National B.A.S.S. recommends the following regarding fish care:
Minimize handling and air exposure time. Land fish and remove hooks as quickly as possible. Protect the slime coat. Don’t let fish flop on carpet or deck. When the surface water temperature is less than 75° F, aerate the livewell by flushing with fresh water. Run recirculating aeration continuously when the boat is moving and cannot pump in fresh water. When surface water temperature exceeds 75° F, use continuous recirculation. Add a block of ice to cool the water. The target temperature of the water in the livewell should be 5° F cooler than the surface water temperature. When operating the livewell in recirculation mode with more than 5 lb. of bass, replace half of the livewell water with fresh water every 3 hours to remove ammonia. When surface water temperatures exceed 75° F, add ice to lower livewell temperature to the target of 5° F cooler than the surface water temperature. At weigh-in, fill bags with at least 2 gallons of livewell water. Handle Fish with wet hands.
Additional recommendations for catch and delayed release bass tournaments from the Michigan DNR:
- Stager the weigh-in so fish are in bags for as little time as possible.
- When anglers are waiting in line, never rest the bag on the hot pavement.
- When air temperatures are especially warm minimize the number of pictures and any other activities that keep fish out of the water.
- Livewells used to hold fish should be in working order and routinely flushing water with the lake environment in order to prevent excessive temperatures in the livewell.
- Do not release floating bass. If a bass does not actively swim away at release it is better for the angler that caught the fish to harvest it as a part of his/her daily bag limit. Having an independent observer watching the release of all fish who is responsible for determining whether a fish should be kept or not is recommended.
Finally, smallmouth bass have an optimal preferred temperature that is 5-10° F cooler than that of largemouth bass. As such they are particularly susceptible to mortality when air or water temperatures spike. While harvesting bass is the legal right of every angler licensed in Michigan, if the ultimate conservation goal of a fishing tournament is to release the fish alive, after consulting with the head of DNR Fisheries Division Research Section, Gary Whelan, it is recommended that catch and delayed release style events targeting smallmouth bass refrain from being held whenever air temperatures exceed 86° F.
Bass anglers have been leading the conservation movement and catch and released ethic for the last 50 years. Catch and release for all species is as popular as it is today partly because of the decisions implemented by national bass tournament circuits in the 1970s promoting the release of fish alive at the conclusion of their events. Looking forward, the reputation and public perception of fishing tournaments in Michigan rests with the directors and participants minimizing the potential for dead fish being seen by the general public at the conclusion of an event. The suggestions and recommendations above are meant as a friendly reminder of steps that can be taken to minimized mortality and the visibility of floating fish at the launch after a catch and delayed release style of fishing event.