The Catch & Release rule is simple:
All of us at Rend Lake Sporting Goods firmly believe in this basic principle of fishing.
Handling Bass
If a bass weighs over 3 pounds, don't hold him up by his lip alone, you may break his jaw. Instead, support his weight with your other hand by cradling his belly.
If you're having a hard time removing the lure, use needle nose pliers and gently pry the hooks free. Yanking and twisting the hooks only causes more damage.
If the hook is embedded in the throat, cut the line instead of trying to get the hook out. Chances are the bass will dislodge the hook himself. Trying to pry the hook out of this delicate area can kill the bass.
Before you measure your fish (especially on hot days), place the measuring board in the water to avoid damaging the fish's protective slime coating.
Keep your livewell water temperature close to the lake temperature. A 5 degree difference is stressful to the bass, an 8 degree difference can be fatal.
Keep your livewell aerator on. You can't over aerate a fish! Pounds of bass, higher elevations and higher water temperatures all deplete the oxygen levels of a livewell.
Bass expel ammonia when they "breath", recirculating the water with your pump and or use of livewell chemicals such as "Catch & Release" help reduce the ammonia content in the water.
Probably the best bass informational source on the Net can be found here: The Ulimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide.
For the most comprehensive information on the proper handling of fish, livewell information, releasing fish safely back into the water, etc., go here: Catch & Release. This page is part of The Ultimate Bass Fishing Resource Guide. There you will find tons of helpful information from how to catch bass to tournament results.
Catch what you can eat today and put the rest back for the next guy to enjoy catching.