Unless it's a mortal bleeder, EVERY hawg like the one in the pic should be released. But that prevailing "gotta kill it so I can show it off" mentality is sure a tough one to go up against, although the tide is slowly turning, and the conservation camp gains a few more C&R converts with each passing year. I see more and more guide sites that advertise "We encourage C&R"... these are the guides anyone with a conservation ethic should be supporting.

So what's the unwritten rule for what's legit to keep? There isn't one, but I did offer up these suggestions in the recent thread about the slot limit:

Personally, I allow the wood shampoo on anything in the 30's on down.

40's or better gets a free pass.

An honest 44" fish will typically weigh 38-40 pounds... that's a LOT of meat!

So from an inches point of view, I feel anything over 44" should hit the gravel. That takes about 60% of the physically largest ER5-o hens out of the harvestable pool of kings.

What's left in the harvestable pool under 44 inches? Let's see what the database shows.

87% of the ER hens.
61% of the ER bucks.

60% of the LR hens.
50% of the LR bucks.

I'd say that still leaves a whole lot of bonkable fish!

Hope that info helps you to arrive at your own personal standard as you seek a happy medium between a C&R conservation ethic and responsible harvest.