What are you supposed to do Tony, leave them with hooks in their gobs?
Strong tackle is essential when fishing for Large Mouth Bass and in fact, there is often a minimum line strength and hook size of 25lbs bs and 1/0 on many bass waters these days.
When I hook a fish I don't believe in giving that fish any chance of escape, and I often use hooklengths down to 1lbs bs when roach and dace fishing. Get the fish out is what I say. If the fish gets off the hook, all well and good but I can't remember being smashed very often in my life when targeting a specific species of fish.
And not only that, get the fish out quickly. It will survive much better after release if it is not knackered after playing it for long periods, this applies to game species especially.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with swinging small bass out quickly. They come to no harm at all. Larger bass are landed by grabbing them by the bottom lip which if you know the species, must have been especially developed to allow anglers to land them without damage.
Landing nets are banned on some waters due to the fact that they can remove slime.
Your comments obviously come from someone who has had no experience of what you are talking about.
Money and fame - so you don't like UK match angling either.
If people want money and fame from angling, I say good luck to them.
