Hate to argue this but it doesn't HAVE to go to the scales. You can choose not to add it to your bag and weigh in only 4 fish. You can take the 5th fish home for the table. - this is living in the gray area.
The OP is looking for a way to justify breaking the rules and rationalize poor ethics.

Lol. You're not in a gray area. You've been cheating.

Why would you not weigh a dead fish if the penalty is less than the weight of the dead fish and only take four to the scales?

And, the OP said he was replacing the dead fish with a bigger live one, and didn’t mention anything about weighing only four fish. He then goes on to say it would be legal because you’re allowed 10 fish in the boat.

100% this.

What was explained to me a long time ago was the rule was in affect because you can’t want and waist. Like just shoot a deer and leave it lay just to kill it, or be crappie fishing, catch your limit, and throw 5 back just cuz they died and catch 5 more. So if a bass died you couldn’t throw it back in the water just to waist it and add another to your limit. I personally always thought was dumb because I know for a fact people trying to cull a fish still “alive” just waiting to see it move or twitch. Or 1/2 swim off then float at tip but gills still moving. Ie dead fish swimming. But they can still pass the poly graph and that’s legal to do. But all valid points. I asked the tournament director in 2011 and did nit have to do it in that tournament. But i do think now it is pushing the rules a little too much. Seeing the other topics made me think about it again. Especially the net example. If a fish comes off your bait and you net it, or it floats on top of the water for a split second and gets scooped up, technically your just netting a fish that’s loose in the water with no line, bait, or hooked attach to it. So that’s legal, but you can’t go around scooping bass up with a net. So like some people say you can go on forever debating rules. There does need to be some more clarity though. I liked the idea for a fish you broke off if you bring it in with out making another cast should be legal.

What was explained to me a long time ago was the rule was in affect because you can’t want and waist. Like just shoot a deer and leave it lay just to kill it, or be crappie fishing, catch your limit, and throw 5 back just cuz they died and catch 5 more. So if a bass died you couldn’t throw it back in the water just to waist it and add another to your limit. I personally always thought was dumb because I know for a fact people trying to cull a fish still “alive” just waiting to see it move or twitch. Or 1/2 swim off then float at tip but gills still moving. Ie dead fish swimming. But they can still pass the poly graph and that’s legal to do. But all valid points. I asked the tournament director in 2011 and did nit have to do it in that tournament. But i do think now it is pushing the rules a little too much. Seeing the other topics made me think about it again. Especially the net example. If a fish comes off your bait and you net it, or it floats on top of the water for a split second and gets scooped up, technically your just netting a fish that’s loose in the water with no line, bait, or hooked attach to it. So that’s legal, but you can’t go around scooping bass up with a net. So like some people say you can go on forever debating rules. There does need to be some more clarity though. I liked the idea for a fish you broke off if you bring it in with out making another cast should be legal.