The yak have it figured out. Catch, measure, take picture on board and release. They then if they wish send picture to tournament judges and they put it in an online leaderboard. Total inches on best 5.
My cousin, Dr Brian Green biology professor at Missouri State told me whenever he needed cottonmouth specimens he always went to eagle rock area to get them.
Marlon was a carthage native. There's a big bronze statue of him in central park in carthage. I remember he had another sidekick, belive his name was Stan. He always went barefoot running around the jungles.
Instead of paying a launch fee you could opt for the bring a bass program. Catch one from a farm pond or other impoundment and release it when you put in.
One good thing about having a hook in your body somewhere is the ER considers it a Foreign object in your body and you get to cut ahead of the runny nosed welfare kids. I know from experience.