Bass TOURNAMENT Mortality (This Might Shock You)

[@gooseonamoose673]

I %100 agree with this guy. He doesn’t just say, “these fish are dying so we need to stop fishing tournaments and catch and release fishing” he reasonably thinks things through, and realizes that mortality rates exist outside of what humans do, and that there is a circle of life. But he also tries to show people how to be more careful when handling fish. This is just perfect my guy!!!

[@BassFishingHQ]

THANK YOU DUDE! I really appreciate you watching the whole video and understanding exactly what I was saying. You are the man!!

[@bassanglerxxx8444]

Oh yeah also Ponds not deep enough or not enough cover

[@Tiresmoke7]

I'm doing my part. I hardly ever catch anything !!

[@BassFishingHQ]

That actually made me laugh out loud!

[@halfbassin]

Hahahahahahahah. Ok.. this guy wins!

[@Charlieavery12]

sameeeee

[@hunterjarnigan7220]

Me too bud

[@Shawnpimpin601]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@CreekFishingOhio]

Personally I’m very annoyed every time I see a “pro” one hand a fish at 45* or almost horizontal.

[@legionssb]

Bad for their jaw, spine and other things... I mean cmon!

[@outfishing3909]

Couldnt agree more I've seen people do it with some monster fish, be gentle imagine if I grabbed your jaw and decided to try and force you against gravity by it

[@randomguy-hs3px]

This poor fish handling has made its way into European perch fishing because "it looks good"

[@my95buick]

Yeah. We get it, they have big mouths. It's dumb to put all their weight on the jaw

[@fragelicious]

Puts way too much torque on a larger fish's whole head.

[@Biiilllaaal]

Literally most of these huge fishing channels just hoarse the fish in. Bend its jaw. Keep it out the water for too long.. they dont care about the fish. As anglers we gotta respect the animals and environment. Clean up after ourselves. If keeping, keep our limit and make sure of legal sizes. Just follow the rules. Treat the animals with care like how you would treat your pet. We have fun catching them so lets make sure they return back healthy and happy. Because we went to them, they are in their homes

[@TsunauticusIV]

I have always cringed hardcore when they do those unnecessary and theatrical hook sets. They are absolutely injuring fish via the aforementioned stupidity. Hooks are SHARP. You don’t need 100 pounds of force to pull that hook point through a bass. You can literally just continue to reel and the hook fully sets the majority of the time. Hard hook sets are not required for bass. Try it out. Stop doing hook sets. You’ll see what I mean. NOTE: Unless you are using larger live bait... you don’t need to set the hook like a fool. Even with larger live baits... a small pull will set the hook just fine.

[@jamesleary1405]

I've said it for a long time about these bass channels and how they recommend 40 50 60 and 75 lb braid for bass which is absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary. It has became all about just rushing a fish in just to get back fishing quicker again. I hate seeing bass ripped across the surface of the water then just tossed back like it's life means nothing too. If we wanna be able to always fish and pass our loved hobby onto our children then people need to fish more smart and with more care of these fish. Like whatever happened to enjoying the fight and being excited about a catch? Anymore it's just oit of hand how all these channels give bad info to new fisherman with the way they set the hook handle the fish and reel them in etc....

[@jirredvang901]

Can you name these so called channels???? Maybe you've never caught a big bass. The only way to bring it in without losing it is to hoarse it in as fast as possible. When I do it the jaw is fine not misshapen or deformed, no bleeding i let them go right after a picture and weigh, and they swim away perfectly

[@jirredvang901]

@@jamesleary1405 how does a high pound line affect a fish??? High pound line doesn't mean how much force is used on that fish, it just means it takes that much force to break the line. Just because a line is 80 lbs doesn't mean the fish is going to take 80 lbs of force to the jaw🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@jamesleary1405]

@@jirredvang901 totally wasn't my point just so you know.

[@H8er-Maker]

I like the clip of Ike smashing rod when he lost in OT. As if he was breaking his rod in the name of bass mortality during tournaments. Not holding tournaments when the majority of Bass are spawning would help secure the future. Obviously not all bass in the lake spawn at the same time but scheduling half the amount of events during the spawning months can only help the future population.

[@BassSniper209]

that's an excellent idea the practice that in the Canada I looked it up a while ago

[@alabamaoutdoors4468]

Fish spawn here in the spring after flood rains then Tva. lowers the water and kill the eggs , most bass here spawn in March , Tva backs the water up April 15th and leaves it, 2 late !

[@troykemp3398]

Exactly!! I just did a tournament on Chickamauga, 227 boats. Day 1 dead loss was 23, day 2 was 18, I took those fish and cleaned them. Out of the 41, 18 had eggs, 2 weighed over 8 lbs, and the majority was over 4 lbs. I love fishing tournaments, but I think we should stop having tournaments during the spawn months! Have the big championship tournaments in the fall

[@tonydulac4344]

Not sure about other states. But I know maine shuts down weigh in tourneys during the spawn

[@bassingthrough]

I agree!

[@richardsousa2625]

I hope this study encourages more people to do remote weigh ins for a faster release. For example every morning kayak anglers register a tournament approved scale and weigh in their fish remotely. Or on every boat a tournament approved referee holds the scale and gets the official weight on the fish This was a great view tyler, shows your uniqueness in the KZbin fishing community and is a fair and balanced example of scientific reasoning, bravo

[@slimetime4668]

No it needs to cause a crack down on tournaments it’s ridiculous local people working full time jobs feel the need to fish tournaments constantly with nearly zero regulation....all these big tournament lakes hold way too many tournaments

[@jonathansnyder8686]

@@slimetime4668 idk, as explained in the video tournament Angler’s don’t harm bass as much as recreational anglers. I think catch, photo, release may be a way towards better practices for the local tournaments, similar to how kayak tournaments are going. Barbless may be a good addition as well. I’m not sure how any of this will affect integrity of the sport, but it’s an interesting conversation.

[@olesmokey394]

Fuck that ima keep any big fish i catch from now on they will become dinner we dont waste meat around here

[@matthewpetto8942]

I really like the Remote Weigh in idea. Down here in Miami-Dade we have journey's every month and remote Weigh in is how we do it, also video of a healthy release is a requirement or it doesn't count.

[@matthewpetto8942]

@@olesmokey394 you should never be allowed to put a line in the water.. There's this thing in fishing called a "Slot" We only keep slot fish, and we release anything over 20" as they are most likely breeding females.

[@danluther1741]

Excellent vid!! What also chaps my hyde is the disrespect for the fish I see all the time on youtube & elsewhere. Parading a nice bass around for God knows how long for all the world to see to literally throwing them off a high bank or chunking them right in the middle of a thick mat of algae etc... Personally, I think we need to call out (In the comments) youtubers (& some are "pros!) for mishandeling their catches! I haven't kept a Bass in over 40 yrs. & on smaller lakes/ponds, I know for a fact I've caught the same fish 3 or 4 times. I tell em all "get bigger buddy!" & am as gentle with them as possible. Encourage everyone to RESPECT THE BASS!!

[@avshockey6633]

Yup. It always cracks me up when some KZbinr keeps a fish out of the water for 2-3 minutes then says something like "I want to get this fish back in the water quickly."

[@nineinchrails3361]

Absolutely. I agree.

[@chiggensandich23]

That scream at 11:48 scared the crap out of me it's 3am lmaooo

[@BassFishingHQ]

As I say in the video most of these studies all happened before 2007, I simply couldn’t find studies done on this subject after 2011. I think a lot has changed since then and bass mortality has only decreased. Hood you guys enjoy!

[@Mrdank1987]

If you know the information is old and inaccurate then why post it? Just for content? Sad, I'll continue to follow others not spreading inaccurate information. The title might as well say, PETA says tournament fishing kills 68% of fish. 100% cringe worthy.

[@williamwood9213]

They are legally catching fish. Would you rather they keep the fish and have a fish fry. Then the mortality rate would be 100%.

[@papaslick83]

You're being irresponsible making this video all for the sake of your clickbait.

[@BassFishingHQ]

@@papaslick83 I think you should watch the full video to understand completely

[@undeserved1781]

@Seeking The truth This is the way it should be done, PERIOD!!! This tournament stuff is a sack of it, the chaos of it all is bs. I could list so many negative things associated with the bass tournament, from local bass clubs to bass, and the rest, that would take lines and lines. They all know this stuff, but much like most of the world that thinks the world revolves the individual, they don't care in all honesty.

[@jonathanhardman2425]

This video was EXTREMELY well made. Props to you for doing the research and putting in the time to make the video.

[@lstaples007]

Catch, weigh, release... MLF style... it makes the most sense

[@antbanks7548]

You would have a marshal for every boat, just not really gonna happen. I kinda like the kayak way of doing it when the take a picture of the fish and get its length.

[@johnhammond6225]

First time I fished a kayak tourney I thought "wow this is way better".

[@DrewJanke_fishing]

I agree with you it is the best way but it gets too hard when you have smaller tournaments such as local tournaments where there are not enough people to put a Marshall in every boat and not enough money to do that

[@Dark_Z58]

If all anglers were issued a camera and everyone is allocated the same spec scale. Recording each weight and releasing the fish right after seems most effective

[@isaactrujillo76]

Did you not watch? MLF has a higher mortality rate per day.

[@troydenlinger7587]

I’ve always wondered how bad the delayed mortality is in Lake Erie when smallmouth are caught in deep clear water 10-20 miles offshore and then brought back into shallow warm muddy water in Sandusky bay.

[@timappleton2962]

Great video , i fish lots of tournys all year and it should be our #1 concern for the day is our fish care , the bass are the most important factor to the sport we love . Smashing bass down on a carpet , or not iceing down water in the summer is something we see every tourny , lets all take better care of the fish !!!

[@BassFishingHQ]

Yes we definitely should take care of them!

[@bricemantel3191]

Worst

[@j.n.572]

Stop boat flipping bass onto the carpet of your boat. Use nets, always handle fish with wet hands. Learn to properly unhook a deep-hooked fish and when you should just cut your hooks. If a fish is going to die, then keep and eat it. Stop fishing for bedding bass, definately don't hold tournaments during the spawn. To use your Sam Rayburn example, Texas stocked over 600,000 bass in 2023 and a similar munber in 2022. That is a pretty aggressive stocking program, meaning the fishery is not actually self-sustaining through natural reproduction as you imply in your video.

[@shortiehannya808]

Thank you so much for putting out this info! I'm going to school for Fish and Wildlife and your channel has been such a significant help with writing my papers. Don't worry, I always give proper credit. I've been asking these questions and I'm glad there's research to answer them. Thank you for educating the public. Conservation is best done through education and through participation on every level.

[@ScruffyCityFishing]

This video is great! I sometimes wonder if states aren’t 100% honest with their studies as the tournaments bring in so much money. I think one of the solutions is to charge tournaments special fees that go back into hatching and stocking fish proportional to the wear and tear on the water.

[@robertcastleberry5108]

In ga all of our lakes are man made. All of our fish have been stocked at one time or another and are stocked annually. Our fish are payed for already. Most other states do it also except states with natural lakes. In my state we have funded our hatcheries to the point if you build a lake it will be stocked for free. If it was a natural 100% resource then I'd agree.

[@skystrider0911]

You do know that our state taxes pay for wildlife and fishery programs right? As in the people who stock the lakes and check that wildlife laws are being followed.

[@robertcastleberry5108]

As a contributor no they do not falsely report. The permit fees are to limit tournaments on some bodies of water and restocking is done through license. FYI. all fish except in rivers are stocked in ga. They didnt exist till we put them there. Hint,Kentucky bass.

[@thomasolson7447]

@@robertcastleberry5108 that's so cute. You think the data we get is real. When money and the government is involved, expect the corruption of data. Do you also believe the 20 or so US politician's that have $100m+ got their money from good ol' fashioned insider trading? Or maybe you are even more gulible and think they got it legitly. What about the Covid-19 data? You also believe in that?

[@evancole3620]

I love the original content you keep up with! Personally I think your channel’s content is only second to Tactical Bassing. You’re going to start growing FAST once people catch on

[@BassFishingHQ]

I really appreciate you saying that dude. Thank you!

[@matthewpetto8942]

TB is a little gimmicky tho

[@TaterChip91]

I've never done a tournament, but I preach catch and release and I RARELY even keep catfish these days. Last week I had just barely got my kayak in the water and about 3 minutes in i hook on my first bass of the day. When I lifted him in I saw (he or I) hooked him in his gill plates and the damn thing completely bleed out in my kayak. I shut it down right then and started to get back to shore to go home. I carry my rods, back pack , and cooler to the.im walking back and some dude saw the largemouth, grabbed it and THREW it back in the water. I was like yo man, wtf? He looks and says "you don't keep bass ass hole. " During a little heated conversation, I point out where he threw and said "you see his belly above the surface? That means the little guy is not in the best of health at the moment." He didn't say much after that and saw the blood in my boat. A few more F yous from me and hime I just walk away. Lucky for me, I had my grease from my loader at work with me and GLOBED the driver side door handle and a small amount on the rubber part of his windshield wipers. Then I hit the road. I just wish I could have seen his reaction 🤣🤣🤣 Fuck that guy.

[@Xcemic]

We should Love everyone on this earth (and God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit). Luke 6:28 “bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”

[@dr.max9yt459]

That’s not okay. 2 wrongs don’t make a right.

[@brettb4452]

You guys are soft. I'm with the original poster. F THAT GUY! Mind your own business. Good job Tater!

[@barryhowell9]

One of the top 3 Bass Angling channels on the Tube! Thanks for all that you do! Love the content, and you’re a hell of a teacher as well! Learned a lot from your channel! 🎣👍

[@DevonHumpert]

Awesome video. I think the best thing we can do for the sport is to increase the awareness of proper fish handling. I'm not perfect but I try to never hold big fish vertically or at a bad angle that puts pressure on the jaw. I also think the MLF style of catch, weigh, release is the way to go. Even going by length, like kayak tournaments, is a great alternative.

[@oj3927]

One of the problems is how damn hard these tournament anglers set the hook

[@miguelg4556]

You ain't lying buddy

[@richardcraig8780]

That's exactly what I was thinking

[@darrenmadden1908]

😂😂😂

[@timfontenot9921]

Lmao. Y’all so silly.

[@richardcraig8780]

@@timfontenot9921 It's the truth though.

[@ericthelen7906]

Wow this video is incredibly insightful and really puts a perspective on what really happens to bass in tournaments or by casual anglers. I have wondered for some time about this and Tyler has done a great job with actual research. It's almost disheartening to watch and know more bass die than you think. I do wonder if larger bass have a better chance at survival than smaller though?

[@matthewpetto8942]

It depends on the health of the fish in that fishery. If the pH is off, warmer water and low oxygen then size really doesn't matter as much as species. LMB are pretty fragile for a game fish. Whereas Peacock Bass which are really Amazonian Cichlid are waay hardier and don't have to be handled as gingerly

[@Antznewz]

I want to know what difference having a frozen milkjug in the livewell does during those hot tournaments. I have never brought in a dead fish using one and they are so lively its hard to get them out, but I wonder if they die afterwards due to the quick change in temp.

[@marioortiz7264]

Yeah tht would probably be my guess but also makes the most sense since when changing water in fish tanks u want the water temp to be around the same as the tank. The temp shock could be a very good reason for them dying after being released

[@jarod5179]

Or just stress

[@randomguy-hs3px]

I keep large cichlids and they are very resilient to water temp fluctuations ( within reason and obviously not ideal) imo your approach is best. I would sooner temp shock fish than keep them long periods in a low oxygen potentially high ammonia environment As greg says water changes would make all the difference

[@derekp6636]

@@Kangawallafox thats my technique when i keep em in the livewell, dump and refresh the water frequently. Typically we just like to take a nice photo at the end and release em all anyways but I keep the white bass for the skillet.

[@hankvana2149]

The surface water temperature is too high for fish. I've insulated my livewell and have a (weighted) 5 foot length of hose attached to my live well water intake pump so I'm filling and replenishing with cooler water from deeper down. I usually catch a bunch of panfish if I want a fish fry but will occasionally keep a couple of bass or walleye for the table. Since I fitted the hose to the intake pump I haven't had a fish die in the well - even if there's a dozen crappies in there for hours on a hot summer day.

[@Rustyshackleford752]

I can see how less bass dies from tournament fisherman cause I do fish tournaments “lightly” and I can tell you, when you got a bass in the live well on tournament day...that’s the single most important thing to keep alive at that very moment. Very informative video and well put together, subbed!!

[@arthurshowstead1157]

tournements are ruining fishing on lake champlain ....im fed up with the bs

[@model101jr5]

I live on Sam Rayburn. It's a madhouse with all these damn ego fest tourneys. Smfh

[@RobertSmith-wh5jb]

Hell tournaments are ruining fishing on every lake. These people can be some of the biggest assholes on the water next to someone who is drunk.

[@thomasflores7817]

Damn, lake near me only has 2 annual tournaments. 1 day in the spring and and 1 day in the fall. You wouldn’t even know about the tournaments unless you were looking for them.

[@bigeyetuna6228]

I have a little lake near me I’ve been fishing for almost 40yrs, I know most the fish personally, I’ve gut hooked fish and then caught the same one 5 more times, just cut the line and release it quickly and gently... I think lots of this is hand ringing, people who love the sport are extremely careful with the fish...

[@nineinchrails3361]

Cut the line?? With the hook still in their mouth??

[@bigeyetuna6228]

@@nineinchrails3361 9in rails🤙🏽🤙🏽🏄🏻‍♂️🍀🍻😆😳👍, if it’s gut hooked absolutely, very little stress on the fish, gives the fish time heal and the hook to rust out, every thing they eat has sharp, fins and bones, Cheers 🍻

[@nineinchrails3361]

@@bigeyetuna6228 haha I’m guessing you like 9 in rails. Haha jk Yeah I mean that actually makes some sense. I overlooked the part in OP where you said you’ve gut hooked. Happy fishing! ✌🏼🪝

[@josephmiller997]

@@bigeyetuna6228 This is an important point, and one I was thinking about while watching the video. There's no way you're getting that deep hook out without killing 'em. We can afford hooks for god's sake. We spend plenty of money on this hobby. Cut 'em loose and let 'em walk.

[@bigeyetuna6228]

Absolutely correct, I’ve caught fish that are craping a rusted hook, most will rust out in a month or less, at least the barb will and then they can expel it, most fish can completely empty there stomachs if needed, Marlin do it to the point the whole stomach is expelled threw the mouth and I put it back in as I’m releasing the fish, the practice of a quick line cut and release should be the taught technique, it would save a ton of fish, people’s feel as they need help the fish they have injured and they land up killing it...

[@ks_bass_snob]

Great information as usual....... The number when taken by themselves are shocking, however your close out really helps to bring it into focus. Thanks for addressing this topic and for your research.

[@ryanlundy2519]

It would be cool if tournament directors stocked new bass in an equal or greater number that get caught in each tourney. Just as a conservation effort.

[@whybillyporque]

I gut hooked a fish once, i felt so bad bonking. I love that you're bringing awareness. My respects to you, hats off

[@devinwillis7787]

If you gut hook then cut the line and leave the hook. The studies I have read shows they are much more likely to survive

[@miguelg4556]

Need the fish care video immediately breh!

[@nineinchrails3361]

Yup. I was hoping he would have some fish care tips in here for all the disrespectful anglers, or new anglers that want to be more careful and respectful to the fish

[@jasonbreard3828]

Sneakily becoming one of the best on youtube, keep it up brother!

[@jonnygranville281]

I hate to see bass mishandled. I still remember the first bass that I killed on accident. It got the hook in his throat and was bleeding. I assumed it died and it made me so sad. Be gentle and hold them carefully.

[@nineinchrails3361]

Yeah this exact thing happened to me. The bass wasn’t floating or looked like he was dying when I tossed em back in but I assumed he didn’t make it. He picked up my Texas rig worm and I didn’t feel it until I saw my line coming back towards me. Probably had the worm in his mouth for 5-10 seconds till I noticed.

[@matthewpetto8942]

It happens.. it's unavoidable sometimes.

[@ChuckCooper]

Thank you for the research you've done. There is a lot to think about here. I can't wait for the "bass care" info.

[@jimmyfireball]

I’m British, and I watched a bass tournament video a few months back and I was shock to see the poor treatment of the fish. The guy filming catch 3-4 Bass ranging from 3lb-8lb. All the fish he catch we placed into, what looked like a 15 US gallon bucket, half filled with water. No air stone no lid, the sun beating down on them for the 4-5 hours of the tournament.

[@1221Ralph]

Bass fisherman do this on non tournament days just so they could get a "hero" shot at the end of the day.

[@jimmyfireball]

I don’t get it. If I catch a good fish, I unhook it in the net, leave it in there in the water to rest. Then take it out of the water for 1-2 minutes, to take a pic, then back into the water ASAP.

[@1221Ralph]

@@jimmyfireball That's how it should be done. However, lots of bass fishermen want to get a photo of them holding up their 5 fish limit on both hands. Just for social media. They Cary around those fish all day in their live wells (even in really hot weather).

[@marcrobinson5498]

I quit tournament fishing because of total lack of concern for the resource. The last event I fished I found out later the tournament director aloud boats without functional live wells to compete. All the fish rose two guys had were dead and they won with minimal penalty. I approached the director about this and he had less than no concern about it.....we never spoke again....to say the least, I burned that bridge. People are followers by nature. If those at the top push to take care of the fish and actually do it on camera a lot of people will follow suit. Bashing them off the windshield, holding them up to brag for 10 minutes, or holding them up dead and proud at the weigh in promotes that way of thinking to all the new up and coming kids and college guys......this will be the baseline where they start. If you're not to taught that something is wrong, then it won't be. Then one day all waters are depleted and no one knows why. Taking care of the fish stretches a lot further than sunday's tournament folks.

[@jonn2749]

I would say that it definitely has decreased. Most of those studies were done long before modern live wells and aerators. Look at the difference between bassboats now and bass boats in the 70s 80s and 90s. Ride and handling plays a huge difference in the mortality and overall keeping of bass in wells.

[@ChadHooverFishing]

Loving your videos brother. 👊🏻

[@BassFishingHQ]

Thanks for your support Chad. I really appreciate it!

[@afiblacksails23]

Now I also wish there could be a study that determines mortality based on how fish are released for example the people who properly swim the fish or the idiots that toss the fish as far as their little arms can throw. There are a ton of care products for carp fishing after the catch to give them a better survival chance maybe if we develop some of that for bass like a spray to help them adjust better to water temperatures slowly rather than a system shock. Anyone who has bought fish knows you set the bag in the tank and let the water gradually change to the tanks temperature before releasing the fish into the tank. Temperature controlled live wells could also be a huge benefit to survival for the bass.

[@jacobbenjamin2442]

I understand I will get a lot of hate mail for this but I love fishing and love tournament fishing and I’ll be honest I my house we eat bass sometimes if I’m fun fishing or practice fishing and I can see a fish bleeding or just have a feeling it’s not gonna make it I bring it home and we eat it. My wife says do you deer hunt with rubber bullets? No so understand you may be the death of a few fish make the most of it and feed your family and teach them about it so that future generations get it too. Great video!!!

[@jasonshelton3749]

THAT'S WHY I CATCH AND RELEASE IN GREASE

[@terryclayson6592]

Good info Tyler on this subject. Keep up the awsome vids. That was very good information.👍

[@BassFishingHQ]

Thanks I appreciate you watching!!

[@logansquires2191]

Where’s the video on how to increase bass survival rates?

[@shamrock5725]

Great video, lots of important information and thanks for touching base on the fact that every lake and region is different. Also, with just how much temperature matters for fish survival on release that southern states should have an ethical standard to fish less in the hotter months. One observation is at the end of the video you say you will release another video about how to "increase bass survival", but its been over a year without a video being made about such topic (unless I have missed something or even a link to someone else doing something of the same topic.

[@dontnonowuno9953]

ALL tournaments should be weigh and release.sponsor pays .

[@Unrealized_Gains2024]

You can always tell the idiots that comment without watching the video.

[@stoneysdead689]

True- immediately releasing a fish doesn't insure 100% survival rates but- it sure improves their chances of survival. Putting them in alive well and then a bag, then weighing them and all- it's much tougher on them than just being caught, looked at for a second, then released. That said, during the dog days of summer here it gets so hot, the water is so low of oxygen- if you catch something and it fights you much at all, it's gonna die. I usually stop fishing during this time because it's very difficult to catch anything anyway and if you do, it usually dies.

[@speaker9694]

This is a cool study! I think it’s just like hunting. In a hunter’s ed course I took as a kid, the one important fact that I remember is that humans are part of the ecosystem. By harvesting the correct amount of animals, you are saving other animals from dying during hard times of the year when factors such as limited food come into play. It is the same for fishing, and I assume that even when the fish are released and die, this could even help the ecosystem by leaving food in the water for other decomposers, which eventually feed bass again. As long as these mortality rates overall stay in a good range, the ecosystem is in its healthiest state. We are the stewards of the Earth. We must take care of it by harvesting and preserving in the correct way.

[@JForr64]

One major thing that can and should start immediately is not holding the fish by the lip and prying it's jaw open. A long time ago researchers pointed out this is harmful to the fish yet it's still done constantly!

[@kalae7036]

1st vid I’ve seen from your channel. Really, appreciate this information.

[@martynshaw884]

A major concern many of us that catch and release our bass, is that on may of our western lakes, the tournament anglers transport and release their bass many miles from the prime spawning areas during spring tournaments. Even though many of these bass survive the catch and release tournament, their spawning cycle is disrupted and that bass does not produce new bass for a year.

[@donprescott9660]

Another great video! Very well presented!

[@chriscosby1561]

Depends on care of fish gentleness of release keeping fish wet not destroying protective slime etc I stocked my own ponds have even named most of my bigger fish and have caught them multiple times have little to no mortality the only mortality I have is fish I take home to eat.. which is healthy for the bass population.

[@SneakersAnonymousMatt]

I def been saying this for couple of years to people to people that look new or may ask me questions about what i'm using to catch fish because I think this is something most people skip over reason when bank fishing I really don't take pictures with all the fish I catch I just take pictures of the big fish I catch an not all of them like some people would do I just release them back as soon as possible after taking hook out.

[@DoubleTFishing]

Great information, that was a deep dive!!!!

[@19empire85]

Really great video! I've done some research on the subject myself and I've watched several other videos and this is the best one I've seen. Alot of good information here. I think a big problem is the huge amount of new anglers in the last few years, and not all of them of course, but alot just dont get it and really dont seem to care. Just seems getting that perfect photo for instagram is far more important to them than the health of the fish and that's just a shame. Cant wait to see the next video!👍

[@BassFishingHQ]

Thanks for watching man. I appreciate it

[@lufkin412]

Love your videos, keep up the great work

[@BassFishingHQ]

Thanks for watching man

[@catchofthedave8681]

Its amazing to me how many livewell/weigh in major tournaments we still have. Everything needs to go to the mlf style weighing or kbf style where that many judges can’t be had. The app used for kayak tourneys gps tags you while you are live fishing, theres a tourney code given that morning that has to be in every pic. Its not foolproof, but neither are livewell tourneys which is why you still have lie detector tests and stuff for tourneys. If someone wants to cheat bad enough, they are going to unless theres a judge on site for every catch. Putting fish in livewells to get beat around doing 30 mile runs and stuff, Stresses the fish out severely and causes a lot of delayed mortality. Bigger fish definitely are more susceptible to stress dying, as are fish caught from deep water and pulled up shallow, sometimes their swim bladder gets messed up, and if you don’t know how to fizz them, they can get stuck floating shallow. I just feel like we can still be doing more to protect live fish. I recently saw someone take a 9lber and say they were going to get it mounted. Killing a fish for a mount these days is barbaric and stupid when most the mount isnt any of the actual fish. Taking many pictures, getting length and girth measurements to get a replica mount is the way to go. Replica mounts look just as good, if not better than an old school taxidermy mount.

[@shantmhammond8431]

A great study to follow this one would be one of the money put in by catch and release fishermen and traveling tournament anglers who buy licenses (which works towards stateside management of local waters) and the support it provides to conservation and local businesses. I get that it may be for the increased number of clicks on the video but there is no reason to shit on the catch and release fishermen as well as the tournament fishermen who are the reason the sport continues to grow and why our treasured fishery’s are maintained (both in the title and preview). I appreciate the numbers presented but this could’ve been better represented. Without the support the community gets who knows where the bass populations would be. That said, I wish you nothing but the best and hope you continue growing. Best of luck.

[@brandonflynn1047]

Pretty simple solution. If your tournament fishing don’t be a jackass and turn your livewells on as soon as you catch one and keep them on the whole time until you load your boat. If you feel it’s going to be a little while before they’re weighed then keep your aerator running. I’ve never killed a fish while doing weekday or weekend tournaments by doing this. I do live in northern Pennsylvania but make no mistake our water temps can get fairly warm as well but just simply pumping in and filling live well then keeping my aerator running on its most constant setting suits me just fine. Good topic though and any information is good information on a subject like this

[@AShoresfishing]

My dad has a company and his product keeps fish alive. His company is Accu-Cull. His cull tag doesn’t squeeze the skin of the jaw or break the jaw (which causes stress in fish and kills them) because there’s a tiny gap in the cull tag. He did not tell me to say this I promise.

[@Happily_retired]

Thank you. I looked but didn't see the follow up video on properly handling a bass once caught. I think I'm doing it right but would appreciate the current information. I recently retired and starting fishing again after a 30+ year hiatus so what I remember from that time is certainly out of date.

[@dwightstephenson_fishing5150]

That's why I prefer the MLF format for pro tournaments. I choose to fish kayak tournaments since we catch, photo, release soon. I know it's not perfect since any fish caught could die from some sorta injury.

[@jinxthecat3822]

The Pros are the ones who can make a big difference in putting the word out about fish conservation. And by doing their part to save even ONE fish! Don't just put it off on recreational anglers. People are influenced by what the INFLUENCERS say. If BASS anglers would take a stand and try to put something into action to create a more conservationist approach, recreational anglers will follow suit.

[@chrisboyd1408]

Impressive video facts! Very well done!Jimmy Houston advocates barbless hooks.

[@BassFishingHQ]

Thanks for watching Chris

[@drinkthekoolaidkids]

Barbless hooks would help tremendously.

[@wnchstrman]

Barbless hooks would also lead to angry fisherman, broken rods, and a whole lot less fun after the tenth lost fish of the day. Bass jump and fight.

[@chrisboyd1408]

@@wnchstrman watch Jimmy Houston Outdoors, he claims to catch thousands of fish a year on barbless hooks. He has used barbless hooks for years.

[@the_monkeypox_commander6603]

I pinch ALL of my barbs down especially helpful with weaker fish like trout etc. Or like that bass he showed with hook still visible in throat but no way your getting that out with barbs

[@karlrance7669]

fish care is paramount for all species if our sport is to continue

[@fishingslcm]

Interesting subject. Thank you for doing this research. Great video!

[@BassFishingHQ]

Thanks for watching dude

[@BredForBass]

Love your videos bud probably my favorite channel love the way you articulate your information.Keep up good work!

[@BassFishingHQ]

Thanks I appreciate you watching

[@ollieb.3984]

The boat ramp we used to use when I was young on the Mississippi river was COVERED in dead floating bass after tournaments. Just one day after weigh-ins. Hundreds of dead bass around the dock and bank. Literally the day after the tournament. Kayak bass fishing tournaments are the future

[@krombopulosrick7920]

Thats why you should place them in the water and let them swim away. Also good fishing techniques and hooking the lip helps. A good fisherman doesn't just catch alot but gets good hooks and careful release.

[@davidlivesay4240]

Well I must have good catch and release skills because I remember one year catching the same bass 3 times because of its lateral line markings and it was in the middle of summer

[@proudpapa4084]

I’ve put my boat in at the wildlife ramp on high rock lake plenty of times after a tournament and seen dozens of dead bass floating, what amazes me is that even when they weigh in a dead fish they toss it back in the lake. All you have to do is ask around the ramp or to the bank fisherman plenty of people would take the fish home to eat.

[@tbassrage1866]

I used to see over 25 floaters at lake Barkley in kuttawa Bay a day after large tournaments.The guy that returned the bass to the water after weigh in would launch dead ones as far as he could throw them.

[@timg185]

I think mortality occurs mostly from low oxygen and anglers not fizzing deep caught bass. Treating your live wells solves the problem most of the time. Pro tournaments can catch weight and release in summer tournaments. Regardless it’s still better than guys keeping everything they catch for the skillet.

[@inspiregaia]

I am a new fisher and can I have some tips to help bass the most so they don’t die

[@josephmiller997]

I live in SC right in the heart of bass tournament mania. I'm actually very relieved that only about 5% of bass are caught each year. But those guys are dang good fisherman, and they make it very hard to fish these lakes. It's like trying to pick up a date in a bar that Brad Pitt and George Clooney have just trolled through. That uncatchable 95% is going to haunt my dreams. VERY good video. Thanks!

[@nelson2231]

One thing I would like to see that is done in tournaments is banning live bait for recreational fishing. Here in Florida shiner fishing for bass is extremely popular and the chances of a very deeply hooked fish are far greater than when using artificials. A deeply hooked fish here where the water temps are in the 90's in the summer is a dead fish.

[@EAsports06rf1]

Although it may be “better” to fish northern fisheries in the summer, we also need to take into account the kind of fishing that is being done during those months. How many smallmouth are being caught at 1000 islands in 30-50ft of water on a 90 degree day, on top of not being properly fizzed. I’d have to further read up on the studies being done in Kingston, but summer tournaments are the deadliest time of year for us too. Especially at the islands, Erie, and Champlain.

[@rileymcgill9893]

I wonder what the mortality rate would be if everyone just kept every bass they caught? But seriously... this is all kinda common sense. I wanna see the mortality rate for shell cracker and catfishing lol

[@Underpantsniper]

It would be 100 percent mortality rate of bass since none are released after catching. Hahaha

[@irkjustice5600]

I hate to argue, but...there have been tournaments held on a local lake for years where I'm from, every weekend for as long as I can remember. If what you say is true, we would be seeing dead bass floating all over the lake, and there wouldn't be any fish left in it. That simply is not the case. It continues to produce quality fish week after week. I don't fish the tournaments anymore, but I still bass fish quite often. Apart from the occasional deep hooked fish, people keeping some to eat etc. We haven't seen a decline in the population of fish.

[@daniellamberth7877]

Hauling around fish for later weigh-in is disrespectful to the fish IMO. In Sweden where I fish the trend is barbless hooks and fish are measured and photographed. If weighed it gets to rest in the net between the different actions. Many tournaments push money directly into our main organization that works to improve the life and reproductive strength of fish. Public fishing profiles teach during competitions how to take care of the fish in a gentle way.

[@mattjohnston9131]

About bass mortality, think about how many eggs they lay and how many of those babies make it to maturity. Not very many! This is a great video that considers a multitude of factors. Bass have a hard enough life, and as anglers we respect the fish and handle with care.

[@alanmitchell584]

Soft baits that sit on the bottom when the fish strike it are often swallowed. The hook pierces the stomach lining resulting in a fatality. This does not happen as much with baits that are reeled in such as crank or spinner baits.

[@adubclub]

Great video!!!! My Takeaway: I’m gonna keep and eat 25% of all smallmouth I catch...particularly those that bleed or deep hooked.

[@matthewpetto8942]

As long as they 'slot' fish that's cool. Anything that is 15-20" smaller throw it back, bigger 20" plus definitely throw it back as it is likely a breeder

[@enonek2960]

To say the least, as a catch & release bank angler I'm extremely disappointed! Geez Tyler, this SUCKS! Other than trying to avoid gut hooking, and releasing my catch quickly, what can I do to avoid killing fish?

[@johnknierim9017]

Turn your fishing tournaments into MFL format

[@caseywabeke5394]

Catch and weigh in tournaments have been around for DECADES and all sorts of records were broke on Sam Rayburn last yr so it's apparent the fishery is doing just fine. There are to many factors away from tournament format that make switching formats worthless

[@hargisconstruction]

Very interesting video - thank you for putting in the time & research to find all this info.

[@BassFishingHQ]

Thanks for watching. I appreciate it

[@tylerwebster4794]

Great video buddy!

[@ericshedrock6052]

I don’t think you should even consider studies from 30 years ago are even 20 Except maybe the fact that it did not wipe out the fish when there truly was very little effort put in to keeping them healthy. State stocking and breeding programs are for sure the most important thangs to consider for the future of the fish and of fishing . For example in Texas the amount of revenue generated through Texas Parks and Wildlife far exceeds the amount of money that is in there budget sad to say . The extra revenue gets used for others state budgets that spend way more than there budget . The hatcheries do outstanding jobs with what they have here and it benefits all three of the bass fishing categories . I don’t fill it’s rite to say any one MLF ,BASS , catch and release, catch for food should be blamed for low fish population. I fill if your state gets paid by anglers for the rite to fish it should be that’s states responsible to maintain healthy fish populations and regulations to ensure the future of that fish . It’s the anglers responsibility to be ethical and respect the resources we are so lucky to have it does not matter if it’s for fun , sport are food we can all do are part to try to ensure the future. Thanks for the video and keep up the good work .

[@DrewJanke_fishing]

Such an awesome video kept me intrigued the entire time👍

[@brennanhart1917]

Large mouth bass are invasive to most North American lakes and ponds. No loss of life is good but if you take into account how much they consume it helps the fisheries in other ways.

[@Jrizy.]

Awesome video man. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

[@averyconn8737]

Texas high school bass fishing association tournaments we always have a 95-100% safe live release weight it is all about fish care and handling

[@motherlodebassin5369]

So yea you had 95 percent live then probably another 10 percent died later...according to the study anyways...delayed mortality waa the whole point

[@genewilde2531]

A nice summary. Towards the end of the video, you mentioned the high reproductive potential of largemouth bass, have you considered how it might be impacted by anglers "fishing the beds?" Good job!

[@fabulousrobert6607]

I believe the reason the mortality rate is high is because of how the fishermen “sets” the hook when the bass grabs the lure and is already hooked on just by raising your rod tip. The fish will hook himself. Just imagine the fish’s mouth, jaw, neck, and head is getting ripped back on the “set” pull under water. Why don’t you grab a lure in your mouth, then have someone set the hook on you under water to see how it feels. This is the ONLY way to determine what causes the HIGH mortality in fish after they are caught.

[@mxwelch]

Excellent video that really surprised me. I try to make fish handling a priority but I will put even more emphasis on it after seeing this.

[@cdan1984]

The way those tournament bass fisherman sets the hook is beyond ridiculous. I don’t even need to set a hook like that on a BLUEFIN TUNA. It is like a show business

[@terrencewrigley6024]

I decided to use more plugs and other gear that is harder to gut hook. Now I mostly fly fish and have better luck on average and It's more relaxing once you find the groove. Also 99% are hooked in the lip or close to it I'm having a hard time remembering any gut hooked fish on a fly. Not sayings everyone should fly fish only saying it's less harmful to the fish. If you are scared because it looks intimidating don't be. A standard bird's nest on a bate caster is way worse than anything fly line can do. I feel like if someone is having luck on normal bass gear I have a fly in my box that will be almost the same thing but there are times when the fly that is working has no equivalent.

[@Nik-gh6gz]

thank you for this video!!! Many anglers need to watch this

[@FishingMass]

Great video. Also need to factor in that most casual anglers aren’t as educated on like the proper way to fish certain conditions. Using 8lb test on a medium spinning rod casting into thick weeds and breaking off and leaving a hook in a fish. I see that way to much.

[@ballzybaits4414]

It's high, I know it. My local lakes are filled with dead bass. Weights dwindled from 20lbs to less than 7lbs bags

[@probablyabouttoargue3264]

That’s sad, I don’t even go after bass anymore unless the catfish or crappie aren’t biting. Hoping if I use this approach I’ll eventually get lucky and catch a big bass and release it correctly

[@matthewpetto8942]

I caught an absolute beauty yesterday, and it deep hooked, well wanting to get the hook out so it continue to eat properly and I missed the hook twice. Went to release the 3 pounder and he just couldn't recover. He just floated there. I wasn't happy about it.

[@DanBronk]

Thanks for also talking about the natural mortality rate of bass. Thanks for the video.

[@jshrum9797]

Hooking a fish deep and bleeding are a good point. I try to use barbless hooks when I’m fishing which makes hook removal much quicker and doesn’t damage the fish near as much( other than already putting a hole through their head) I wonder if a study has been done with barbless hooks for bass. I know for saltwater it is talked about often especially in the fly fishing world. I also wonder now with more people fishing offshore in the summer and bringing bass up from depths where they have regulated there bodies has affected bass mortality. You a lot of guys fishing deep then having to release the pressure buildup once they land the fish with a pin. Or some people don’t know about that and just toss them back in.