fish per team year round to help cut down on stressing and killing fish. It's really good to see guys realizing they have to protect the fish they're after.

[Terrierman]

Weigh, photo, release. Super complicated, I can see why nothing like that would ever work for a tournament.

[Quillback]

I see it more as a trust issue, when there is money on the line, people want to see the fish.

[Smalliebigs]

Weigh, photo, release. Super complicated, I can see why nothing like that would ever work for a tournament.

AGREED!!!!!!! The guys stroking themselves because they cut the bag limit down so they kill as many fish is absolutely comical. I have put in at the Baxter ramp before after some little stupid tourney and there are dead bass all over the place, I have seen it with my own eyes......if you are denying you are lying.

Don't pretend you care about the fish because you cut the bag limit down during hot water temps....that's funny.....most tourney guys ONLY care about their egos and the money.....the fish don't mean shiot, you can say you care but, your actions of yanking a bass form the water to your seating area and banging the the shiot out of the fishes head, instead of using a net tells us everything we need to know about how much you care. Seeing all of the dead fish after weigh ins shows us how much you care. Yeah you tourney guys care about those fish alright.......hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

reason number, I can't count why I quit tournament fishing.....give me a break!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[abkeenan]

I see it more as a trust issue, when there is money on the line, people want to see the fish.

^^----This. A weight, photo and recording of a fish just would never work unless there is an unbiased 3rd party marshal in the boat with them like BASS or FLW would have. People will cheat under any format if they don't have big brother watching over their shoulder. It's unfortunate but it's reality....people will cheat.