Sometimes there are fish lost in tournaments, but some of those same fish would die when released when fun fishing too. Most tournament fisherman have done it long enough & learnd how to take care of their catch & also how to keep water cool & fresh. Yes their are a few that die for whatever reason, but there sure aren't that many lost because of tournament fisherman. What about Striper & Musky ??? Doesn't seem to be mentioned that much on hear other than a select few die hard Striper fisherman who call it quits when the water heats up ?? Are there that many who simply don't care about the other species .... or are there just a few that do & post about it & many more that don't ??? I understand your opinion completely, but I think a lot of you get carried away towards tourney fishing when you should look around at other fish that are way more susceptible to perish than Bass. Ask most Fish & wildlife agents who they think does the best & keeping their fish alive & released most times & see who they say. Yes I've been told this when I asked more than once. I fish Striper & Musky too.