One topic that rarely gets addressed is if you are really prepared when you catch a big fish. There are many different scenarios that can play out while fighting, landing, releasing a big largemouth. Here are a list of items that I carry with me in the boat so I am fully prepared to release a big bass unharmed.

Headlamp – Some lakes allow you to get on the water before the sun has come up. Having this can help you in many ways from tying a good knot all the way through the release process (extra batteries are also a good thing to have with you)

A quality scale to weight the fish. I don’t know how many times I have heard of a big bass dying because someone wanted to weigh the fish.

Camera – You want a picture right?… once again, dragging a fish around to get a picture (specifically from shore) will put added stress on the fish. Also knowing how to use it is very important. I don’t always fish with someone else so I know how far to position the camera away from me to get a good shot everytime. I also carry a backup camera.

Needlenose pliars – Rob can attest to this… there is no shortage in my boat. I’ve done my fair share of depositing them in various lakes around Southern California. You cn never have enough needlenose.

Hook cutters – They are also called bolt cutters. These are available from Ace Hardware for $20. I haven’t had to use them much for cutting hooks when a fish is deep hooked but I have had to do it. If guys are rigging tail traps on swimbaits this is a must. Leaving a small portion of the hook in the fish is better that the entire hook or for that matter trying to get the hook out and tearing the fish open.

Deep release device – Some of us fish swimbaits very deep and occasionally get a fish that comes out of deep water bloated and unable to swim back down. I am strongly opposed to needling fish as most people have no clue how to do it correctly. What I do is a technique that Rod Thigpen showed me. I take a regular maker buoy and replace the stock lead on the end with an 8 ounce torpedo sinker used for Sand Bass fishing. If you catch a fish that ends up floating… get your boat over deep water and then get the bass out of the livewell. While holding the fish in a vertical position… slowly drop the weight into the fishes gullet, down into the stomach. Lay the bass in the water and start to pull line off of the buoy. You can watch the fish on the graph as the weight helps the fish go down into 30 – 40 feet of water. Let the fish swim around for 5 minutes or so to let the pressure equalize in the air bladder. Once you feel the fish has been down there long enough… slowly pop the line upwards to get it out of the fishes mouth. Wait in the area for a few minutes to see if she pops back up… if it does… repeat the process (I have only had one pop back up ever).

Deep hooked / gill hooked bass – If the fish is bleeding… I use some sort of release product in the livewell and leave the fish in there for longer than normal. I don’t know the science behind it but the stuff I use seems to help fish when they are bleeding or stressed out.

What are some other things you carry with you to ensure your catch goes back in good shape or you use to prevent the fish from getting too stressed?