DOBASS ~ "BEYOND THE LIVEWELL"
Many things make us "feel good" as anglers about what we do for the prosperity of our sport.
Doing the right things to reduce mortality rates of post tournament caught fish for long term survival often becomes so burdened with SEEMINGLY "doing the right things" and misinformation, that we as anglers and organizers can do more harm than good with our best efforts of "presentation"
Release boats, live water weighs, chemical "rejuvenating" treatments etc. etc.
Science often goes by the wayside and moral turpitude (the enemy) prevails...unfortunately.
DOBASS has extensively researched and concluded the topic with a utilitarian principle.
KEEP IT SIMPLE ~ EDUCATE ~ REDUCE STRESS ~ INCREASE OXYGEN
The most important variable for success of life lays on the captures who hold fish for up to eight hours.
At the start,DOBASS incorporates concise rules for each series of events to establish expectations for angler care of held fish.
Stringent, non-traditional penalties such as full pound dead fish deductions and even DISQUALIFICATION for dead fish at LaDue, requires anglers to spend the much needed time during their day to provide for the utmost care of their creel that often can become secondary while seeking that "one more fish."
Most anglers not only want to avoid penalty but would love to increase the weight of all their typical 12" Ohio fish!
DOBASS events include some eye awakening morning handouts that can do just that by educating anglers on how to increase oxygen and reduce stress.
Discussions of proper ice downs, approved chemical treatments, using a cull system, gentle handling, constant areation - all leads to an understanding that more oxygen and less stress equals less waste. The translation adds to higher overall creel weight- and ultimately, proper care for long term survival.
Reducing stress is a mantra you will hear from our organization and the same reason we as organizers incorporate a ONE TIME handle system at weigh-in.
From weigh-bag to medical holding tank the majority of DOBASS weighed fish have only been handled once with our system. A possible stop with a camera and an outstretched arm, is the only other human intervention!
Note as well- all 12 identical DOBASS baskets are tared precisely to the GRAM for precision accuracy and controlled field weights.
Ever been stuck behind 30 line bags with an airstone vigorously bubbling (occassionally) while you hold your well kept creel in a tank of soupy 90 degree blue colored holding tank water?
Each guy in front of you seems to talk for 10 minutes about a lost fish, God blessing him while running 70 mph on a 6" deep mud flat or how he's "just happy to be there"!
When you finally approach the bump board you then get a grizzly bump board guy look about your poor conditioned bag!
Proper organizational angler flow increases oxygen and redcuces stress at DOBASS.
Anlgers are required to utilize one of our "enemy removing" mesh top Harper's bags.
Bags are limited in number to provide for flow and assure properly treated water exchanges while the guy in front tells all the lies of his day that he wants.
The angler needs to do nothing more than allow the bag to submerge into our temperature controlled, oxygen and aerated enhanced, specially formulated "catch and release" stress reducing, wound healing, bacterial containing, VHS eating, slime coat replacing, ammonia removing treated tanks. Except to SMILE!
AND... if you think we are exaggerating about any of that..we're not!
The next thing "the enemy" says, "The bag company and the biologists are paying them to say that."
Nope- not a cent. It's simply part of DOBASS education for anglers. It's how to get more weight from your little fish...how to make them sit still at our scales for accuracy... and how to truly do the things we all want to do- simply and effectively without the polished shine of things that just make us "feel good" but ultimately will kill fish or not benefit them at all.
We hope this presentation allows all anglers to revisit the reality of their fish handling practices and also hints upon the efforts we strive for as an organization who weighs and releases thousands of fish annually.
If you have additional resources or suggestions to further enhance our procedures PLEASE contact us.
We would love to be involved with ANY scientifically controlled studies specific to our efforts and the true rates of overall mortality as a result of our events.
Until then...
KEEP IT SIMPLE ~ EDUCATE ~ REDUCE STRESS ~ INCREASE OXYGEN
