I saw this at the FHS in Long Beach, since it looks like all the cattle boats are doing is rockfishing I was thinking about buying one. I hate to waste fish. Just wondering if any of you have or used one? ???
http://www.ecoleeser.com/index.html
Never used one, I don't get to fish salt near as much as I like, saw plans for a similar home made one in sportfishing magazine last year. this is supposed to be the prefered method for survivable release of deep water species.
Never used one either. FWC requires a venting tool here. I've heard of people putting fish under a weighted basket and lowering them down.
i bought these. haven't really used them yet, but it's a great idea!!!!!!!!
I went ahead and bought it, got it in the mail too late for my last trip. So on my next expedition I'll have to try it out, and see how it goes.
Out here we use a simple homemade "device" consisting of a lead weight and a bent wire to return bottomfish to the depths. It's effective and cheap. Here's a link that shows (on page 2) the "device": http://www.wpcouncil.org/bottomfish/Documents/200705_Closure/BF_Releasing_Methods.pdf (http://www.wpcouncil.org/bottomfish/Documents/200705_Closure/BF_Releasing_Methods.pdf)
We've just started experimenting with them in Alaska; I think the only requirement so far is that charter boats in SE Alaska have one on board and use it to deep release rockfish over the limit. I worry that they may just hide the problem: If you deep release a fish you won't see it float or get consumed by a ling cod.
I'd rather feed the ling cod than the stupid cormorants and pelicans. I don't know what its like where you fish, but down here they literally fallow the boats and sanp and your bait and every fish you bring up. Invariably someone will catch one of the damn things every trip and they are vicious and nasty when you try to free them and then they are right back at it, they don't learn. So every rockfish floater feeds them and encourages them. That's one of the reasons I'm interested in these types of devices. OK, I will now step down from my soap box...
Well stated, spotty.
We are using a release device for every rock fish that we do not intend to keep. The survival rates are getting better all the time, as the studies get longer. There are more than a few different types, many of them are on youtube. Look at a few and you can see that they work. Depending on which study you look at the worst is around 70%, and the best is at over 90% survival rate. That is much more than the 50-60% with venting and the 100% death rate before venting. Anything we can do to help the survival rate is worth doing.
Seems like a really good idea --
Cannot do anything but help the fish population --
And being sportsmen -- this will help the perception of the public concerning our sport.
Best,
Fred
Venting is not a good idea. Use a method where you don't have to puncture the fish which can kill outright or lead to infection. Once fish return to depth air is expelled by pressure. On the West Coast of US fishery managers are considering the use of barotrauma reducing release devices to estimate the mortality of released rockfish so they don't count towards quotas. In my opinion, its our duty as sport fishermen and women to ensure fish we release have the highest likelihood of survival. Designate a rod or downrigger for releasing fish so time lost is minimal. Survival rates of fish that come to the surface looking like a balloon are actually quite high if released properly at depth. I know some states in the south still recommend venting of abdominal cavity but survival is actually quite a bit lower for fish using this method as compared to other less invasive methods.