The Correct Way To Cull!

Here is what I believe is the correct way to cull during a tournament. You don’t want to make a mistake that may cost you thousands of dollars.
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I was born and raised in Chicago, but after working 12 years in the financial Industry regulating the futures and options markets at the CME/CBOT I decided to pursue my passion fishing professional tournaments and left my full time corporate job. At that point, I moved to Junction City, WI with my wife Sara and two boys Hank and Duke. I've been fishing professionally since 2011 and full-time since 2015. I've qualified for six MLF Championships and won roughly a half million in tournament winnings at the professional level.

[@johnrayner5599]

Great topic and some great points made. It burns me up to see a so called pro boat flip a fish to the bottom of the boat, let it flop around while he hits the spot lock, hi five the camera man, and tell all the viewers how good he is on them, no excuse for this. Your system is very close to what I do only I weigh them and store them on the scale, no cull tags until needed is by far the way to go. Thanks Matt and good luck.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for your support!

[@BlessedOne68]

Your care and compassion for the health and wellness of the fish is very evident. This video should be a prerequisite for college anglers and mandatory for veteran anglers with repeat violations for dead fish. Well done. Great job!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thank you!

[@MJ_Bass]

Great video Matt, good to see a pro that takes fish care seriously. I heard a pro on BTL once explain his culling method was flopping all five fish out on the carpet and comparing size. Not only is it terrible for the fish, it’s just an inefficient method of culling. Also, that simple little accu cull board is my favorite inexpensive purchase. Love it for keeping track of total weight, even on fun fishing days.

[@MattStefanFishing]

i love it

[@robertcooley6977]

Excellent video...fish care should always be your #1 priority. We also need to address the weigh-in process for releasing fish. What I notice is when angler's take their fish back to the water, this is when they die from being stressed out...especially in summer when oxygen levels are poor to begin with.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Yeah there’s room for improvement on weigh-in practices

[@codydulmes804]

Great culling tips! Thanks for sharing. Sometimes just simple is better and now a days the simple is forgotten about.

[@MattStefanFishing]

So true!

[@Stonehorn]

This is a really good video. My best friend makes awesome cull clips, which I have been using for a couple of years now. The clips are very small, weigh almost nothing, and can be locked in place once they are clipped on. He uses specific, but very short and light colored lines (6”) that are extremely visible in when you open the livewell. Ive had multiple cull systems throughout the years (remember the ones that went through the fishes lips? Those were awful and I wouldn’t use them). My friend is also working on ways to cool water going to the livewell during those hot summer days that we all know are awful for fish in a livewell. He’s an actual engineer and inventor with patents, so im not going to pretend to know how he’s doing it, or if it will work, but im looking forward to seeing how his efforts turn out. I have a two bass boats (aluminum Tracker and a 21’ skeeter which is my tournament boat), I promised if he figured it out he could test it on the tracker, which is basically the boat we use on the small lake we live on. My 4yo grandson would tell you that it’s his boat. 😅

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for sharing!

[@sonnygreen9698]

Still doing it the old fashioned way but I have been working to change that, I like the TH marine culling system you have and the discussion was informative, much appreciated Matt !!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@burdettehoeppner1062]

Thanks this great advice. Thanks for making this video and the great explanation of a good culling system.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jamesphillips2216]

Great tips! It’s kinda of a common sense approach, take the time to take care of your fish. Greatly appreciate this tips! Thanks for sharing!!

[@MattStefanFishing]

No problem

[@waynesammyswingle6107]

Thank you. I have seen some things with culling at times where I felt it had to be tough on the fish. Although a little off topic I see way too many people keeping a fish on the deck in a net while finding a camera to take a picture. First off you can get a till picture from your gopro. If someone needs that picture on a cell phone or camera why can't they put the fish in a live well while they are getting ready. My wife laughs at me, when she is with me she knows she has to work quickly if she wants to get a picture of me with the fish. As soon as I land them all I can think about is getting them back into the water.

[@MattStefanFishing]

fish care should be number 1 priority

[@natekubilis6334]

Hey Matt I noticed the hydro wave 🌊 on your boat in this video could you possibly do a video on how and when you use it? I have it on my boat but have never really used it because im not 100% sure on when and where to use it. Thanks

[@MattStefanFishing]

Good topic! I’ll put it on my list of things to do!

[@richardmajewski4104]

Ii follow your lead by waiting until I have a limit before weighing my fish. If I have a smaller fish it goes in one side of the livewell and is easy to cull out. Nice topic on fish care Matt.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Agreed

[@rionsummers5939]

Another great video Matt. Thanks for bringing this aspect of tournament fishing to light and for creating more awareness to help anglers make better decisions during this critical process. We can all do better in this area. Happy Fourth of July!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Totally agree! Happy 4th!

[@bigmikefishingchonicles9950]

i am glad you brought that issue up

[@MattStefanFishing]

Yep!

[@binkwood]

Excellent video, good advice in not clipping fish until you need to! I am looking for a good non-puncture cull tag system, tried the 1st generation T H Marine and Cal Coast systems and fish came undone frequently with both systems. I was told I was putting the clips on improperly, watched the "suggested procedure" from both companies and fish still came undone. I know both companies have redesigned their clips (because they were designed poorly) but I am hesitant to patronize either company after investing a fair amount of money (over $100 combined) for something that is worthless! The "floating ball" system with the dials on them were made by Ardent and not Accu-cull. Accu-cull makes a non-puncture cull tag but the clips look pretty Mickey Mouse and I don't know anyone that has them. I experienced what you did in having fish tangle together and die with the Ardent balls and went to the Accu-cull board and it's the way to go. Certainly with the way these non-puncture clips don't hold fish well, using a scale instead of a cull beam is the safest way to cull fish.

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for sharing

[@d1fishing321]

Have not heard this topic addressed. Although I don’t tournament fish much anymore, appreciate you sharing your thoughts.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@kylegrigsby1978]

Great video thanx for the tips im just starting to get into tournament fishing and your videos help alot!!!!

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome! Good luck!

[@blackhillsbassing6167]

Thank you, great tips...would like to see your ideas for deep water smallmouth management, such as fizzing ? Have a tourny in two weeks and it could be a issue for me. ??

[@MattStefanFishing]

I don’t like fizzing. Buy some belly fin clips and put them on your fish when you put them in the livewell. It will keep them upright and the fish will burp themselves by the end of the day

[@blackhillsbassing6167]

@@MattStefanFishing I'll see if I can find some, thank you

[@connorerhardt1767]

@@blackhillsbassing6167 no offense but i completely disagree about the fin clips. I fish ontario very often and pull fish from 50 foot often. From these depths you NEED to fizz them. Ive gained so many positions i cant even remember from guys bringing in deadfish because they never fizzed it and thought they would be okay as long as there upright. Fizzing is very easy to do takes maybe 30 seconds leaves no blood and those fish are super healthy all day. The other thing you have to do with deep smallies is keep ice in the livewell. If there living in 30-50 foot the water temp could be 10-15° different from the surface so keep your livewell on recirculation. Fizzing and cold water will keep your fish alive 100% of the time.

[@blackhillsbassing6167]

@@connorerhardt1767 well I'll have both, and I'm predicting 20'-25' depths so will see, and thank you for your information, I do appreciate it

[@povtsab88]

Love the info. I fish kayak tournaments where CPR is used. I will be getting into boat tournaments next year. Can you explain the process of weigh ins on a local level all the way up to the professional level. Tools/items you need and just an order of operation when coming back to weigh in. Thanks!

[@MattStefanFishing]

its basically just bag your fish at the end of the day and bring them up and then wait your turn to weigh-in. But all tournaments are slightly different and Id direct your questions to the tournament director to make sure you are meeting all rules for that tournament. It's their job to answer questions so dont feel like you are bothering them. Id explain you are new to the sport and they will be more than able to answer all your questions.

[@povtsab88]

@@MattStefanFishing Awesome thank you!

[@tommywalker741]

Totally agree Matt appreciate the tip. 🙏

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@dhjhawk]

Great discussion. Agree that fish care is most important. I know this is a little out there, but maybe they could figure out a way to reward tournament anglers for great fish care rather than just penalizing 2 mins for fish landing violations. I dont know exactly how that would be done, but I'm sure they can figure something out.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Good idea but not sure how to implement it

[@genelavigne3711]

I see so many people putting unnecessary stress on there fish where culling.... Thanks for all your helpful information that you share with us.....

[@MattStefanFishing]

Thanks for watching!

[@ronganow2869]

Matt thanks for your info paint the clips lose the wire leads just a thought eliminating extra baggage. little tougher to get the fish out quicker

[@MattStefanFishing]

Great idea

[@shawnschell5053]

Awesome information and agree. What about livewell management. Also guys do different things. Fish care and s so important.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Good topic! I’ll put it on my list

[@aarongreenlee7867]

Geat video Matt. Luckily with the KBF tournement and those that have adopted the same rules, we get to CPR. Catch, Picture, Release the fish. One tip that can't be repeated enough is wet your bump board before measuring them. Length is so much easier to go by for CPR, but not quite as fun or scientific as weighing them in my opinion. 91.25 inches doesn't sound as cool 21 lbs.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Great advice! Always wet the board!

[@jimliechty2983]

Totally agree, and with the exception of your next tournament, there is rarely a need to tag a 4 and 5 pounder.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Agree completely!

[@chadjackson4786]

@@MattStefanFishing what do you think of the dt7 flats? I found a local baitshop with 47 of them on the shelf including 3 dealer boxes of 6 each. I bought them all for $13 canadian each

[@MattStefanFishing]

@@chadjackson4786 steal!

[@FishOn1]

Your method makes sense, but I think putting the tag on them up front allows me to handle each fish less, which lowers the stress on them. If I wait until I have five or six, I’ve got to stick my arm in the livewell and chase them around to catch them and then put the tag on. In my view, that’s just as or more stressful than having the small tag from the start. I’ve not had any significant issue with a healthy fish dying in my livewell unless I make an error like turning off the aerator.

[@MattStefanFishing]

I understand the approach and would say if that's what works for then stick with it.

[@MJ_Bass]

Agreed. It’s pretty tough to chase down smaller smallmouth especially

[@juleswinnfield826]

Ah hahhhh..... we now know one of your "Triggers" J.K. all good points you make. Personally I don't fish derbies anymore. I read a short article in most recent Bassmaster magazine and it got me thinking about technology and the future of live streaming. I can see one day probably in our life time where culling will be obsolete. At some point technology will be good enough that a 150 boat pro tournament will have every boat live streaming and the "TV viewer" will tune into any Anglers "channel" and could watch every minute of his day...... MLF kinda has the groundwork in place for this, just need the software to catch up. Then again.... at one point the world thought a man on the moon was out of reach.....lol. keep up the good work enjoying your content. Maybe for future vid, discuss what the industry is thinking in terms of future of derby fishing, coverage, format, etc..... then again ya may not be able to openly discuss that in a public forum, if so no worries. As always appreciate your vids and time.

[@MattStefanFishing]

I would love to see the sport get to the point we are live-streaming!

[@MongoFish1]

We pre-mix that G juice n plastic bottles and freeze them, then you just screw off the lid and toss in there to cool the water and treat them at the same time. We also run a dual bubbler at all times in addition to the intermittent re-circulation pumps with the venturi heads. A good gas exchange is important. Also carry a separate pump wired with alligator clips to use if there is any issues with the main pump. We rarely lose a fish.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Great information! Thanks for sharing! I’ll be premixing g juice from now on!

[@walleye56789]

What's G juice?

[@MongoFish1]

@@walleye56789 T-H Marine G-Juice Freshwater Live Well Treatment, It's endorsed by BASS Pro Gerald Swindle so they call it "G" Juice. Any of the water additives, Rejuvenade, Please Release Me etc can be pre-mixed like I stated.

[@givemeabreakdoc]

It also amazes me at how little fish care some guys use. I’ve seen guys walk a limit of smallmouth to the bank and literally toss them. Like 3 feet high and 5 feet out. I take mine, as fast as I can walk, to the water and slowly let them swim away. It would surprise me, especially in summer, of there’s not a 50% or more lethality rate.

[@MattStefanFishing]

agreed

[@613BASS_N]

Shared to 613 BASS'N on Facebook 🤘😎

[@MattStefanFishing]

Awesome! Thanks!

[@michaelleach5885]

Great video!!! Loved it

[@MattStefanFishing]

Glad you liked it!!

[@theultimatesteelshooter8610]

My cull tags have a dialable scale on each ball so I simply weight the fish, dial it’s weight on the ball and clamp it to the fish. This way I know the exact weight of every fish and I can cull up even 1 oz with confidence

[@MattStefanFishing]

I used to use the balls as well. But found them to tangle and cause fish kills. That why i use the board and remove any flotation device from the cull tag

[@alcav54]

I’m a firm believer in the MLF system or the app system where you either weigh or measure fish, take a picture to submit the catch, and immediately release the fish. No livewell needed

[@MattStefanFishing]

Its better for the fish

[@shawn_r_schultzfishing4883]

This is why I feel MLF is leading the way, with their system and penalties. Bass just bragged about a 98% survival rate at the Classic, but if you think about it doesn't that mean 2% of the fish, that those anglers deemed worthy of taking to the scales didn't make it. Some people were losing their minds about MLF fishing the St. Lawrence the other day, with all fish immediately released but not a peep about these dead fish. I with you in that I'm sure people won't find that agreeable or whatever, but that's the internet nowadays.

[@MattStefanFishing]

98% is terrible.

[@notsogood6249]

Do you put frozen bottle's of ice in your livewell during the hot summer days?

[@MattStefanFishing]

Yes i will to cool the water slowly and keep ice out of direct impact with the fish

[@ronhinchliffe8160]

Great tips, but why wouldn't you remove the hook off of your scale and replace it with a clip like on your cull tags?

[@MattStefanFishing]

No i clip my fish with the cull tag then put the scale hook through the clip to weigh them. Super fast and easy

[@ronhinchliffe8160]

@@MattStefanFishing Doh! Sorry Matt I missed the end of your cull tag when I first watched it. I replaced my hook because my tags have a ball on the end. Good job dude!👍

[@eagleeye9549]

Just curious, I used to use chemicals to help the fish while in the live well. Do you use those as well.

[@MattStefanFishing]

I will use g juice

[@dogfishjones850]

The Accu-cull clips DO NOT have a ball or loop at the end. The look just like the TH Marine clips but mine do no have any loop or ball attached. To me the Accu-Cull clips are one of the best out there.

[@MattStefanFishing]

My bad it’s the ardent cull clips with the ball and changeable weight

[@annabelleoutlaw6199]

How do you keep the non puncture tags from coming off? All brands I have tried come off at times.

[@MattStefanFishing]

The TH Marine conservatocull tags are the best I have seen and have little issue with them coming off. I also use the tag just pull the fish up in the livewell so that i can lip it. I don’t recommend holding fish up by the tags themselves with any cull buoys.

[@CheehooTank]

The ardent ones don't come off atleast mine haven't

[@toptoad7149]

Do you use fin clip weighs

[@MattStefanFishing]

yep

[@wickedbassn]

Big fish that I know I will be weighing in don't get a tag, especially smallmouth.

[@MattStefanFishing]

100% agree...literally no reason to tag a big one IMO

[@marksucci2110]

You made some valid points. However I have yet to find a digital scale that will weigh correctly each and every time. You said it is within a couple of ounces. LOL do you have any idea the amount of money lost by 1 or 2 ounces. The most efficient way is the Scale of Justice (Balance Beam).

[@MattStefanFishing]

My scale will weigh the same almost every time. But i will use the balance beam when i have two fish within an ounce to ensure i have the correct cull fish. The balance beam is the most accurate but least efficient process in my opinion

[@givemeabreakdoc]

I’ve never used a cull system. Common sense should tell us that anything you attach to the fish mouth, causes stress. I still see guys poking holes in their mouths, with bouys attached. I’ve also had a couple fish literally leap out of the live well and back into the river, hitting nothing but air and water. I’ve known guys that this has happened to, with clips and bouys attached. Death sentence. At least mine lived. If, in the rare instance, I need to figure which fish is bigger, I just weigh them.

[@MattStefanFishing]

thanks for sharing

[@fishingthe262]

I can’t catch five so I do t ever have to cull. 😂😂

[@MattStefanFishing]

Haha! Well now you know just in case you catch 6!

[@LoopKnot]

I like what MLF does.I'ii call it the R & R, Record and Release method.

[@MattStefanFishing]

It’s one of my favorite things about their format

[@fishman92772]

Good livewells and fish care blue stuff. Dead fish cost money and waste a resource.

[@MattStefanFishing]

Agreed