TAKEOFF
BASS SCIENCE
FISH CARE 101
caRinG foR Bass in touRnaMents
By TJ Maglio
I
n tournament fishing, it’s all about catching the heaviest five-bass stringer possible. ounces
count, and for that reason there’s nothing worse than the sight of one of your bass belly-up in
the livewell.
dead fish penalties detract from total weight and cost valuable points – sometimes even money –
as a few ounces can be all it takes to bounce you from the check line. then too, dead bass have a neg-
ative impact on fisheries, as any fish that doesn’t swim away from the weigh-in can’t be caught again
another day.
Modern bass boats are equipped with some of the best technology available to keep fish safe, but a
little knowledge on how bass biology impacts fish care can go a long way toward ensuring you have all
five alive when you step up on the weigh-in stage.
Water Temperature
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since bass activity and metabolism
are linked to water temperature, fish are
much more likely to become stressed in
warm water than cold water. once water
temperatures approach 70 degrees, fish
care should be a greater consideration
during any tournament. at above 80
degrees, it should be a priority.
Warm water also holds less oxygen
than cold water, causing additional
stress on bass, particularly when the
water temperature surpasses 75 degrees.
aeration is a must all year, but it’s critical in
hot weather. plus, a good rule of thumb is
to run your pumps on continuous opera-
tion anytime there are more than 5
pounds of bass in the livewell.
How Cool is Cool?
cooler water can hold more oxygen
and it reduces bass metabolism, so
adding ice to a livewell is a great way to
minimize stress on the fish. Be careful,
though, because if the water gets too
cool, it can hurt the fish. the goal should
be to keep the water temperature in the
livewell around 4 to 5 degrees lower
than the water temperature in the lake.
Keep a few extra bags of ice in your cool-
er, and slowly add small amounts
throughout the course of the day. some
boat models come with a livewell tem-
perature probe, but a floating pool ther-
mometer is a cheap tool that can
accomplish the same result.
FLWFISHING.COM I AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017