Good advice RADSAV but I'm sure most people could not return a BIG fish, I know its hard
I have done it with Halibut
Out of the 50 or 60 caught exceeding 40# each year there were always a few that chose to keep it. I'm sure there would have been more if we had not given the free trips. I would say, more than any other reason, anglers who kept them did so to let their kids get a hands on story. Exciting the future fishermen of tomorrow with monsters from the deep today is as good an excuse to keep one as I can figure. It was always the customers choice. And as mentioned, after watching them swim around in the live tank for a while the majority agreed it was the right thing to do. Even if it was a dang hard choice for most!
People usually do make the right decisions if someone is willing to explain the situation and give them some time to make their choice. Trying to force that decision immediately after such an adrenalin rush would have been some cruel and unusual punishment, I think
