Repro mounts became the rage as catch and release got popular.
The biggest reason is because larger fish are more able to fend off predators and protect a spawn bed which results in a better supply of fish for years to come.
For example... if you yank an 8lb largemouth off a spawn bed and the eggs or frye he's guarding are eaten, thats future population for that lake or pond gone. But if that fish is left alone or returned to the nearby area, he has a chance to fend off predators and aid in a spawn of a new hatch.
This is one reason I won't fish spawn beds no matter how easy it is sometimes to get a big hog to snap at a slow crawled liizard.
As soon as he's gone and in the boat, Bluegills rush in and start feeding like Denny's late night specials.
FWIW.. when it comes to eating fish, its much in the same theory. Plus to be honest, with today's mercury levels in local waters, I wouldn't eat anything taken from a local pond unless it was in the furthest most away from man regions possible.
