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One thing I think you guys may have missed was that the weighing is a no-no for fish over about 20 pounds. You can weigh anything under that, though its not recommended. There will be some increase in mortality for fish uner 20 lbs that are weighed but it will not shoot up to 100% mortality, For fish over about 20 lbs the increase in mortality from weighting goes up dramatically with the size of the fish. The damage is done due to gravity, from holding the fish by its head while the internal organs are shifting, and tearing at the internal membranes, that normally hold them in place. You wouldn't se this effect in largemouth bass where fish rarely get to the 20 lb mark, and even at the 20 lb mark, the mortality is not 100%. I don't have my research materials here right now, but going from memory, the 100% mortality figure is reached at about the 35 or 40 lb mark.
I'll respond to Sandy's comments seperately.
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