I think the thing that hurts us more than anything on fish, paticularly in the summer, is the depth at which they are caught. Typically in the South and other flat land lakes, bass aren't much over 15 feet deep. Its not uncommon here to catch largemouth 40 feet or more deep in the summer. Lots of times I will camp out on a bluff in 70 feet of water. There is just such a shock to the fish when you bring it up that fast. First off, the pressure on its swim bladder is unreal. It is reccommended that we puncture the bladder before releasing the fish. I do need to get someone to show me how sometime, but basically, its sticking a needle in the bladder to relieve the pressure on it. Secondly, the water temp difference is tremendous. At 25 or so feet, the temp is probably in the 50s or 60's. When you get the fish to the surface, the water is 90+ during the worst part of the year. That is extreme shock for the fish. Sure, you can ice down the livewell, but it just doesn't last, even in my 95 Ranger, the insulation won't keep ice. Its like sticking ice in a coffee pot. <P>I know I had some of the same cheating thoughts and some that just said, this is bass fishing, there has to be a weigh in with scales. And I would not want to fish big money or team tournaments this way, but for a club draw tournament format, it seems to be the way to go. I was surprised when we started it how common it actually was in the northern tier of states. States that have closed seasons like Minnesota or New Jersey use this type system in their clubs. The ones I talked to had developed anti cheating measures as they decided they needed in their situation. Some have to have another boat in the club verify the fish, some use cameras, different things. <P>Skipper
