The issue with the MLF formats is the amount of people and massive amounts of money that is required to operate a event in that fashion. Other than BASS elites, opens, MLF events that draw in major equipment production sponsorship ,IE major fishing and outdoor multi million, or billion, dollar companies , No one has that kind of money to toss around and the major companies are not interested in forking over gobs of cash to 20 boat events. Newer bassboats are now equipped with major improvements in livewell technology. Air recirculatory, deeper wells that hold more water. As for dumping in an entire bag of ice in to a livewell full of bass, that can cause the same mortality rates as anything else. Dropping the water temp 5 + degrees instantly or putting bass in a livewell that has water 5+ degrees or colder due to ice water than what they came out of will also cause mortality. 99% of tournament constantans actually do care about fish mortality rates. IT hurts our bottom line, the outlook from others , and for our own satisfaction of quality fishing.
I , as a tournament angler am never happy with any mortality at an event. This year my division has 2 fish come in dead out of 5 events with a minimum of 15 boats per event. That's pretty darn good numbers if ya ask me. We were not happy about it and it does happen. Any fish that are dead , someone usually takes them home out of the group, mostly me as I do enjoy the occasional bass done on a grill in tin foil. Will fish die off after being released due to stress. Happens all the time no mater what type of fish and or fishing is occurring. Does it happen instantly? No , not always. They may go belly up a day or 2 after the event, just like any other fish that gets caught, stressed by the catch, swims off upon release and dies a day or 2 later. It's not a great thing, but we can't control every aspect of fishing no matter how hard we try.
As for the hate of tournaments by other anglers. This as been going on for years, especially with the lake st clare lake association. We deal with it or ignore most of the negative garbage directed at us. We just go do our thing and stay out of others business.
Should there have been a release boat at the events this weekend on st clare. yes. Can everyone afford to do that on a pontoon boat with 20 people on board to allow that many fish on a boat due to bag limits, No they can not. They should, but it is not always feasible. Does dumping fish from a livewell that is 75 degrees into water that is 80+ degrees cause issues. It sure does and should have been handled differently.