I'm still firmly believe this a theory based on someone's opinion rather than scientific facts.
How can you compare a 5lb fish to a 150/200lb average human with a completely different skeletal structure? If you want to go down that road then I'm just going to say I wouldn't want a hook stabbed through my face. Maybe we should catch fish only by net and leave the hooks at home.
Kidding aside, there are factors to this that I can see is true. For example, if you have a lunker...say...8lbs and holding the fish by the lip completely horizontal. If the fisherman doesn't feel any strain there then he doesn't deserve to have a rod in his hand. When you pick the fish up, you can feel if you need to support the fish more. Like when you pick up a newborn baby and know if you need to support it's head or it's back.
But let's not lose sleep over this or debate all night. We all yank a hook into the mouths of our fish, right? Aren't you risking damage there? What if your line snaps and the hook is stuck, possibly blocking it's mouth to make feeding difficult? Do you think we stress the fish out by pulling and forcing the fish onto land? What if we drop the fish as it shakes or spikes us while handling it and it dies on impact? I think I can speak for everyone that those who are fishing for sport do not intend to hurt their fish but accidents do happen. There are other things to worry about than broken jaws.
