I am always trying to learn new things about how to better take care of fish! When I learn something new, that I think is valuable, I like to share it with other bass fisherman.

I have caught many fish at or over the 8 lber mark. I always made sure to get them quickly back into the water after a quick picture, and I though that was enough. I thought I was doing the right thing.

However, this weekend I saw a poster at Anglers Lodge in Amistad about how holdind a big bass a certain way almost always breaks its jaw bone! I was horrified when I learned that the way I always hold big bass usually injurs the fish in such a bad way.

The poster said that you should never hold a bass verticly by the lip. The weight of a big fish aand the pressure are hands place on the jaw cause it to snap almost everytime

I quickly ran through my phone cam a realized that I have broken about 10 jaws this past year. I was very upset about this. However, if I can teach at least one person the right way, it will make me feel better.

The propoer way to hold thes big fish is with 2 wet hands. One supporting head region and the other near the tail.

Next time you pose witha big one, remember this. And spread the word!

This is a very interesting topic. personally, I hold all but my biggest bass by the lip. However, I am quite careful. its hard to tell by the pics but I don't even put my thumb in their mouth, I lay it parallel across the lip. By doing this I feel the bass' jaw is not being warped. The fish hangs perfectly vertical in a natural (for the jaw) position.
That said, I have personally SEEN a jaw break. It was on about a 6 lber and the guy was SO EXCITED to have caught the fish! He had a death grip on that jaw and rotated it too far... SNAP! Fish couldn't close her mouth, dead for sure.
The vertical hold that breaks jaws is when someone rotates the jaw bone in an effort to hold a fish horizontally, thus tweaking the jaw bone and destroying the joint or bone itself.

You mean like they do on the stage at the Elite Tournaments?