I'm not sure keeping it would be a bad thing if you caught a record. When I was at UF huge 10-20 pound LMBs were sent to the disease lab on a semi-regular basis from all over the country. Most times the fish were filled with tumors and growths which is why they attained such large size and weights. This was much more of a problem in the 15+ pound fish.

Whether it was because of the circumstances or just coincidence but the monsters that died in the Cabelas and Bass Pro type tanks almost always had tumors.