Anyone ever have fish die in livewell with a Cal Coast cull tag?

[dwtaylor]

How do I know if I have gen 1 or gen 2? I have had at least 1 fish die using these. I dont like how they cant close their mouth either.

I generally suck so culling usually doesn't happen for me so I don't know for sure.

[wvbassmaster]

smaller fish are more prone to dying with the cull tags. was it a smallmouth or a largemouth? i dont use clips on smallmouth after the water starts warming up. in cold water it doesnt seem to be a problem.

smallie

[west_tn]

How do I know if I have gen 1 or gen 2? I have had at least 1 fish die using these. I dont like how they cant close their mouth either.

I generally suck so culling usually doesn't happen for me so I don't know for sure.

Gen 2 clips are much smaller.

[west_tn]

A healthy fish in good water could have a watermelon attached to its mouth and live. More than likely the fish was already stressed and the livewell water quality less than ideal so any kind of cull tag was going to stress it out even more.

I had fish upside down in working livewells without cull tags.

I disagree. Before using the Gen 1 clips I had never had a fish die. Bought those clips and the next few tournaments I had dead fish. I quit using them and haven't had a dead fish since. Literally the only time I've ever had a fish die it was with that clip in its mouth. That isn't just a coincidence.

[jigheadworm]

Got a set of the Bubba cull tags been great so far never had the Cal coast but have never lost a fish with the Rapala or Bubba cull tags.

[yatesville88fan]

This past weekend we had a small fish die that ended up costing us 2 spots and $400 dollars in winnings with a dead fish penalty. The water only being 70 and pumps on auto recirc. i have heard of fish dying when using Cal Coast tags but really hadn't experienced it myself. I cannot 100% that's the reason but there i have read several reviews stating its a problem due to the size of the clip. I have tried 3 different "green" culling systems and not happy with any of them. Really considering going back to old style i used for years without having an issues. Just curious if anyone else has had this happen?

What lake was u fishing?

[DMart1]

Been using them for 4 years in my Skeeter livewell and cant ever remember losing a fish

Same. No issues here.

Dont think the cull tags are your issue..

[wvbassmaster]

What lake was u fishing?

Kanawha river

[rockangler]

Unfortunately yes. Two week ago I was captain of one of our high school teams in the regionals. I never use tags in my tournaments but decided to at this one. The fish where active all day. We checked them several times. Put our last keeper in the boat with an hour and forty minutes to go. All was good at this point. I really wasn't concerned as the water and air temps where not bad. When we got to the weigh in four fish had died. That two pound penalty cost my guys a trip to the state tournament. I can't really say it was the clips but I will not use them again. Like someone else posted, smalls on one side and larger fish on the other.

[novakevlar]

I disagree. Before using the Gen 1 clips I had never had a fish die. Bought those clips and the next few tournaments I had dead fish. I quit using them and haven't had a dead fish since. Literally the only time I've ever had a fish die it was with that clip in its mouth. That isn't just a coincidence.

Lots of things can contribute to killing fish. Your experience isn't in question, but that doesn't mean there weren't multiple factors at play. I've had rough boat rides kill fish.

[Bobby Gray]

Really like the ones that Jake Lawrence has been using on the TW Invitationals lately. it's a pretty small colored chord maybe 4-5" with very small clip - he attaches it on the rear dorsal fin. Got to see him on Live a lot lately and they seem to stay on real well. Haven't seen that before.. No idea who makes them.

[Tim Powell]

Really like the ones that Jake Lawrence has been using on the TW Invitationals lately. it's a pretty small colored chord maybe 4-5" with very small clip - he attaches it on the rear dorsal fin. Got to see him on Live a lot lately and they seem to stay on real well. Haven't seen that before.. No idea who makes them.

Alligator clip and colored zip tie

[Schooler]

I hated them . They. Of only won’t let a fish close its mouth but also keep fish from being in a natural level of nose down slightly position in the live well. I have found no plastic clips that allow fish to rest in a live well in a natural position.

[jml]

I lost a fish last tournament with the gen 2 tags. Had live well running non stop. Not sure what to think. Shallow caught fish, 62 degree water. No deep hooked fish.

[BassinPaPaw]

I think clips kill some fish. If they can’t close their mouth It will kill them.

[novakevlar]

Really like the ones that Jake Lawrence has been using on the TW Invitationals lately. it's a pretty small colored chord maybe 4-5" with very small clip - he attaches it on the rear dorsal fin. Got to see him on Live a lot lately and they seem to stay on real well. Haven't seen that before.. No idea who makes them.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/DD26...age-DDCTT.html

[Mcjenson]

I've been using mine a few years now and haven't had any issues. I weigh and tag every fish to make culling easy. Personally I think not having to mess around with a bunch every time you need to cull is a big benefit to the fish, in my region anyways I've never really had fish freak out with those on. Any time I've had fish struggling it was more of a livewell temp, switch from timer to constant recirc and add g juice thing rather than a cull tag thing.

[B.Combs]

When I first got mine I used them on all 5 of the fish I had in the livewell. Just a small limit. Culled a couple times later on and about noon I checked on the fish and all 5 were dead with their mouths wide open. It was fresh water and don’t believe it was above 70 degrees. Cost me coming in the money for that tournament and AOY points. Up until that point I never had a fish die. I haven’t used them since other than to put 2 fish on the balance beam. I just put the bigs on one side and smalls on the other

[ECobb91]

Can always be like me, I never tag my fish because I barely get a limit, let alone cull fish then you never have to worry!

[Dennis S.]

I quit using mine because of the size and they seemed too large and bulky. I started using the T&H G Force gen 2 conservation clips as they aren't as large and bulky. So far so good. I'm seriously considering using the older style because of the size.