Learning something each time I fish is my goal. Even if it is only one thing I want to learn each time I fish.

Yesterday I got to use my new 50 quart live well. Pretty cool, dropped a little guy into it, flipped the switch and pump filled it with water. Bubbler worked great, and he seemed to be quite active all day!

Boat with seven people (kids too) playing and anchored in Yorte Creek. Went up to them to get a photo taken of it before I released it and hoped the kids would enjoy seeing it. They sure did as jumped out of my live well, down under my seat on the stripping skirt, around my seat twice finally getting a hold of him. Got the photo. Then swirled him in the water, looked very lively so released. Everyone in the boat let out a oh no, we would have kept it. You know the response, gotta educate them to let them go to get big and make others. Eat good fish, not generic bass, but trout, steelhead, salmon. : 7

OK, landed a nice fish flipping, get him to me, grab lower mouth and take the hook out of upper pallet with needle nose pliers. Then, you know, he went nuts, and of course, I dropped him, no photo no nothing (now no one will believe me).

Summary, thank god this was not a tournament. What suggestions / experiences do you have to help me prevent this situation in the future? Thinking some kind of net over half of the live well when I open it (only need half to drop a fish into when caught) and Boa Grip? }(

Thanks for your comments!

John :+

I bring the fish in from the front between the pontoons and pin it between my legs as I lip it so it can't flop around much. Then I'll remove the hook, etc.

I've lost fish out of my well too. It's one of several reasons why I don't use a submerged basket anymore.

IFISH say's,

I've got a on-board livewell aswell on my V.V., and I discovered ( after a near scare ) that I needed a 'drop net' inside my well. What I did is I cut the lid to make to make it 2 sections. I put the fish in through the smaller opening. I learned this trick from Mr.Joey Joe Joe Castro. You got and get a laundry bag, and cut that bad boy in half. One the side that I put the fish in, I put the cut laundry bag on that side and fastened it down with tie wraps. So now, when I put my fish in, the go in through the 'net hole ', and if they try to jump out, the laundry bag acts like a 'net', or catch cloth. It'll prevent them from jumping out. Make sure to make the bag long, so when it sits in your well, you have about 6" of extra slack, so If they jump, it just thwarts their efforts. Hope this helps bro.

IFISH

I know this has happened to quite a few guys over the years. I am not one of them. My lid works really well being flexable. The problem with fish jumping out is either to big of a lid ot the water level is almost against the lid. When you already have fish in the well and you go to add or cull fish that is when the risk is highest for one jumping out. I made my lid flexable so I woudnt have to open it to cull or add fish to the well, simply bend a corner. The only time I have to open it all the way is if I need to put a big one in and even when that happens I am pretty damn fast. Another thing that helps is keeping fish dope in the well to keep them mellow and less likly to jump. With that said: in a tournament after I net the fish I remove the hook and put in the cull tag, then bend a corner of the livewell to put the fish in the box. the fish is only out of the net in in the well in less then 2 seconds. If I have to cull I ben the lid open enough to slip my hand in grabbing the colors until I find the one I want then slide the fish through the lid. Impossible for anyone to get out.


As far as jumping out of your hand, I have handled 10's of thousands of fish over the years and have only had this happen less times then I can count on 1 hand and not at all in the last 5+ years. For one I always use a net in tournaments, but never while fun fishing. I always go over the side to get them and never inbetween my legs like I use to do.

IFISH say's,

Interesting Lake, why not between your legs ? I usually do this WHEN I actually catch fish :+ , and I bring them right into my lap. Is there any benefit in bringing them in from the side of the boat ?

IFISH

Yea, why not between your legs? :o

Thanks John and everyone!

John

Hey now! Lets not get frisky with them basses:+ :7 And I thought this was a family forum! :o
In a mr tourney a long time ago I had a fish (I spooked by going over it) jump out of the water and hit me on the stomach! It scared the bejesus outa me!
Swampy

I have noticed over the years that at times bringing the fish between the legs can create disaster. #1 the leg rests get in the way and give the fish 1 more thing to use to try and get away from you. #2 when you have the fish coming in right in front of you your rod has to get almost vertical and will cause you to loose control of the fish. I always grab the fish off the right side of the boat, no obstacles and you have control if the fish wants to get stupid when you go to grab it.

>I have noticed over the years that at times bringing the fish
>between the legs can create disaster. #1 the leg rests get in
>the way and give the fish 1 more thing to use to try and get
>away from you. #2 when you have the fish coming in right in
>front of you your rod has to get almost vertical and will
>cause you to loose control of the fish. I always grab the fish
>off the right side of the boat, no obstacles and you have
>control if the fish wants to get stupid when you go to grab
>it.
I agree,for sure the safest way to land`em.I had a couple wrap around the legrests when I first got my pontoon and learned that lesson the hard way. ;(

I also go from the side, but for any of you that have seen me land a fish in the tube you know I usually swing them up to me and just bear hug the suckers ;-)

I do a little move on the bigger size fish that might help you guys out. I jokingly call it the death spiral. When the fish gets fairly close to the boat (10-15 feet) I'll start to turn and as I reel them closer I'll spin around and around in a circle. When they are 5-8 feet out thats when I reach for the net and then I wait until they seem tired. If the water is clear you can usually get a look at where and how they are hooked and you can angle your rod/line in a way that holds the fish on the hook. You can put a lot of pressure on fish this way without breaking the line because you're working with the water instead of against it.

It's really hard to crank a big fish straight at you and get a grip on it because it will start thrashing but if you spin them around and around a few times it seems to disorient them or at least tire them out. A lot of times you can just put the net in front of the fish, slow down your kicking and then slack off on the line slightly and they'll dive straight into it.

I started doing this years ago with halibut from the float tube because halibut also have this habit of thrashing around and going crazy if you try to pull them straight at you. If you spin them around a few times while they swim about 2-4 feet under water its really easy to get them. If you've ever halibut fished from a tube, you'll see what I mean if you try it, its almost comical when you put the net out and slack the line and the halibut dives straight in :)

Hey, thanks everyone. LOTS of great info, had not even thought about a pro and con of in front of me vs to the side. Will have to take a look at those options this weekend.

Does anyone use a Boa Grip on their Kick Boat? Saturday I had my bigger fish by the lower jaw/mouth pinched between my thumb and index, went wild and slipped out. Suggestions?

Also, really like the net idea inside the live well. Thanks!

How often during the day do you change the water out and have to put more fish dope into the water?

Hump day and I can't wait to hit the water!

John