Originally Posted by
4given
What is your basis of authority? Have you ever fished a tournament at night or this time of year? Do you really know what the mortality rate is? We fished at Green Sat night and lost one fish for the whole tournament. At Nolin last month we lost one. At Rough in June we lost 0. Both of those fish lost were hooked too deep to survive. None were lost due to heat or poor handling. Most good tournament fishermen know how to keep fish alive. Have you ever seen a cooler in a pontoon full of dead bass? I have. Have you ever seen a stringer hanging off the side of a jon boat full of dead bass? I have. Have you ever heard someone say there's one the tounament boys won't catch, while striking the bass in the head with something heavy? I have. Have you ever seen someone setting on the bank in front of their lake house with a basket full of 10 to 11 inch bass? I have. While it is true that 5lb bass should not have been put back into the water, and shame on whoever put it back if they knew it was dead, the fact is we don't know what killed it. No tournament angler ever, ever wants to kill a bass. Not ever! It is a renewable resource. Maybe you'd like to go fishing sometimes to sort out the facts?