JHAP, best not to stick fingers in gill area for fish intended for release......i'm guilty of that alot too but was recently reminded of this on my OTHER forum.
I didn't know that. See there you do learn something every day. That bass was thrashing like mad. Ricki took a bunch of photos of it to come up with one where it was holding still.
Oh and as an also and besides, I caught that LMB on an Ultra Light rig with 6 pound test. It hit on a 1/16 oz rooster tail (I know super small jig) in very shallow water - I was actually fishing for GSF and BG at the time, it didn't occur to me that a 4 pound LMB would hit such a small jig, of course admittedly I am an amature fisherman at best.
