Went solo to San Pablo this morning. Got to the lake around 8:30am. I started out pretty close to where I launched because I pulled a real smooth one and forgot my trolling motor battery. Well I was throwing a 5/8oz black/red proline jig and on the second pitch of the day I get a good bite and set the hook. My flipping stick was fully bent, the fish had some shoulders and then pop it came off the hook. Whoo that sucked. Very next cast about 20 feet down the bank another good bite. I hit that one hard and it wound up being a nice 4-6. Pretty good start but after that wow, it was tough! I didn't have another bite the entire day. Tried spooning, MS Slammer, jigs, rattle traps, senko, crankbait, pretty much the works but nothing. Conditions were flat calm until 1pm and bright sun. Not having the trolling motor was a real bummer. At least I got one so I could feel good for the weekend.

Pictography - caught and carefully released as always.

http://www.calfishing.com/images/daily_reports/10_14_00_ondeck.jpg

hey rob i went to pablo on monday and stuck a 4 on a black and blue jig. I was at the same spot as you i think. fishing that rockpile by the launch. That lake seems pretty tight. Im gonna go back again soon. The 15hp beats the hell out of the little trolling motors at chabot. nice fish! aren't you woried that laying it on the deck carpet will mess up the fishes slime coat? im not an expert on that but im pretty sure thats not good for the bass.
tight lines
jono

I wondered about that also. I've been catching, tagging, and releasing bass for over a decade and before I started tagging I read tons of stuff about catch n' release and tagging. Bass are pretty tough (unlike trout) but they are still extremely vulnerable to parasites and disease when they're slime coat is messed up - even in the slightest. I'm sure we've all caught bass with those big round red blotches on them - that's one result of the slime coat being messed up.

It's not a huge deal and the chances that the fish will be hurt in any way are slim but I personally like to do everything I can to insure that the fish survives with as little damage as possible.

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You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.

Yes, maybe the metal flooring would have been slightly better than the carpet, but come on, he's not wrapping the the thing in a towel trying to unpry a tiny treble hook!

Shoot, a 4.5lb bass take photos like that all day long. That fish, and every other bass that we get to enjoy via the web that Rob boats, is no doubt healthy and fine.

southernswimbait.com
BigBait Fishing in the South

Hey fellas
You know the issue of keeping fish alive and healthy when releasing them has always been very important to me. Before I got in to bass fishing I was a trout fisherman and caught and released hundreds of trout. You want to talk about a fish that is sensitive to rough handling, trout are it. When I catch trout I prefer not to even touch them and just use a pair of hemostats to remove the hook while the fish is still in the water. If I am going to take a picture I might lift the fish out of the water with both hands, already wet, and snap a quick picture. Trust me, I know how to handle fish.
When it comes to bass you are looking at a fish that is about 10 times tougher than a trout. When you look at that fish on the carpet, that fish was probably out of the water for no more than a minute. I have my digital camera in my cooler always, and when I catch a fish that I want to take a picture of I just lip it, lay it in the boat, grab the camera with the other hand, pop the lens cap off with my mouth and snap a picture. That fish and every other bass I have ever snapped a picture of are certainly still alive and swimming around the lakes I caught them in. When you lay a decent size fish over 4lbs on the carpet they usually don't move at all. Seems like the bigger ones just don't feel inclined to flop around.
So I dunno, I probably sound defensive here, but I am being defensive because I think that taking a picture like that is such a "no big deal" kind of thing.
And as for taking the pictures, I guess it could seem like I am trying to brag and say, hey look at this fish I caught blah blah blah, but I do it really for my own record, so that next year and the year after I can look back at my old reports and remember each fish and what I caught it on, what the conditions were like etc.
Looking at this fish I know I will remember the pink at the base of the fins and the redness around the mouth. Those are signs that the fish has been feeding heavily on crawdads, something to think about when you are trying to decide what to use.

Hey man i just call it like i see it. I don't think any of us are fisheries biolgists here and have a answer that is absolutly correct. I still stand by my first post saying that it is probably not good for the fish. Im not saying that every fish you lay on the carpet is going to die. But i will tell you i have seen fish that have been caught and handled roughly and now they have big infection looking things on them. I work at lake chabot and there are a few bass that live near the boat dock and on in particular was caught by a stupid co worker of mine and that fish is not looking to good. i know your going to take this as an attack Rob but im just telling you how i see it. Props to you for letting all the big fish you catch go. Im sure your a better fishermen then me, i don't think you have to take what i said as an attak on your catch and release practices. I hope you catch a 10 pounder next time you go to pablo!
jono

Rob,

I was in no way trying to be offensive. I commend you for such a great site, releasing all your fish, your knowledge, etc., etc. I know bass are tough and most likely none of them that loose a little bit of their slime coating die or are even harmed. I was only going on what I've read over the years about how important it is not to disrupt the slime coating.

I agree with Matt in that there are a lot worse things that could be done to a bass.

Pete

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You can't catch tomorrow what you kill today - please practice catch and release.