2 things. Keeping a bass out of the water is doing more harm than good, even though a study says that they will live for a half hour, keeping a bass out of the water for that long is dramatically increasing the chances of post release mortality. Second, just because a fish swims off, it doesn't mean that it will live. Not bashing anyone, disrespecting anyone, or meaning to offend anyone, just emphasizing that if you do not plan on keeping a fish (I have no problems with anyone keeping fish) that all appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the fish will live.