Gotta respect this man for his decision. Myself, I would like to think I would C&R, but until put in the situation, you never know.

 

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/excursions/post/fly-angler-lands-enormous-shark-but-says-trying-for-record-not-worth-killing-the-fish/

I would C&R this one too...i mean yes he had a record but to me a line class record isn't quite the same thing as  the all tackle record.  Does anyone know the line class records for largemouth?  I know i don't and am not even sure if they exist.

When I caught my first 5lb plus small mouth. I threw it back. Chances are if I caught a world record fish. I would have no clue what the record is any way. I would just throw it back. I would only take the fish. If I knew it would not survive.

 

There is also a line record for LG mouths. IFGA has a list of freshwater line records. You just have to be a member to see them.

My buddy C&R the record small mouth for our state because he didn't remember the record. He wanted it to spawn and make more big fish as well. Still though a catch like that really does boost the state. Oh well. 

Good for him. I think I would do the same.

Let me throw out a devil's advocate viewpoint here. It stands to argue that a record fish has passed it genes on, many times over. That it it got that big is more about that specific fish's circumstances than genetics.

If it's a line class record, I'm less likely to keep the fish. A NY State record, largemouth in particular, I'm putting it in ice and getting it weighed immediately.

Let me throw out a devil's advocate viewpoint here. It stands to argue that a record fish has passed it genes on, many times over. That it it got that big is more about that specific fish's circumstances than genetics.

If it's a line class record, I'm less likely to keep the fish. A NY State record, largemouth in particular, I'm putting it in ice and getting it weighed immediately.

I completely agree. You would have to be nuts to throw a state record back in the water. Its one oldballs fish who is well beyond her reproductive prime.