I agree on not overfighting the fish and try to force them into to doing things. I think I loose more fish at the boat than jumping out away from the boat. To that end I find if one gets impatient to get the fish close to the boat then that is where you end up with energetic jumps which will can be trouble. It happens away from the boat but not as much close.

Since I don't fish for money I don't mind letting them jump. It is part of the excitement of the battle and if I lose them -- so what. Like elnutsmalljaws I have only had a few through time that I really hated losing. I stuck a huge largemouth about 15 years ago on Barkley that I lost at the boat - she bounced off the end of the net but she was a double-digit mama. I really would have liked to held her - at least for a few minutes.

Any more I don't even net fish which is why I lose so many at the boat. If they are under 4 I usually try to swing them in and I end up bouncing some of them off the side of the boat. I really should not be so lazy and hand land more of them but we can't all be perfect.