it's just the way that puts the least stress on the fishes mouth and nothing else other than a suggestion to raise awareness.

the bad part is holding the bass by the side jaw where the joint is
the bottom jaw alone will not break under the fishes own weight
that's where the hook goes to weigh them (so you know how much it weighs and can quickly release it).

Agreed

And speaking of harm to the fish, the sadest thing I've seen, My cousin and I were boating to a weigh-in a few yrs ago on Toledo, there were floating Bass (many Bass) within 30 yds of the ramp, some were >5#. The Tourney was held in August. I said then this shouldn't be happening in the heat of the summer. I've never forgot what that looked like.

I feel there should maybe be a rule if the water temp is above somewhere between 80-90?? no Tournaments allowed.. Or at the least demand all have a good circulation system in boat wells and same on shore at all weigh-ins.

I understand some fish will die every now and then but that was horrible, absolutely no excuse for that many dead fish.

I fished 1 more Tournament after that and quit fishing them but I've often wondered if things have changed? I've not yet got that picture out of my mind.

lol I saw that poster first at anglers lodge at amastad sunday morning... funny 2 see it twice in one week lol

After reading the story on the history of "Ethel" and the Lunker program, I've have switched my position on how to handle a big bass. Sorry for the confusion.

I just smash them flat so i can get a good fillet off of them. I hate it when they flop around.

You lip them when you bring a bass out of the water. You lip it when you take the hook out so you don`t have to lay it on the carpet. Who has actual data to back this up? Who has tagged MANY caught fish that have been held this way, released, tracked and caught again to see if the fish has been feeding or not? If fish were being killed this way you would think they would be floating all over the lake, and we would be having a shortage of bass in every lake.

Even a small bass can be injured if held by the jaw only.

Some of you guys need to be lipped, I wonder how long it would take for some of your lips to tear off. Just do what you know is right.

And just to cover my sig pic, that bass is about 3 lbs. So dont call me a hipocrite