(Editor's note: After the Cayuga Lake BFL fish kill in August, several people wrote in and said that the BFL and other tournament organizations would do well to follow the example of the Ohio B.A.S.S. Federation's release boat program. Since many BassFans might be unfamiliar with it, we asked Dennis Becker, the Ohio Federation's president, for an overview of this successful program, which follows.)

The sport of bass fishing continues to grow while the available waters do not. Habitat is deteriorating in many places and food supplies are limited. There is little we can do about many conditions we face as anglers, but one thing we can control -- and it might be the most important element -- is taking care of the fish we catch.

The Ohio B.A.S.S. Chapter Federation believes strongly in the benefits of using a release boat and the positive effects it has on bass populations. We have seen it work for us and feel that the impact on our fisheries is well worth the cost.

We have one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the world in Lake Erie. It is also a fragile fishery when you consider that many bass are caught from deep water in warm weather, and weigh-ins are held at shoreline locations with shallow water at temperatures well above a smallmouth's comfort zone. After 7 years of experience, we know the use of a release boat can tremendously increase the chance of survival for these great fighters.

We feel that release boats are a major factor in responsible tournament operations, but keep in mind that no one can save fish mishandled on the water and in boat livewells. Proper techniques must start there for successful release and survival.

Boat Cost

Release boats are not cheap, but you must weigh the cost of protecting the resources against the cost of restoring them if we do irreparable harm -- that is, if restoration is even an option. Protection of the resource also shows responsibility: that we can manage ourselves and the resource to provide a future for all.

To start on a release boat project, look for a good, used 28-foot pontoon boat and pay special attention to the size of the "logs." The larger the diameter, the greater the capacity the boat will have. Two upgrades you might consider are a new trailer (rather than trust what comes with it), and a new, more reliable engine. We did both with our first boat.

Our first boat resulted in an expenditure of around $10,000, but we learned a lot in the process. We also attracted a lot of attention once we got the boat on the water, and the benefits of that greatly reduced the cost of the second boat.

For the second boat, we acquired a smaller 24-foot pontoon and managed to outfit it for around $2,000. The larger boat has 500-gallon capacity in four tanks and the smaller has 350 gallons in three tanks. Each tank has a trap door in the bottom, allowing for fish release in multiple locations.

You will find that some marinas and outdoors businesses are willing to help with your project. Thanks to Dixie Marine, Mercury Marine and the Adopt-A-Bass program, we were able to put new Mercury outboards on both of our boats. The larger boat has a 90-hp engine and the smaller has a 75-hp; bear in mind that you will be pushing a lot of weight when the tanks are full.

Costs can be kept down dramatically if you have a "professional scrounger" who can develop relationships with a myriad of businesses to get donations of a lot of the equipment you will need. We are fortunate to have one, who has saved us literally thousands of dollars.

For example, most re-circulating pumps are run continuously so their life is limited: You learn to accept whatever you can get and keep extras on hand. Another example: a JVS or trade school can be an inexpensive source of welding and fabrication of tanks, and a release boat provides a unique learning opportunity for the students.

Remember to put visible signage on your boat recognizing those who contribute to its creation, or offer them free advertising space in your club or Federation publication and web site.

A final consideration for a release boat is a tow vehicle. You need something stable to pull a large pontoon on long trips under all kinds of conditions. We started with a restored Chevy Suburban, but now our release boat captain uses his personal crew-cab "doolie" to pull the larger boat and we reimburse him accordingly. The smaller boat can be towed by a heavy-duty pickup or SUV.

We cover the cost of using the boats at our events, and have a formula we use when others commission use of the boats. Their cost barely covers our expenses, but we seek no profit. We are more concerned about protecting the resource than monetary gain, and we don't want the cost to be an excuse for not using them. Our boats have been used as far away as Wisconsin and Tennessee.

Our annual budget for both boats is $7,500. This includes insurance coverage and operator lodging for distant and multiple-day events. Of this, $1,500 comes from our general fund to cover the costs of using the boats at our state and regional tournaments. Naturally, this can vary considerably, depending on the amount of travel and how many out-of-state sites are involved. We also raise money through direct donations and a release-boat auction at our annual open meeting.

Release Boat Benefits

There's more to the use of a release boat than just getting fish away from a ramp weigh-in area. It allows you to put fish back into areas where they were caught, areas that offer good spawning potential, food supplies and habitat. That in itself greatly increases survival rates.

Release boats also allow time and a workable area to resuscitate stressed fish, and to "fizz" inflated swim bladders before releasing fish. (We feel that failing to do this may have caused some fish kills at tournaments.)

But as we all know, sometimes a few fish don't make it: numbers will vary with weather conditions. In those cases, try to find someone who will take and use the fish you can't save. If you can demonstrate that no fish go to waste, you increase public acceptance of tournament competition. Offering our boats for agency use in stocking and research programs also has a positive effect on public opinion.

Our policy is to have the release boat be one of the first boats in the water, and it stays there all day. It is often used as the morning starting boat. Throughout the day, and especially at weigh-ins, we invite the public to come aboard and look it over. You would be surprised at the attention it draws. We have also held educational classes for our junior clubs and others aboard the boats.

An unexpected result of seeing our boats in action is that some local marinas at a couple of lakes have outfitted smaller pontoons with Rubbermaid stock tanks for use as release boats on their lakes. While not as sophisticated as our release boats, they serve a valuable purpose and do an admirable job. Anything is better than nothing.

Release Boats Work

All tournament organizations should take a serious look at how they are conducting tournaments, including an honest assessment of how they are affecting the resource. Those who really care should find a way to add the use of a release boat to their events.

We believe strongly in the use of release boats and are willing to do what we can to help anyone put one on the water. The basic tank plans can be revised to fit most pontoons, and we'll gladly share our experience in other equipment.

We feel it is important to make this commitment to demonstrate our concern for our bass resources, and to help prevent over-regulation of our sport. We have yet to hear an argument that can justify dead fish in the public's mind. Perhaps some day, a release boat may even be a requirement for a tournament permit for large events likely to have a significant impact on bass resources.

Dennis Becker is president of the Ohio B.A.S.S. Federation and can be reached at (937) 335-2078 or at dbecker@erinet.com.

Alan DeVaughn is the release boat captain for the Ohio Federation. He can be reached at (740) 499-4122 or devaughn@gte.net.