Bass fishing went off the rails in two key areas: one being the idea that eating your catch is some how a bad idea. Second, the tournaments/money/sponsors have taken it into a business model.

It's deviated so far from the bass fishing of yesterday and these are key reasons why I personally don't understand the logic behind it. I don't know which is more frustrating, the whole mentality of catch/release/don't eat or the big money tournaments that attract fantastic butt holes. Color me confused on bass fishing in general, but being a conservation minded person, I routinely save them when gut hooked by simply cutting the hook off instead of pulling their guts out.