50 Pound Bass - Would You Release It?

I look at it in somewhat the same way that Gerry mentioned about his 40 lb release. Keeping it and bringing it back to the dock will give you 24 hours of glory and bragging rights. Releasing a true trophy fish of that size will be a lifetime memory. Grilling a fish of a lifetime isn't a fitting ending and they aren't nearly as tasty as the smaller bass. Chances are if you release that fish you'll still catch your limit for the day based on the health of the current fishery so you'll still have enough for the table. You can almost be guaranteed that a 50lb bass was caught and released at least a few times before attaining that size and if she wasn't released along the way you wouldn't have had the chance of catching a fish of a lifetime. Something to think about if and when faced with that decision. Not bad to pass that same opportunity on to another angler, maybe even your son one day.

To me it doesn't make any sense keeping a trophy bass even for a mount as replica molds are better and longer lasting. Take a picture and measurements and let her go. Unless the fish is gut hooked or can't be revived, let someone else have the chance of experiencing the thrill of a life time. As someone else mentioned, if it was a tournament situation, that adds another factor but seeing a trophy fish swim away to fight another day is something that's hard to put a price on.

Dakota