I could use some advice from you guys. A friend and I do a lot of fishing in private ponds and lakes. Of course we only catch and release. The question I have is what would be an easy, inexpensive and safe way to tag the bass we catch? I would like to tag them so we can see how often we catch the same bass. Some ideas have popped in my head but I don't want to disturb the natrual abilities of the bass or endanger them. I look forward to your opinions and advice.
In my ponds I use a very simple, free system that doesn't harm the bass. I clip one of the two pelvic fins. This may not return enough information to you but for me it works very well. I record which fin is clipped, right or left, and condition of the fish. I use this approach primarily to distinguish between stocking classes...for example clip the right fin on every LMB stocked in a given year and the left fin on bass stocked in another year. It provides surprising amount of information without harming the fish in any way. It's the easiest way I know of to get good data on the fish. Just clip the end of the fin and no apparent harm to the fish.
I am assuming that you always get permission to fish other peoples ponds. You might consider asking them about catch and release. The owner(s) might not want smal bass under 13 inches returned to the pond. If you really want to do something for the owners, keep a log of each pond.
I really appreciate the feedback guys. I never would have thought that could be a method used. I have talked to the owners of the tanks and they don't mind what I do as long as the bass live. I just wanted to see how often the same fish were being caught, how much they have grown, etc... Again, I appreciate the tip.
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