Your point is a good one, In fact I just had that same conversation with my teenage son.How can you really kill something so special? I dont even put one of these special fish in a live well unless I am in a tournament. I lip them unhook them and gently put them back. catch and release is working. If you dont believe it look at how many you catch that are 17 1/2 inches at Norris and look how many 20 to 24 inchers are caught now as compared to 5 years ago. If you want something to eat catch spotted bass or crappie. If you want a mount take a pic and get a replica. We have a special deal on Smallmouth in Tennessee lets make sure we keep it.Fish2win