I am both a "keeper" and a "C&R" surf caster. I have yet to kill a Bass this season, but then again catching hasn't been all that great this year either.
The ones I see doing all the idiotic things to fish prior to release tend to be the types that would keep them if they were legal. In other words they are pissed they have to put them back.
Rather than get as close as safely possible to the waters edge at rocky locations, by wearing the right gear, they stand 50 feet away and crank the fish in over the rocks. When it comes time to put a fish back, 9 times out of 10 the fish bounces off the rocks 3 or 4 times before hitting the water.
I once, well maybe more than once, tried to explain the reasons for putting fish back correctly. The individuals in question didn't understand the concept. In fact the only thing they understood was the fine involved in keeping fish under the size limit or over the bag limit. Ensuring a fishes survival through a carefull return to the water was a completely lost concept.
It is most of the time obvious that the majority of these folks have never suffered through the crashing populations and the efforts put forth to restore these fish to levels that conservation allows us to continue to enjoy today. I am not only talking about Bass either, the most idiotic group as a whole with very few exceptions are the Tog fisherman. There are places I fish here at night that I have to leave as soon as the sun rises or I would lose my mind or end up in chrome bracelets.
A proper release;
Use gear designed to affect an efficient fight. Gear too light, especially from the surf kills fish.
Get the fish in as quickly as possible, depending on size, as "green" as possible.
Get the hook out quickly, leaving the fish in the water or out as shortly as possible. If gut or throat hooked cut the line. The hook will decay more quickly than you think. Avoid stainless bait hooks, and use circles with chunks.
Wash the fish back and forth in the water to allow the water to flow through the gills to revive a tired Fish. I once spent over 15 minutes with a large Bass that I thought would die from the fight. She ended swimming away quite strongley and quickly when I let her go.
When fishing from a sand beach never allow the fish to make contact with the sand. It will degrade the slime coating, and even washing it off prior to release will allow bacteria to take hold on the skin probably eventually killing the fish anyway. If for some reason you cannot avoid this, and the fish is legal, you might as well keep it, it's more than likely going to die anyway.