Yes, I brought them onto the boat, but only after I had 'subdued' them with a knife. Next time I'm taking a gaff. They are very toothy and definitely hyperactive, but I think if you tried to tow a fish in you'd likely loose it to a shark or other unsavory species, plus I wouldn't want to draw any sharks in toward the beach by sailing in amongst a bunch of kids in the surf with a big hunk of chum hanging off my boat! They have to be at least 24" at the fork so you do have to be able to release them unharmed. Just hold them up by the leader and try to get the hook with a pair of pliers. I hear they can get up to 60 lbs but I doubt the larger ones come that close to the beach. The ones we caught were 10-15 lbs. Great fun though, and great eating.