jrbsr

I read that when picking up big bass with the lower lip it hurts the jaw by
Opening the mouth to much putting to much pressure on the jaw.

Any one know any thing about this.
It does look like it would hurt them by holding there mouth open to much.

And is there a safer way to pick them up ?

Thank You

North Texan

For those smaller ones everybody else catches, probably not. But now for those big'uns I catch....

I don't open the mouth except for removing the hook. I use barbless hooks most of the time, so they remove nice and easy (especially when I catch myself).

mike bell

I try and keep the fishes weight straight down. I mean hanging from the lip, not prying the fish's mouth open by its lip against its weight.
Does that make sense?

Deerslayer_37

i've never heard of problems with this. i suppose with a big bass it could be a problem. any big bass we catch we net anyway. speaking of lipping bass, my friend about lost his hand lipping a bass..he was lipping a 12" smallmouth i had on, nothing huge, and a 45" muskie came out from under the boat and tried to get it himself. he got my wally diver instead of my friends hand and the smallmouth and after a half hour we had him in teh boat..gave us both a heart attack. i know he said he thinks twice when he lip lands fish for me on that lake
[:-]
slayer

Champlain Islander

You see the pros on TV do it all the time and I have read that the practice does hurt their jaw. I lip them but raise them straight without prying the jaw.

bigbass191

ya i tried that and i got a hook in the finger from my shad rap when i grabbed it it shook it's head and the hook ripped out and went into my finger what a day that was. i just grab them around belly and back or some times i lip them but i try not to hurt them because i don't keep any unless the 22 inches or more because my best is 21.5 so it has to beat that before i keep it.