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All this talk of school bass fishing and theories of mortality in relation to catch and release is just so much junk science and conjecture. I school bass fish most of the winter when the opportunity presents itself. If the mortality rate is so high you would see evidence in the form of dead fish on the shore. Last Wednesday night a friend and I caught and released 50 or more fish 20 to 26 inches long. These fish were caught on small needlefish or small Yozuris and teasers. All swam away happily, few required any handling. Most were released with a quick twist of the pliers and the crushed barb simply slide out. Of all the school bass I have c&r'd this past year I can recall only two that were questionable to survive the experience and were released to fate.
Crush your barbs, if you like, rig your baits with single hooks instead of trebles or fish jigs with singles both lead or rubber.
More than anything I think the experience leaves an imprint on some fish and makes them a bit warier for the experience. Lord knows how many fish I have caught over the years with the signs of many encounters from which they were released to swim and strike again.
Bass are tough and resilient fish. Consider them crushing surf clams or ripping bunches of mussels from a bank or off of pilings. They are body armored and survive habitat that would crush and kill most other fish. Don't ever underestimate how tough they really are.
Use quick and efficient techniques to hook and play them and likewise C&R techniques that are as efficient, most importantly crush you r barbs. I crush everything from 7/0 to size 6 and in between, besides they hold better and when the odds go in the favor of the fish when they "release themselves" there is little or no tearing.
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