S-B / DJ Muller: Bass Class Contest - Win Free Ticket: Big Bass & Release, Why or How

[JohnR]

DJ Muller brings Bass Class back next weekend and we are having a contest for S-B'ers for a chance to win a Bass Class package. DJ brought this up last week and he and I have been discussing a contest for S-B.

Contest Topics: Choose one of these 3 and DJ and I will pick a winner next week:

• Big Bass & Release. Tell us HOW you Catch & Release your big stripers.
• Big Bass & Release. Tell us WHY you Catch & Release your big stripers.
• Big Bass & Release. ASK us what you want to know ABOUT Catch & Release of big stripers.

Contest closes Tuesday at noon. A winner will be chosen to go to bass class free.

Photos don't hurt

There is no "Best Answer" so it may be someone more seasoned or someone more novice that wins! Still some spots open for Bass Class so you can still register a spot even if you don't win.

Bass Class info:

For those needing to get a handle on their surfcasting, or looking to up their game, Bass Class may be of interest to you. Here is your chance to learn from expert surfmen, willing to share information that will result in you raising your level.

The class is an 8 hour long, striped bass-surfcasting information infusion!
It is packed solid with info!!
We will cover the basics; surfcasting history in the US; Striper science-wind, tides, moon and how bass use their vision, feel, sense of smell and sound to hunt.
We will cover equipment options and usages.
We will cover hard and soft structure and how to use it.
Reading water.
Lure Selection and presentation.
We will cover how to plan a year, how to plan a session, how to fish with purpose and concentration, and keeping records.
Special this year:
The Hunt for Large, The End Game, and Why a Wetsuit?

Those that attended last years Bass Class showed immediate improvement in their surfcasting. Some went from being adrift on the beach to fishing with a purpose. The more experienced guys picked up tips that they said really helped them raise their game and to look at things from different angles, that’s what it is all about.

You will come out of this, if your head doesn’t explode, jacked up and ready to fish with specific purpose. Over 20 guys attended this last year in New England.
Attendees get a bound, note-filled book and a Bass Class T-Shirt, plus added goods!
Cost is: $125.00, Returning members: $60
Email me to register or for more info: djmull13@msn.com

[ecduzitgood]

Big bass & release. Ask us what you want to know about Catch and Release of large stripers.

I guess I'm the first to admit I have a problem, and I'm taking the first step towards recovery...... Hi, my name is Ed, I"m a fishaholic, and I have yet to go LARGE........Help me, I don't think I can do it alone.
My question: I have been releasing almost all my fish and saying they were too small when I get home. I have been told to mark my rod by family because of a photo of my first yak fish, which I said was too small. Since family has caught on to me releasing keepers now, how can I claim to still be an honest fishermen. Could you recommend how to make the fish look smaller or a camera that will make the fish I release look smaller?
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[JohnR]

Ed - it is like a real class

On a side note - if your family is asking you to bring some more fish home do what you think is right. My recommendation is that you bring one home on occasion but as a group, we need to be releasing more fish properly. As for length, get a tape - easy and quick. Or run a piece of Electrical tape 29" up from the butt end of the rod. Give yourself a little wiggle room as a rod isn't a measuring device.

[ecduzitgood]

Id guess it's just my warped sense of humor, and I didn't mean any disrespect towards this wonderful prize. I really didn't want to submit the winnig post in order to give a less seasoned fisherman the opportunity to win, I was thinking someone would reply to my post with "your a winner alright", but like fishing I did'nt get what I was looking for . I hope someone got a laugh after reading my post.
This is a great chance for someone and I look foward to reading their post, just look how high I've set the bar .
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[ecduzitgood]

Actually I just got thinking about how many fish I've brought home. That's where my dilema starts. I've only brought home three fish. And in all honesty I only caught/hooked two of the three. One of the fish was floating by when I was fishing capeside heading east. I continued fishing for about 45minutes and as I was getting ready to leave the fish came floating back within reach of my rod. I pulled it towards me and thought it was still saveable and I tried to revive it but it was dead. I took it home and found the reason appperently someone had released the fish and damaged its gills when dehooking which led to its death. It was during commercial season and the fish was only 32inches which leads me to believe it was a commercial fisherman who hastly yanked his hook from the fish before throwing it back. In all honesty I will be keeping at least one more fish because my cupboards are bare of strippers. I do totally agree as a whole we need to release more fish.
Actually most of my plugs have one of three hooks still attached. 98% haave only a tag for a tail hook since I feel they cause to much damage. When I fish bait for the most part I only use circle hooks. Once again I feel this prize would be better for a less experienced fisher person.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[DJ Muller]

This entire contest that John was willing to put up, doesn’t mean much really…it is just an easy way for someone that wants to attend Bass Class to do so.

More importantly this little contest is intended to make us all think twice about killing big bass, needlessly. Need one for the family BBQ or to stow for winter? That is fine. But guys end up killing just to put it in their bike basket and ride around for a while or to ‘drag and brag’ on the beach to show all onlookers that something nice has been caught.
These big bass we have now are the life-blood of our passion, they are our future. When they are gone, they are gone! I fished in a day when a 16 pound bass was a monster, there were no pigs around.
Below is a little excerpt from the BC notebook that you get when you attend the class, emphasizing the importance of the big spawners and their ability to produce young stripers…our future. No young bass…no tomorrow.
The amount of eggs that a female bass lays is equated with the size of the fish. A 12 pound striper will produce roughly 850,000 eggs; where as a 50 pound plus fish will produce upward of 5,000,000 eggs.
Female striped bass have the ability to spawn annually, however it is commonly believed that they do not. They may, for the first five years of their adult lives, spawn annually, but as they get older it is believed that they spawn maybe once every four or five years. (Karas)
There is not enough emphasis on catching and releasing your fish, and I am talking about big fish here. I see the needless killing of large breeders more than I care to admit, and a lot and the reasons are, at times, very questionable. I see guys killing large for some tournament, yeah its done for team, for spirit, for the camaraderie, yeah that’s good but a 35 pounder ends up meaning nothing when the top team averages 50 pound fish. If a 35 pound fish lays 4,000,000 eggs and let’s say 1% of them survive, that means 4,000 new juvenile (surviving) stripers enter the river next year. A dead 35 produces nothing. That 35 pounder, which means nothing in regards to the tournament, is wasted. Take a picture or ten, weigh it on a hand scale, if you really must know, shoot a photo or three, and set her free. This way you get all you want and need and you also put 4,000 little bass back into the rivers next spring.

In regards to the releasing, I always hear the same line, ‘I tried to revive it but she died.’ The fish John posted of me on the home page, was a mid-30 fish caught on Block in June. I had no reason to take it so I waded out to waist-deep water with the fish and started working her. One hand and thumb had her in her mouth, the other below her tail. I stayed with that fish for over 10 minutes, possibly the longest I ever stayed with a fish, I willed her back to the waters from whence she came.

Regulators won’t do anything until the bass are all gone, that is both sad and unfortunate, and nothing new, but for us, we can do something! We have the opportunity to make good decisions. Let the big ones go! Let’s educate the masses that our supply is not endless and there needs to be responsibility.
At BC we discuss issues such as these in depth, because they are responsible and relative.

[Fishoholic]

Class sounds pretty interesting and had pretty good reviews, why not! Last month was pretty rough on me too

I won't touch the "why" (I'm pretty sure we all know why it's important) but I'll go over the how (I do it at least). I'm not a big bass expert but this is the universal way I handle any big fish I want to return. The fish in the pics isn't a supa cow, but it's a good size for me.

1. Don't try to be all sporty and shoot a rhino with a .22! Sure it's fun catching a fish on light tackle but it really wears on the fish. Lactic acid builds up quick and when it does the fishes chance of survival decreases significantly. I'm not saying horse in a green fish when you are on a rock ... because if you do she will whoop yer arse ) Just make sure your drag is set in relation to the strength of your line, play the fish a little and get her in.

2. There is a lot of talk about using boga's and other lippers on big fish because the strain on her jaw. I'm not sure just how bad it really is, I just try to think about someone holding me up by my lower jaw. Depending on where the hooks are I will grab a fish I plan on releasing by the lip to take the plug out, but I try not to lift the fish all the way out of the water or off the rock by just the lip. If I'm gonna pose for a pic, I support the fish by it's belly. I also try to be as quick as possible.

sb1.jpg

3. Reviving the fish is probably the most important part of a successful release (aside from length of time out of the water). Nothing irritates me more than seeing someone take their sweet time, unhooking, parading around, then measuring and parading around a little more before literally throwing a fish back into the water. I try to say to myself "hey crabs gotta eat too", but it honestly really pisses me off... To the point of saying something on a few occasions actually.. but I digress! Rock the fish forward and backward for as long as it takes for the fish to swim out of your hands. That could be the second she touches the water or 15 minutes. Bottom line, she needs to swim out of your hands. Not moving her tail side to side, but actually swim.



And this is when the drag is set to the strength of the line.. but not the hook

[ecduzitgood]

Now that's a great post from a true Fishoholic
And DJ perhaps you'll remember meeting me at the MSBA show at Stonehill 2 years ago. I'm the guy who fishes 80# Hollow core Jerry Brown and splice my flourocarbon 10 feet into the braid (not many guys use that combination). I remember because you thought that was over kill, I think it's underkill (kills less). It allows me a better chance of landing a cow that heads for the rocks due to it's ability to tolerate/withstand more abrasion while also giving me the strength to land a large fish in atimely manner. The lower stress level because of a shorter fight along with the increased chances of landing the fish allowing for removal of the hook or plug far outweigh the sacrifice of distance and sink rate from my perspective. Just something to consider. I enjoy listening to you and reading your works even though we didn't see eye to eye. I'll check to see if I can attend the class and if so I"ll gladly pay the $125 to listen/learn from you.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[DJ Muller]

Fish and ec- Good stuff, esp. Fish, nice expo, very comprehensive, ever consider writing?

Just for the sake of clarity...I want to say that the emphasis is on large bass, mid-20's lbs and up. I believe that these are the big breeders, see the stats again.
I have the same problems at home, "bring a fish home." "Yes dear" but I don't, don't want the hassel of the whack. But when I do bring fish, it is usually one that was badly hooked (a bleeder) or something else, and I prefer teenagers hands down, as I like that meat better. The bigger ones gets blubbery for the lack of a better term.

Ed-I may have poo-poo'ed your leader set up because I believe in simplicity and yours is a little complicated. I fish nights in sometimes windy conditions, sometimes in deep water with nothing dry within 70 yards. If I do end up having to re-tie, I put another 30" of 80 (sometimes 100) pound test mono onto a barrel and away we go with one or two simple knots.

While the leader will save you fish from rub-offs and breaks, like Fish implied, it is the rod and its power and how you handle it, is what will help you control, and eventually win/beat, a fish. The "End Game" is the most important and probably least emphasized part of our fishing. We cover this in Class (had to get a little plug in) because of its extreme importance. From the hook-up, the phases of the battle, to the landing and maybe releasing. Again we are emphasizing big bass. Few fish for, or like small bass exclusively, it is large bass that drive our sleepless nights.

[Fishoholic]

Thanks guys!

-DJ, I did a little writing for a blog at my previous job. I enjoy it and would definitely do it more, given the chance. You are right, I neglected to mention using the rod to play the fish.

[Driftwood1]

The Bass I released but never caught.

It was the first year they put the weigh station back in Oaks Bluff. Hit the Island late rushed to sign up at Oaks Bluff. Someone came in with a bass he just caught at south beach. Weigh master( Cassidy I think) said this fish has some life left in her you might want to let her go on the docks behind the station. The fellow took the fish to the dock and tried but soon gave up. Told him to let me try. I worked that fish back and forth for many minutes and finally got her gills to start opening. Held her there watched her gills open and close gentle moving her back and forth and then big tail gave a kick and she swam off as I watch her in the dim light of the dock. Dam did that feel good.
That one was for Doc Muller and all his preaching about catch and release at the shows. You see we do we do listen and hear you guys. ( Oh by the way the guy who caught the fish was long gone never waited around to see it, his loss my gain memories are all you need...

[toaster816]

Watching a fish regain its colors an strength is pretty special. Two memorable releases come to mind for me.

The first came when my buddy hauled in a beast of a 30#er at the canal. I can still remember how alarmed I was when his drag got my attention and I turned to find him holding on for dear life with his 11' lami looking like a horse shoe. He is a solid dude and I knew he was into a good fish by the way he was leaning back to keep her from going down current or burying into the bottom. After landing this impressive fish and taking some quick measurement and a picture he waded into the water to start bringing her back to life. After a few moments of working her back and forth he saw she was ready to rejoin her sisters. As he let her go she swiped her enormous tail one last time and showered him with a huge spray of water, he stood up and had the biggest grin on his face, something he rarely does after landing a good fish.



The other memorable release came on a fish I caught in the surf with my two buddies. We got into a great bite at one of our favorite fall spots, a reef that always had big surf on the left side and calm waters on the right where boulders and bubble weed always collected.

The surf was ripping and the fish were holding right in front of us, blues and bass together. They were teen sized fish each of us were picking them up on various plugs. The smaller fish were holding tight to the reef so I decided to hurl a redfin out behind the waves to search for something bigger. After a good cast on the back of the last wave of the set the redfin got smashed and I was concentrating to keep her from running left towards one of my buddies who had just casted. She wasn't a cow, but larger than the previous fish I had hooked up with. She took one solid run then I worked hard to keep the waves from pushing her to my left into the rocks. I got her close and found a nice high teen fish at the end of my leader. I failed to weigh her as I do for most of my fish. I am always paranoid about losing a fish from taking too long to get them back in the drink.

Typically releasing the smaller bass right at our feet back into the surf was fine because you would get a few moments in between sets to revive a fish. Since I got this girl at the end of a long cast and the fight was more straining I decided to take her on the back side of the reef where it was calm and I could work her without getting smashed by rushing water. I found a safe spot for my rod and went waist deep between some rocks and started the process. Her tail was twitching but her dorsal and pectoral fins would not stand up. As I was pushing and pulling her I could hear my buddy behind me landing fish but I kept telling myself not to rush it.

Finally her fins began to flex and her tail twitches became more powerful. Soon I was struggling to hold on and I knew she was ready. She thrashed one last time but I held tight so she wouldn't head in the wrong direction. When she relaxed I let go and she slowly pushed her tail back and forth leaving a nice wake in the flat water and disappeared. Her colors looked incredible sub surface and swimming slowly.

[DJ Muller]

And the weeeeeiinner is... Fishaholic.
PM sent.
Runner up? Everyone else.

Good stories thanks, I may use them in my next book.
Keep them coming!

Thanks John for running a great site and for the contest.
Now back to work!

[JohnR]

DJ - Thanks for doing this.

TJ - - Nice

[ecduzitgood]

Great job fishoholic, see you there.
I still feel like a winner
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[Fishoholic]

Freakin sweet! PM/email sent. See you guys there

[doc]

...was thinking about this last night as i landed a decent fish and couldnt imagine killing the fish for the sake of a picture or exact weight...large fish are not the best for the grill anyway, are often the breeders so why the ego rub and keep a large bass? seems to me that we need to be vigilant to keep the population as healthy as possible and still enjoy what we do...

[SAUERKRAUT]

Doc: Agree totally that killing these large fish is a heresy. However, if you have a PLAN, you can weigh, measure, photo (usually a GREAT PHOTO because it is a live fish, and the colors are vibrant and the fins are up...), AND quickly revive and release. Advantage is that you can come away with "something" that can certainly cheer you up during the long winter, etc. off season months. I suspect, human nature what it is, more of these fish would be C&R'd rather than killed, dragged out, etc. if bassers were encouraged, rather than discouraged, to refine a C&R plan.

The skeleton of my system is to make the effort to carry the damned camera, tape, and scales. Logistically, this is admittedly tough because it weighs you down, or produces uncomfortable bulges for a walking, crawling surfcaster, or takes up space that could otherwise be dedicated to a half dozen additional plugs which you won't use. Always have a small dry towel so your hands can quickly go from a wet fish and environment to the camera which should be handled clean and dry. You need a camera with a 15 or better yet 30 sec. delay setting. I get a 5 sec. fish weight with an electronic scale hooked into a 9/0 SS tuna hook barb filed off run in the blank spot under the lower jaw of the fish.

Pic is a 48" fish weighing just over 40 lbs. on the electronic scale...released within a few seconds of the flash bulb.

[Sea Dangles]

Nice to see you drowning eels SK!!!

[doc]

'kraut - nice fish and i am totally in the same camp as you! only problem is that my superstitious side prevents me from getting all equiped with cameras and scales as that will be the curse preventing me from catching...besides, i then can allow my memory to elongate and magnify things come february!

[ecduzitgood]

Can't seem to find what time class starts? 8am????

[toaster816]

Yea 8 to 5

[ecduzitgood]

Loads of information in a short amount of time. For those of you new to the sport this class will save you years of time and frustration and the money you spend will pay off in more successful/productive outings. For those of us more seasoned it serves as a refresher course that touches upon things we take for granted (reading the water/beach) or have just plain forgot about (I have to start throwing heads again) or just been too lazy to do (how good is your journal/fishing log book?).

The only thing I would have liked to hear in further detail is why he does what he does when fishing, the method behind the madness if you will. Something along the lines of "I slowed my retrieve and the bumps became hook ups, which leads me to believe the speed of the water/current and my slower retrieve combined for a more natural appearance of the plug I was using" (Perhaps some of this is in the book we got in class).
For instance fishing bunker heads, he touched upon how to get the freshest bait possible but he didn't explain why he thinks the heads work so well. I did speak up and added my perspective so that any of the less seasoned fisherpeople would understand fishing heads a little better. I personally feel it is the only chunk of bait I want to use when using fish for bait. The reasons are as follows:
Heads are slower fishing (less action) but more likely to entice a striper of size. A small fish won't be able to swallow it.
What happens when a bluefish attacks a pogie or mackerel? They eat the body and the head falls to the bottom unless a bass picks it up before it gets there.
If a bluefish picks the head up they usually spit it right back out, once again if a bass is nearby they may notice the commotion and pick up the scrap the bluefish spit out; it's just a more natural occurrence for a bass to find a head sitting on the bottom or tumbling across the bottom compared to a chunk of meat which almost anything eats.
If a lobster or crab is feasting on the head it will take longer for the bait to become unfishable or consumed and this allows the releasing of more oils/scent to drift through the water. If a striper follows it's nose it will see two potential meals; the live crab or lobster and the head.
He covers allot of what I consider the basics only because I have been addicted to striper fishing for so long (35+ years) and put the time and effort in that most do not (tons of books and watching the water and everything in the water/scouting). I still found the class valuable because it reinforced much of what I do now; so I know I'm on the right track and have renewed confidence.
Thanks for sharing DJ

Another point I have yet seen addressed when it comes to catch and release, which to me also means the overall well being of fish that escape capture or break off. Stainless steel hooks. Don't get me wrong I do eat several fish each year and to be totally honest if I couldn't eat them I wouldn't fish for them, I feel no need to harass a fish I can't eat. Why do people who profess to care so much about the striped bass use stainless steel hooks at all? I also wonder why people fish gear that is not matched to the potential size of the fish being pursued especially when using a stainless steel hook. I can understand that both fly tying and eel rigging require effort/time to produce a bait, but when the people fishing the stainless hooks are doing it with line that isn't up to the challenge of a 50# or larger fish I can only shake my head and wonder what are they thinking.

[Chubby-Chaser]

I have been fishing since I was a kid and this gave me some tips on stuff I felt I knew pretty well. It gave us a good look at the wetsuit perspective, plus it was interactive which I really liked. if your serious about upping your surf game and don't have a seasoned vet at your disposal I suggest you take this class.

Thanks to everyone involved!

[DZ]

Was nice meeting and gabbing with many of you during class breaks and afterwards. Thanks also for your business in the SWE shop.

DZ