Florida's lunker bass are used to hot water, but even they need careful handling in the dead of summer. (Z-Man)

While tournament anglers would be operating within the law if they slapped every fish they caught into an ice chest instead of an aerated livewell, there is some room for discussion of why conservation savvy tournament organizations continue to schedule tournaments in southern lakes when they know that conditions are marginal, and that a lot of fish brought to the scales will wind up dead after (or before) release.

Bass fishing can remain good all summer, but it takes more care to keep bass alive for a tournament weigh in when water temperature is in the 80's or higher. (Frank Sargeant)

This particularly applies for survival of delicate species like spotted bass.

Spotted bass are particularly sensitive to higher water temperatures, and don't survive hot surface waters well. (Frank Sargeant)

Spots are cool-water fish—not chilly water like smallmouths, but not warm water like largemouths, either. They’re abundant in a few southern lakes like Alabama’s Lewis Smith and Martin lakes, usually the primary catch.