Posted by Hooked Solid on 2002 AM:

Culling kits that harm bass....

I use the culling kit that has the little metal clips w/ the rubber rope attached to it.It does a decent job,and the clips stay on for the most part.You clip it right on to the fishes upper lip,no real harm done.
I Don't understand how people can use those kits with the old "stringer" style closed hooks with the foam bobbers attached?You're either stabbing that thing thru the fishes mouth or even better,Thru the gills.To top it off ,most guys will lift the fish out of the well by the float doing more damage to the gills or fish in general!!
Does anyone else agree with this?
I may bring this up to the Tx director at our next get together and try to have them banned from our competions.Not all cull kits,but just the ones that seem to do the most harm.
If it helps out the fisheries and we can set an example,maybe other clubs will follow.Just a thought...><>...HS

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Posted by BARRY on 2002 AM:

The system you are talking about is called "Quick Cull" I have it. I was told about it by Robbie (theole34). I am on my second set because my first set was in the live well that some one liberated from the boat at 7-11 getting donuts. But I digress these clips are sort of like a plastic clothes pin with a internal clip which latches around the lip of the fish so the pressure is not on the mouth of the fish. They have different color nylon lines attached to them and come with a culling board. I would highly recomend these. This is the least invasive and most harmless system that I have seen. IMHO.

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Posted by jiggin-n-piggin on 2002 AM:

I still use the old "stringer type". I had thought about making the switch to the newer "clip type", but had heard a lot of negative comments about them not staying attached.

I will NOT poke a hole in the fishes mouth!! I run the clip, just inside the gill plate, being careful not to interfere with the gill itself. I've never had a problem with this and have never lost a fish (that I know of) by doing it this way.

C'ya on the water,
Ted

Posted by wnybassman on 2002 AM:

I have never used the "Quick Cull", but used the Bag'em Products clips. I found these to be awful in tearing up the fishes mouth, especially the very thin tissue between their upper lips and their bodies. After a day in the well, some of the basses lips were almost completely torn off, thus I only used them the one time. Also, during that one time, most of the clips would end up coming off and lay on the bottom of the livewell, which equates to extra handling of the fish that could be avoided.

I may try the "Quick Cull" if there are good reports here.

The one thing I do use is the small weigh bag (made by Bag'em) when weighing the fish on my handheld scale. Slip the bass in the bag, and if it doesn't make the "cut", I can release it without ever touching it again. This, combined with a good rubber net, protects the basses slime coat very well.

Now, what I currently use for cull clips. I also use the old "stringer style" clips and poke a small hole in the thin tissue in the fishes lower jaw. I have never gone through the gills, because I have always been told not to. I imagine either method is equally damaging though. Over the past couple years, I have tried to make a real good effort not to lift the fish by the cull clip though. I grab the clip, then get my hand in there so I can thumb the bass out of the well. Of coarse, this is easier said than done, but I do try.

The one improvement I could recommend for the stringer style clips, is to make them out of stainless steel. Every system I have used ends up rusting eventually, and I don't imagine this is good for the fish. I would be willing to pay extra $$$ for rust free clips.

I am always open to a better method, but in my 14 years of tx fishing, this is the best I have found so far.

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Posted by Sea Jack on 2002 AM:

I've been in two boats whose boaters had the QUICK CULL and both days they came off of the fish in a matter of an hour or so. To me, it seemed like they were placed on the fish the right way and everything. I wasn't very impresssed.

I use the clip style and like, Ted said, I just slide it along the inside of the gill plate so that it doesn't go between the gills. I don't think that this has any more negative effect than being in the livewell itself. Plus, I don't have to chase them around the box with my hands to get them out. Just seems too easy to start taking the slime off of fish. This way, just grab the float and lift.

I'm not sold on the pincher style float yet. I really liked the idea when I first heard of it, but seeing it in action I reconsidered.

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Posted by Rob J in WNY on 2002 AM:

I thought I saw an ad for a new spring-loaded, plastic clip cull tag system recently. As I recall, the plastic clips were wide, meaning the gripping pressure is distributed over a larger area, reducing or eliminating damage to the fish's mouth.

If the plastic doesn't break, it might be a viable solution. If I see it again, I'll provide the name/manufacturer and/or a web link.

Tight Lines...

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Posted by wnybassman on 2002 AM:

HS, I just re-read the Quik-Cull ad in Bass Times, and it says to clamp onto the lower lip. Your post indicates you use the upper lip. Just wondering if you found that to be better?

The ad also says you can safely lift bass out of the livewell (I assume because it is lifting on the lower jaw). Man, if you can lift the weight of the fish, it doesn't seem like they would come off in the livewell on their own.

Posted by Hooked Solid on 2002 AM:

Bag'em is what I'm using....

Noel, I'm using the bag'em products kit.
So they recommend the upper lip and it fits well just up to that skin section you mentioned.I never had a problem with it tearing up the mouth or lips though.You can't lift the fish with these,they would come right off.You grab the line withone hand and follow it down to the fish with the other ,it works. Some have popped off, in the past 2 yrs of use maybe a 1/2 doz times.
I fish alot of team Txs so it's combined wgt for the boat.I have a divided livewell,so what I do is only tag the small fish and put him on one side.Any girls that I know will make the show,I don't even bother to tag.Anything around 3lbs +/- goes right in the box and keep on fishing.Cull out the dink when the time comes and use the one or sometimes two tags to undink yourself.
For less handling of the fish at the end of the day,fill weigh bag with water,DUH! Drain wells,grab fish,go.
Maybe to stop those stringer type from tearing up gill so bad and rusting they could be dipped in a rubber or plastic like the kind to repair tool handles or something,just a thought...><>...HS

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Posted by Scully on 2002 AM:

have not had a problem

Consigliore....

As you are aware (having been partners on a number of occasions) I use the "Quick Cull" styrafoam balls. I understand where you are coming from. I noticed one of the clubs "new" members attaching the metal clip under the gill plate. I quickly corrected that situation.

IMHO, any culling system that comes close to the gill plate is dangerous at best. The "Quick Cull" method allows the clip to be inserted through the bottom jaw (membrane) of the bass. The attached float rides up in the water column, thereby keeping the attached cord away from the other fish in your live well. According to Mr. Bailey, the type of system you are presently using can cause damage to the fish because of the "loose ends" so to speak.

The styrafoam ball is round and will not intefere with or damage the gills, or eyes much as the rubber rope may do during a rough ride back to a weigh-in some many miles away. He noticed a few fish that had damage to their eyes upon removing them from his live well and attributed the damage to the rope. He voiced Sea Jacks complaint that the clips come off in the livewell far to often. For him it was a nuisance.

I NEVER pick the fish up by the ball while removing it from the livewell. Thats asking for trouble. I saw "Davey Dead Fish" almost loose a fish pulling one out of Kry's well in that manner.
The one draw back to "Quick Cull" is the hole you make in the membrane to insert the clip. However, if you sharpen the clips a bit on a wheel, its much easier to insert and causes less damage to that membrane. Just my opinion.

June, thats a great train of thought...stay with it. See you Tuesday.

Blue

Posted by wnybassman on 2002 PM:

Sorry Hooked, I guess I was a bit confused when you said "plastic clips with rubber ropes", because the Bag'em set I had had metal (stainless) clips with rubber ropes. Maybe they make them of plastic now, and they are better, I don't know.

Posted by Bass Rat on 2002 AM:

The Bag em set is great. Just don't try to lift the fish by the rubber cord.

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Posted by skeeter195 on 2002 AM:

The less you handle the fish the better in my opinion.
I have fished over 400 tx's and am proud to say that I have only had one fish die on me, and that was because he was hooked deep.
Here is what I do, be it right or wrong.
I use the stringer type clips with foam floats and sharpen the clips very sharp so when I poke a hole in the lower jaw membrane it goes right in with little force. That way the fish's mouth is not distorted or hurt except for the hole. I make the hole as close to the lower lip as possible so there will be little or no tearing of the membrane. NEVER PUT A CULL CLIP UNDER THE GILL PLATE(at some point the clip is going to rub on the gills and that will cause unseen damage for sure). Another thing to think of is that the hole you made with your hook when fighting the fish is probrably bigger and in a worse spot than the one you will make with the culling pin. I do lift the fish by the float when getting them out of the livewell. Here again I only lift my fish about 2 feet up and down into the weigh bag, when you lift a fish from the water or even put him into a net, you are doing more harm. I put the fish in the weigh bag, grab the clip, unfasten it and let the fish fall off. I have thought about this and believe this is the fastest and safest thing for the fish. It is alot better than putting your hand on the fish and removing slime. It is also better to do it quickly so the fish will have less time to bang around into each other or the sides of the livewell. It takes me less than one minute to remove all of my fish from the well.
Again the less you handle the fish the better. I never touch a fish that I catch from the time he is hooked, to the time he is back in the lake except for the lower lip. When removing the hook, putting on the cull clip, and putting the fish in the weigh bag you never have to touch anything except the lower lip, and that is what keeps fish the healthiest in my opinion!

Posted by Hooked Solid on 2002 PM:

Noel, I was mistaken when I said plastic clips,It is the small metal clips I'm using(Bag'em).I fixed my original statement,Thanks.
Skeeter, Great post,I guess if everyone out there used the same care and quickness as you,the quick cull system is not so bad.But I have witnessed some very poor handling of fish in my yrs of Tx fishing and was looking for some input or opinions from the masses on this subject,Thanks all.
I plan to print this thread and submit it to my Tx director to discuss with the club in the off-season...><>...HS

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Nothing says LOAD the boat ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> Like the last part of an outgoing Tide!!!!!!!

Posted by wnybassman on 2002 PM:

HS, This has been a great thread. Some of this stuff has been on my mind as well. I used to sharpen my clips years ago, and I probably will start doing that again. I would also LOVE to find stainless steel stringer style clips. There must be some out there somewhere!!

I have been considering getting the clips available at the www.basswidow.com Anyone familiar with these? I have also tossed around the idea of getting the $200 scale/clip "all in one" system and eliminate the need for a board and marker. Hard for me to justify that cost though.

Again, good thread, and I hope there is more discussion on this issue!

Posted by jerryz on 2002 PM:

Noel, You don't really need stainless clips. Go to any K-Mart and buy a cheap clip style stringer for a few dollars. It takes a few minutes to open them all the way up, but with a little work you can replace all your clips in short order. Plus those stringers have a bunch of clips on them so one stringer goes a long way. Also if they were stainless it would take quite a bit of work to get a point on them. These cheapies are brought to a point with just a file.. A method that I have seen used seems to cause little initial damage to the fish. The clips are taken out of the colored nylon ropes and replaced with large diaper pins. While you can only use these for identifying the fish and not lifting, the hole in the jaw membrane is tiny!!

Posted by wnybassman on 2002 PM:

Jerry, yes, I have done that. Several times I have bought stringers to take them apart. It works, but it still seems like they start rusting after only a few tournaments, especially for absent minded people like myself that leave them in the livewell occasioanally

For someone that fishes 30+ tx's a year like myself, I just want something that will last for years.

Thanks for the suggestion though!

Posted by Sea Jack on 2002 PM:

The more I think about it, it might be a better idea to go through the bottom membrane. I wasn't keen on put a hole in the jaw, but that is the whole idea behind fishing. I think I'll switch that up next year. Good idea guys.

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Posted by Seth V on 2002 PM:

I use the rubber ropes with the stainless clips. They fit best on the upper jaw, and I have not had too many problems with them comming off. The new style has colored ropes, with large plastic clips that are inteded to go over the lower jaw. Something like the stringer hooks and a "chip clip" rolled into one. I was going to get them, but they wanted $20 for them. Not a lot of $$, but I know that the materials to make them are like $3.

I don't like poking extra holes if I don't have too. My "guest" culling system is like Teds, I have them go through the gills as safely as possible.

Interesting thread....

Seth V

Posted by GKFISH on 2002 PM:

June,

Great topic dont know the name but i use THOSE gill chain type clips with colored poly line (when i fish) first i shorten the line to about 6 inches then i file the the clips to a fine point.they easily pierce the membrane of the lower jaw just behind the v of it. the clip stays completely away from the gills of the fish. Its true NEVER pick the fish up by the string, grab your float or string and follow it down to the fishes mouth and apply the proverbial thumb lock

GKFISH

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