Most guys have never held a 30lb fish. They see pictures with guys holding fish that they claim are 30 pounds, and then pretty soon, every steelhead that is held out 10 feet from the fisherman's body for the photo, is automatically a 30 lb fish. That fish is realistically 25lbs. It truly is a beautiful fish and I'd be proud to catch-n-release him. However, it's not over 30lbs. (But really, does it matter?) I've caught Salmon that I swear were 45 pounds, and when I got them on the certified scale, they weighed in at just over 30. They don't call them fish stories for nothing.