Hey William Great nugget of information. Here's another overlooked one. Bass have been known to live as long as 30 years. Catching and releasing them makes them a much tougher fish because they maintain their memories of being caught. That's why lunkers are such a tough catch. They don't fall for as much as they did when they were younger. By releasing them, it helps the gene pool become stronger. As far as catching and cooking them, well, that's good eats. Jeff PS. I'm not a fisherman because my brother inherited all those traits. Fishing to me is getting the best piece at the local market. :)