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 :+