Bass fishing is challenging, especially when the angler catches the big bass. Holding it correctly will make the game relaxing and rewarding. It also makes you proud enough to show it off.
Holding the bass in the wrong way increases the risk of fishing and hurts the fish. Careful about holding them as they have sharp teeth that can injure your finger.
Do not hold the bass out of the water for too long, even when it is a larger fish. It cannot breathe oxygen from the air. Also, the bass will start twisting.
How to Hold a Bass Fish in Different Ways
Holding a bass is an easy process if you follow some tricks. Bass has sharp teeth that can cut your thumb while holding it.
When you are playing catch and release, holding them incorrectly will hurt their jaws and suffer in the water. Also, they will strike on your hand to escape, so give some attention and stop the fish from going back into the lakes.
There are three different styles to hold the bass. Such as,
How to Grab Bass with a Hold Vertical

Holding the bass in a vertical position is one of the safest and common ways to keep the fish comfortable. This way, the mouth will be facing the sky while you are holding the jaws, and the total body weight will face the ground.
This way, the bass cannot wiggle fast, cut your thumb, and relieve other pressures. Put your thumb inside the mouth and hold the lower jaws firmly. Hold the bottom lip or dentary firmly to avoid fin spines. Do not touch the gill plate or it will damage the respiratory system.
This way, the weight will distribute from head to tail and you will feel comfortable holding it for a long time. You can also use a hanging fish scale when you are on the boat.
Horizontal Hold for Bass
Holding in a horizontal position means keeping the bass lined. This way, you can take your prized catch picture. The grip technique is almost the same as vertically holding; put your thumb in its mouth, hold the lower lip and use your other hand to hold near the tail or rear fin.
This way, the overall weight will distribute on both hands, and the bass cannot wiggle much. I like this technique more than vertically because It won’t cause muscle fatigue.
It is the best technique to hold a more prominent bass. Just give a firm grip on the body. The bass jaw won’t feel any stretch like vertically holding it and you can practice this technique for a long time. This way the slime protection will also keep ok.
Angled Hold
This technique is not for trophy-sized fish. Otherwise, the jaw will break or be damaged. Here you also have to hold the jaw while placing the thumb in its mouth, just the body will be facing straight or lined. Do not give much stress. This way, the body will face at an angle from its head. The angle should not be greater than 10 degrees.
Do Bass Have Teeth

Bass has small but razor-sharp teeth that can scratch or cut your finger. The teeth are away from the jaws, so your finger won’t reach near the teeth when you hold it.
Largemouth and smallmouth bass has a row of fine teeth, and striped bass has small teeth. They can hold prey in their mouth for a long time. The teeth of largemouth bass are not sharp like a shark, yet it is enough to cut your thumb.
How to Unhook a Bass
Unhook a bass is sensitive as a tiny mistake can hurt it, and no one should make any fish suffer. Follow the correct method to remove the hook from the bass mouth. You will need only one tool to do it.
First of all, hold the bass mouth with your hand softly clip the line close to the hook. Do not give pressure. Grab the side of the hook point gently with a plier very carefully. After that, slowly rotate the hook and pull it out. When the hook has a slight bend, it may go through the gills, so carefully remove it. Do not put your thumb too far otherwise, you will get a bass thumb. ‘
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