Cryptic Mortality

[Embrey]

I'm not sure I buy this I have lived on a seven acre lake for twenty five years I have always handled fish by the lower jaw and I have never witnessed dead fish other than the few times I gut hooked a fish and tried to release him I might see him floating the next day.

As far as the vacuum in the mouth what I have witnessed is they **** water through there mouth and gills which pull the bait into their open mouth, I do not think a hole in the mouth area would affect this.

Sorry I just don't see any evidence to support this theory..

i agree...all a bunch of crap. guess they better tell vandam and all the guys to quit doing it too...lol. unless the fish is really big, i dont see it. and i catch fish all the time with 3 or 4 holes in its mouth. guess their suction still works pretty good

[sweetwater]

Does holding a fish by the jaw damage it anymore than riding it around in a livewell with 4 or 5 other fish for the better part of a day then carrying them onshore in a plastic bag to be weighed, then you pick it up by that same jaw for a photo then release it in water that is sometimes several miles away from where it was caught? Just a thought.

[fishinfreak]

That's weird that they say a hole in a bass' mouth can cause them to not be able to eat when I've caught plenty of bass missing their top lip or the corner of their jaw had been ripped out. I remember a few years back my buddy caught a 6 pounder that had a mouth that looked like Swiss cheese she must have been caught 10 times in her lifetime.

[nitro929]

I killed him

[nitro929]

and this little guy too, i guess i should of read this before i went fishing today.

[nitro929]

Both were caught on a 3/4" red eye shad. so i know i left some holes.

[RoadToad]

Let's apply some common sense to the situation. Dinks like that probably aren't getting hurt. Jack the jaw of a 7-pounder and you may well be causing some damage. It's not good for any of them, and what's the point?

[DJD]

Let's apply some common sense to the situation. Dinks like that probably aren't getting hurt. Jack the jaw of a 7-pounder and you may well be causing some damage. It's not good for any of them, and what's the point?

Exactly, it's very easy to handle the fish properly. Personally, I don't hold them out sideways unless it's a big one and then I do use the other hand to support the body weight.

[wolfewiz]

If knowing the weight is important, you can just leave in the landing net and weigh the fish and net. Then you just subtract the weight of the net. For bass you can use a trout wading net or similar (kayak net). Additionally, a hawg trough is nice to have around too. Then hold horizontal for a photo if you want. If you are alone you need to have a camera mount on your boat.

[bob46]

that same article said that a hole in the side of the jaw from the hook could kill the fish because they **** the bait in, and it effects the suction power they have. That article was in a magazine i picked up at sportsman wharehouse for free was camping at horse park you must visit backwater and sportsman wharehouse and buds gun shop while you are down that way.