How to hold a bass!

As I understand it... Heart is located just behind gill openings Both trout and bass are damaged by putting pressure in that area. Holding vertically by lower jaw or horizontally by jaw and supporting fish across belly rear half is the safest way to do it. this site shows fish anatomy for Bass...  http://www.bassfishingandcatching.com/fish-anatomy.html

I thought the main culprit was that you'd damage the connection between the maxillary and dentary by overstretching it, making it hard for the bass to eat, because it can't close its mouth, and then eventually starve.

This is how my brother holds his bass. Seems to have good results?

Totally not OSHA approved.  If you brother were released back into the wild, there would be a seriously elevated risk of internal organ damage.  Best to harvest him.

Hilarious.   

As I understand it... Heart is located just behind gill openings Both trout and bass are damaged by putting pressure in that area. Holding vertically by lower jaw or horizontally by jaw and supporting fish across belly rear half is the safest way to do it. this site shows fish anatomy for Bass...  http://www.bassfishingandcatching.com/fish-anatomy.html

I thought the main culprit was that you'd damage the connection between the maxillary and dentary by overstretching it, making it hard for the bass to eat, because it can't close its mouth, and then eventually starve.

That's what I've read as well.  Bass and sunfish feed by "inhaling" the food item, with their mouth imparting a suction like a vacuum cleaner.  Holding these fish "Bill Dance style" can permanently impair their ability to do this and they end up starving to death.