Ask ten tournament anglers what the best culling system is, and you’ll probably get twelve different answers! It’s a hotly debated topic, with anglers having vastly different preferences and opinions on the topic.
Being able to quickly cull and sort through your day’s catch will give you a distinct advantage in a tournament situation. A good culling system lets you quickly identify each fish using a color-coded float, so you’ll know exactly which fish is which. You also be less likely to injure your fish while they’re in your livewell, as modern culling systems don’t require you to puncture the fish’s jaw.
In addition to reducing the harm to your catch, a quality culling system makes managing your catch faster and easier. You won’t need to chase fish around the well with your bare hands or a net, so you’ll save time by being able to quickly grab any fish you like.
I’ll break down some of the best culling systems for bass fishing on the market, and help you pick the ideal one for your particular needs.
Quick Answer: 4 Best Culling Systems
Best Overall: Cal Coast CNC2 Premium Culling System
Runner Up: TH Marine G-Force Cull System Gen 2
Also Consider: Ardent Tackle Smarter Cull
Best Culling Beam: EGO Culling Beam
What is a culling system?
Culling refers to choosing or gathering the best examples from a herd. You may have heard the term used in reference to thinning out a wild animal population or sending surplus farm animals to the slaughter.
When used for tournament fishing, it simply means sorting and removing the smaller fish in your well and releasing them. To do this effectively, you’ll need a system for quickly weighing, recording, and organizing your catch.
Less time sorting and organizing means more time catching fish!
What do you need for a culling system?
A good culling system has several different components. It’s all about efficiency and ease-of-use, as you don’t want to waste time fiddling around and re-weighing fish because you’re not sure which one is which.
The first thing you’ll need is a good method of weighing and measuring your catch. You can use either a mechanical fish scale or a digital one – each type has its relative strengths and weaknesses.
Mechanical Scale
Mechanical scales are highly durable, and because they don’t rely on electrical components, they’ll never run out of batteries in the middle of a tournament. On the flip side, they can be a bit more difficult to read on the fly than digital scales. They also can’t save measurements in memory.
If you’re looking for a good mechanical scale, check out the Eastboga Bogagrips. These legendary grips are made in the USA and provide you with an all-in-one fish gripper and mechanical scale.
They feature an internal precision spring and an exterior embossed scale for a precision weight measurement.
The entire gripping head swivels when a fish is thrashing or wriggling around, so there’s no chance a fish will injure itself or wriggle free while your weighing and measuring it. You can also send them to the IGFA for certification if you like.
Digital Scale
Digital scales are highly accurate, easy to read, and often feature built-in memory functions for saving weight measurements for later. Many tournament anglers favor them for this reason. On the other hand, they’re more prone to water damage and batteries can run out.
If you’re looking for a digital scale for tournament fishing, check out the Rapala 50 Lbs High Contrast Digital Scale. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket or on your belt and packs many of the same features of larger digital scales.
Eight weight storage slots allow you to save weight recordings for later on, while two different weighing methods let you use a metal hook or vise-grip clamp to hold your fish.
While it’s on the smaller side, the reverse image LCD screen is bright and easy to read. It’s readable even on bright, sunny days when normal LCDs would be tough to decipher.
Recording Your Catch
Not writing down the weight and measurement of your catch is a big mistake. Yes, you could save them in your digital scale’s memory, but writing them down gives you a failsafe way recording that can’t be accidentally erased.
A notepad and pencil/pen can work well for this task. If you’re like me and tend to get water on all of your gear, then you’ll want to go with something a little more waterproof. A small dry erase pad and grease pencil can work well for this task. Grease pencils leave water-resistant markings on glass, metal, and plastics, but can be removed with a little elbow grease.
Check out the DIXON Industrial Phano Peel-Off for a well-made grease pencil.
If you want a more professional option, check out the ACCU-CULL weight recorder. It’s an analog tournament fishing weight recorder with seven color-coded and numbered settings.
To record a weight simply rotate the dials until you get your desired reading. The dials lock in position, so they won’t get shaken out of place during a bumpy ride.
Next, you’ll need cull tags to organize your catch, and a culling beam to double-check fish weights. Some culling systems will include both of these items bundled together.
Best Overall: Cal Coast CNC2 Premium Culling System
A longtime favorite of many tournament anglers, the Cal Coast culling system includes 7 clip-on color-coded cull tags. They utilize an adjustable grip pressure ratchet-tooth design that won’t injure the fish’s jaw even when attached all day long.
You can adjust the amount of pressure applied by each clip, so fish won’t wriggle free inside your livewell. The clips are also easy to operate single-handed, so hooking and dehooking a fish takes seconds.
Each tag features a color-code and numbered float, so you can easily identify which one is which. A retaining clip also comes included – so you can store and organize the tags when they’re not in use.
Key Features
- Clip-on cull tags won’t damage the fish’s jaw
- Adjustable pressure ratchet-tooth clip design
- Clips are easy to operate single-handed
- Each tag includes a color-code and number
- CULLING SYSTEM FOR BASS FISHING: As any tournament angler knows, keeping track of bass in a livewell can get confusing. With our simple-to-use culling system, youll be able to easily tag fish so can they be identified faster.
- PUNCTURE FREE CLIPS: More and more bass fishing tournaments are requiring puncture-free clips for culling to prevent harming the fish. Knowing this, we made our system with sturdy clips that ratchet down on a fishs mouth without causing injury.
- COLORED FLOATING TAGS: Our thoughtfully-designed tags are designed to float in your livewell. In addition, the tags are color coded and numbered so you can easily identify and retrieve your best fish for the tournament. They are made of a durable material that wont get crushed, ensuring youll get reliable use for years to come.
- RUST FREE COMPONENTS: Our advanced fish culling system is made of rust-free components that can handle prolonged outdoor use. As an added feature, the system also includes a convenient mounting bracket for simple storage and organization.
- CAL COAST FISHING: Our company specializes in providing products that make fishing more enjoyable. Our well-made accessories are designed by anglers that know what fishermen need to be successful during tournamen
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Runner Up: TH Marine G-Force Cull System Gen 2
This all-in-one culling system contains everything you need to sort, cull, and weigh your fish. It includes 6 color-coded cull tags with non-penetrating clips that grip tightly but won’t injure your catch.
The clips feature stainless steel springs – allowing for easy one-handed operation. Strong plastic clips keep your catch secure while preventing any permanent damage to the fish’s jaw. A metal balance beam also comes included, allowing you to quickly determine which fish is heavier.
The color-coded buoys are made from durable plastic and are easily detached from the cull cables. The added weight from plastic buoys helps to tame fish inside your livewell. Keep in mind they’re not numbered, but that’s easily fixed with a simple permanent marker.
Key Features
- All-in-one culling system includes color-coded tags, clips, and balance beam
- Strong spring-loaded plastic clips
- Color-coded cables
- Plastic floats are easily removable
- All-In-One Fish Culling System - this fish culling kit will become one of your most trusted bass tournament accessories to tag, weigh, and cull fish quickly so you can spend more time casting
- Allows Quicker Culling - new and improved non-penetrating cull clips provide a quick and secure grip on your catch to allow for easy livewell retrieval
- 6 Color-Coded Lines and Buoys - included buoy holder and removable cull tags for bass keep your live well organized and easily allows you to hoist your catch onto the balance beam without fear of losing grip
- Non-Penetrating Clips - our durable clips and stainless steel springs provide a tight hold on your biggest catch without harming or stressing the fish
- Allows For One Handed Use - our streamlined design allows you to quickly and efficiently tag and cull fish with one hand, making this the ultimate tournament culling system for bass fish
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Also Consider: Ardent Tackle Smarter Cull
Durable, well-designed, and easy-to-use, this culling system is the perfect choice when you want a foolproof system for recording your catch’s weight. Each color-coded float has a built-in system for recording weight – simply twist the dials to the correct weight lock them in place, and you’ve got a fail-safe weight recording.
This system eliminates the need for grease pencils, boards, or clunky electronic weight recording devices. Each ball features large, easy-to-read numbers, so you can spot the weight effortlessly. The PVC-coated cables are highly durable and are compatible with livewell additives.
The system includes ardent’s excellent non-piercing plastic smart clips. These clips work well for the majority of fish species, and won’t cause harm to the fish’s lip or jaw like metal clips can.
Key Features
- Buoyant culling balls have built-in easy-to-read weight selectors
- Eliminates the need for grease pencils, charts, or electronics
- Comes with smart self-piercing smart clips
- Round floats are buoyant, impact-resistant, and color-coded
- Smarter C
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best Culling Beam: EGO Culling Beam
Culling beams let you quickly determine the heavier fish between two different options. They make a great addition to culling systems. This is particularly useful when you have several similarly sized fish and want to determine which one is heavier.
This culling beam isn’t a cheap piece of plastic. It’s made from 3/16” thick anodized aluminum plate with a full-sized padded carry handle. It can be used both in fresh and saltwater and features corrosion-proof stainless-steel clips for attaching your fish.
Key Features
- Quick and easy method for weighing fish
- Corrosion-resistant anodized aluminum construction
- Comfortable carry handle
- ITS EASY: We created a quick way to weigh your fish for tournaments or for the weekend warrior. Our pro culling beams are durable and easy to use
- LIGHTWIEGHT: 3/16 Anodized aluminum plate, provides a quick lightweight option to measure your catch
- FRESH & SALT WATER: Works great for both salt and freshwater, the stainless steel clips are corrosion proof
- USUABLE ANYWHERE: Store it on your boat or carry it to any body of water. Take the guess out of how big your fish is
- EGO GUARENTEE: We stand by our products, we provide a 30 day money back no questions asked guaran
Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
