Northwest Fishing Reports

I have a question for bass fisherman.... Do any of you mark the fish that you catch before releasing them? Like putting small cut or mark on the tail or something? Then you would know if you caught the fish again, it was one you had previously caught. Seeing that bass are territorial and live for many years it would be cool to know that information. I have done it on trout but never have caught a trout with one of my marks. Most people don't catch and release trout like bass. Marking a bass might be fun. With all the bass fisherman here on WL it would be a way to follow bass around some lakes.

Anyway I was just a wonderin'. Someday I will try fishing for bass. You guys won't shoot a trout fisherman will you? I can bring donuts. Thanks Steve... :-)

I have never done it, never thought of doing it. I met a guy that pulled one of the spiky fins out of his perch to see if he ever caught the same one more than once.

I always wanted to do it somehow, but I don't want to damage a fish. I saw on a Bill Dance episode once, Bill caught a largie and someone used a permanent black marker and colored it's mouth. I thought that would be clever, but eventually it'd wear off.

I've thought about tagging bass the same way the WDFW does but don't know if it would be leagle or where to purchase the tagging equiptment.

Bob Johansen wrote:I've thought about tagging bass the same way the WDFW does but don't know if it would be leagle or where to purchase the tagging equiptment.

I have thought the same Bob,..be nice 2 know if it is LEGAL or not,..I Bass in Lake Wa for the most part and this would be nice 2 be able 2 do!

BB

It has always been my concern of injuring the fish but i am sure that there are safe and legal ways to track and mark the fish caught. Not that I get paid for my 2 cents worth but it is there anyways.

The idea has crossed my mind from time to time but after catching the bass the excitement of it all I tend to forget about marking the fish,it sounds like a cool thing to do just to see if you could catch the fish again.

I just cut off a few fins on one side. If you see a fish that can only make right turns... I caught him first!

Nah... I'm just :brilsmurf'n with you

Seriously though...I read a book, I think it was by Rolland Martin, where he tagged all the bass he caught in a small lake and kept track of how many times he caught them. I don't recall him saying how he tagged them though.

Interesting. Personally tagging fish.....It would probably help figure out fish patterns in certain bodies of water. My guess is probably not "legal", but the pictures idea sound like it could work.

fishnislife wrote:Couple of us over here on the Pennisula have "marked" bigger bass by stabbing them in the soft part of their jaw to weigh them. Been doing it for years, instead of putting the weigh scale hook under the gill plate, the bass have a soft cartilage on their lower jaw, I will stab it through this to weigh the fish. No harm done and the fish has a small hole in the lower jaw to reference later. I always put it through on the bass's left side of their mouth. And yes, we have caught the same fish and tracked growth and migration thoughout the lakes.
Another way to "tag" a fish would be to get a good side picture of it and look for visible marks. Also take note of that particular bass' color pattern. All bass have different markings and most have something distingtive about them. Write it down or save the pics to compare later.





fishnislife

I have always been concerned about injuring a fish when weighing it so I use a large barbless hook with a large split ring attached to my scale. The barbless hook makes a very small hole in that soft cartilage under the lower jaw.

I use a single fish weigh bag for my fish, they don't flop around when they are in the dark bag, and no holes in the mouth
http://www.bassbag.com/

dilbert wrote: I just cut off a few fins on one side. If you see a fish that can only make right turns... I caught him first!

Nah... I'm just :brilsmurf'n with you

Seriously though...I read a book, I think it was by Rolland Martin, where he tagged all the bass he caught in a small lake and kept track of how many times he caught them. I don't recall him saying how he tagged them though.

I've caught a few of your fish:-"
I usually club them on the head but I don't have to go far,...they always stay on the surface. Wuz up wit dat

Some years back there was a product on the market.
You could get your information printed on noodle tags (name, phone # & address) and you get the tool to attatch the tags.
They were a bit spendy but they were the same type of tags that the WDFW used.

ChrisB wrote:I use a single fish weigh bag for my fish, they don't flop around when they are in the dark bag, and no holes in the mouth
http://www.bassbag.com/

Just when I think I don't need anything else you go and show me these...
I better get the walleye size for those big bass I catch

Hey... they make a nice weigh in bag too.
:money:

I'm with Chris B on the Bass Bag. Great product! The bass stay nice and calm in the black bag which reduces stress. Fish usually go berserk when you put the scale's hook through their mouth. I first wet the bag prior to weighing the fish and the material is very gentle on their slime coat. The Bass Bag has grommets that you can put the hook on your scale through. This way you don't need to put any additional holes in the fish. I wish they were required in tournaments for anglers weighing their catch.

tagwatson360 wrote:I'm with Chris B on the Bass Bag. Great product! The bass stay nice and calm in the black bag which reduces stress. Fish usually go berserk when you put the scale's hook through their mouth. I first wet the bag prior to weighing the fish and the material is very gentle on their slime coat. The Bass Bag has grommets that you can put the hook on your scale through. This way you don't need to put any additional holes in the fish. I wish they were required in tournaments for anglers weighing their catch.

Those are some very nice bass! The 11 3/4 largie would be a state record wouldn't she?

I guess I need to start cathing more fish so I can even begin to think I am catching the same one twice ... Laughs.

ChrisB wrote:I use a single fish weigh bag for my fish, they don't flop around when they are in the dark bag, and no holes in the mouth
http://www.bassbag.com/

I picked one up today at Auburn Sports... nice. Got the black weigh in bag too, which will double as a de-hooking and getting the camera ready bag in my small boat. No more flopping bass on the floor.

dilbert wrote:

ChrisB wrote:I use a single fish weigh bag for my fish, they don't flop around when they are in the dark bag, and no holes in the mouth
http://www.bassbag.com/

I picked one up today at Auburn Sports... nice. Got the black weigh in bag too, which will double as a de-hooking and getting the camera ready bag in my small boat. No more flopping bass on the floor.

Great ! Thats how I use my weigh bag also in the small boat.