# holding bass for pictures



## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

It seems like well over 50% of the bass pictures I see here are of people holding/thumbing a bass and then trying to get the bass in a horizontal position with one hand. I would think this is not good for the bass(it isn't) How about either 1. support the back of the bass with your other hand or 2. Take a picture of the bass in a vertical position. Am I being too PETA? I just want to not harm the fish. Would you want your body weight hanging for your jaw or lever-armed?


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## heyjay (Mar 22, 2005)

I like to take the picture with the fish in the vertical position . 

From everything I've read about how valuable the slime coat is to the survival of the fish. I never lay the fish down to get a picture . What good is catch and release if you're not giving the fish the best chance for survival ?


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## Fish4Fun (Apr 6, 2004)

crawdiddy i don't think your to peta or anything. This website is here to help fisherman and women out. Weather that be in fishing spots, friendship, or education. The key to the survival of our sport is education of young and old alike. As heyjay put it: It does no good to realease a fish if you just killed it or broke its jaw or injured it severly. The more educated we become with catch and release and the care of fish that we are going to C&R the higher success we have of that fish living and being there to catch agian. I will be the first to admit that i have learned alot from some people on the site.


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## Rooster (Apr 8, 2004)

Yep, after reading that bass could be injured (on this site), Ive started supporting them under the belly (while holding them horizontally). I was surprised to find that they become very docile when held in this manner, and they are much easier to control. But, I think that it is OK to lip them if you keep them completely vertical? The damage occurs when lipping them and attempting to hold them horizontally? I also think that it is much more critical with BIG fish (smaller fish obviously have less weight to support)

Now that is a happy bass!


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Happy to see that that fisherman are starting to realize that holding the bass by the jaw in a horizontal position without body supprt can and often does serious damage to the fish. The small bass fall into the same consideration as the larher ones as their jaw structure is proportionate to their size. Large/long fish like Northerns and Musky should be left in the water in a large net or sling as their spine and internal organs can be damaged by hanging them vertical or holding them horizontal in a swayback position.

I am really bothered by the TV persoality's holding the exhausted fish out of the water for a protracted period of time while they 9TV personality) have dieraahea of the mouth.


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## FutureClassicChamp (Jan 16, 2006)

unless youre dealing with a monster, i dont believe it to be an issue. i think the 20lbs of force you use in a hookset is much more stressful on their jaw than lipping them for 40 seconds to get the hook out and take a picture.


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## Hoss5355 (Apr 9, 2004)

But how happy was that bass.?.?  

Where's your thumb Rooster...  

J/K man, nice bass....and I hold em the same way...


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## Master Angler (May 26, 2004)

Rooster's pic shows the best way to hold a bass for a pic. Unsupported horizontal is just as bad a vertical. notice his pic has elbows in and the fish about 1' away from the body and it is framed properly with the fish in dead center and his head is cut off and the bass' mouth is jacked wide open. If you wet your hand before handling there is little danger of loss of slimecoat. If have seen lots of bass w/ black handprints on them from lack of hand wetting.


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## Fish4Food (Mar 20, 2006)

Good to know rooster has perfect bass handling form... keep up the good work man, nice fish


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## Hawghooker (Apr 14, 2004)

what i have heard, and actually tried and its true, is to hold the bass w/ one hand under the middle of the belly. not only does it prevent injury to the jaw, but they also remain still so you can get the hook out quick and painless for them then get a quick pic and back in the water.


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## mojo (Apr 12, 2004)

I've never thought it was bad to hold a bass totally vertical by the lip. I always thought it was better than touching the body to hold it horizontally. I never ry to turn the head horizonal though. It seems people especially like to do that with crappie, which seem much more fragile than bass. Has anyone actually read where a total vertical lip hold is bad?


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## midnight (Jul 12, 2004)

as f4f said im always learning something from this site.what about when your fishing alone.i always take a camara with me,not much choice on how to hold them to take a pic.


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## Big Joshy (Apr 26, 2004)

This would be a good example of the wrong way


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## BornToFish (Aug 22, 2005)

There has been much information out there about the proper handling of fish, but many don't ever take it seriously. A completely vertical position is fine, but the example above is obviously wrong. It's also not a good thing to grab your tournament catch (Ike), and run down to the crowd for 5 minutes, shaking, and throwing your fish around. The horizontal method is the best, with support under the belly. The slimecoat thing is a little overrated, it's not that easy to remove the slimecoat.>BornToFish


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

u arent expose to hold tghe bass horizontal with one hand unless the fish is under 2 ld because it will hurt there jaw


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## billybob7059 (Mar 27, 2005)

this is some good info to have. I am like most and always lip bass. I however don't really support thier weight. now after seening this I'll be shure to do so.


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## peple of the perch (Sep 13, 2004)

i agree this is a good topic.i have never held a bass that way. also do not stick ur finger down a sheepheads or a carps mouth to get out a hook. they have crushers that r made for crushing crayfish and other hard things and it herts. im just board i dont even know y i am typing this i just thought of it lol


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## crawdiddy (Apr 10, 2006)

if I was fishing alone and had a digital camera to take pictures I would do the following. I would take a picture of the fish while lipping it in the vertical position. You can practice at home using a book (or anything of about the size of the fish you will catch) and your camera to see what zoom settings and where to hold the camera and fish, etc. Once you got this down you should be able to get a good pic on your first shot. If the fish is a toothy critter or carp or catfish, etc and you want a picture just take one with the fish in your boat, the grass, or whatever and get it back in the water quickly. I'm glad I posted this bc the picure shown of "bad form" is like most of the pics I've been seen on here. Also someone mentioned 2 lbs and less is ok to hold horizontally. I don't agree with this. If its true (which it may be) its assuming perfect form (no twisting forces put on fish). To be safe I hold vertically or horizontally with 2nd hand support. Thanks for all the input on this.


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