Good point, Joe! Some will always die, but even more if you wear them out. Is anyone using a descending device? Seems like less chance of damage to the fish.
This is pretty cool. Blog below from DNR says these fish can reach 40 years old. Amazing fish!
http://sccoastalresources.com/home/2017/5/24/qa-with-a-red-drum-researcher
Not one to pass up on the latest & greatest for catching, cleaning and eating I figured a few pesos for a release tool would better serve the fishery for my grandkids (if…).
Got the standard model long ago. Simple enough to set release depth. If fishing with Carolina rig, pull leader/hook off swivel and attach, if fishing a chicken rig, remove rig from swivel and attach…drop and bounce, done. Don’t need to bounce to release. I’m usually doing something else while the clicker is controlling the ride down. I see it go slack, time to haul back up. Have not yet had the unit fail to release.
Does the fish survive? HTFDIK? May need to ask Jacques Cousteau that one but I give them a much better chance than if I stuck 'em with my turkey injector while it’s trying to bite me or stab me with any one of it’s pointy things.
Do not need a engine block for weight either.
Quite a bit of speculation on this thread between the forensics work and definitive, yet scientifically lacking, statements. I’d venture to say that every participant, myself included, has released a fish at some point that didn’t survive. And while that’s a shame and should be prevented if possible, I’m not sure that has wrecked a fishery and warranted strict laws. Perhaps the pervasive mindset that we need to keep as many fish as possible, on every trip out, has contributed more? Just a thought.
quote:I agree.
Originally posted by OptikerI’ll probably get “grilled” for this, but we should make the Grillage an MPA in my opinion.
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.eyestrikefishing.com #predatorsstriketheeye
23 says you only need 20 baits for a day of fishing.
I think it’s interesting how many people saw the exact same dead redfish
In the Gulf of Mexico, if you are fishing for red snapper, it is required that you have a venting device on the boat, as well as a de-hooking device. I think it’s a pretty good idea, as the venting of snapper is every bit as important as the venting of redfish. Folks need to be educated. The following links may help.
Regulations currently enforced in the Gulf of Mexico require non-stainless steel circle hooks to be used when fishing with natural bait; every vessel must also have both a de-hooking device and a venting tool onboard. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Florida Sea Grant College Program have both produced Web-based sites that provide a great deal of information specific to the current regulations and to the tools and techniques for de-hooking and venting of fishes. These can be accessed at the following links:
NMFS Regulations for Circle Hooks, De-hooking Devices, and Venting Tools
Florida Sea Grant - Fisheries - Venting Fish
Harold Wilcox
www.haroldshogwash.com
A few things on big reds they actually are a lot more hardy and diseases resistant. What is there weakness light tackle and mishandling. Next time u catch a big red feel its heart beat and how hot its chest gets by its pec fins. The over work and over heat themselves and suffer a form of cardiac arrest which is often deadly. If your targeting big fish know how to fish them and handle them. Holding its body against yours is a no no unless u soak yourself with water to help protect them. They probably j hooked that fishes gut any way.
Exactly, we have way too many uninformed anglers out here. People keep the fish out the water way too long too for photos. That red we caught was in hooked, photographed and released in less than 60 seconds!
Keith McPherson
since everyone is discussing handling/photographing/releasing redfish, let me re-post this link from my other discussion…read it …it will answer a lot of questions and correct mis-information.
S-Tonic,Thanks; glad you reposted this link, i remembersd it from the past and could not find it to repost… I posted a link like it several months ago on SWC and all the naysayers wanted my head on a stick so to say , some will not believe S-it stinks even when you rub their noses in it. All we can do is continue to try and educate the non believers’‘thanks again’’
Beautiful Red, great catch. But the “gill grab”…
…
Not venting a fish out of 20’ of water…or shoving a hand in the gill?
quote:
Originally posted by hwilcoxIn the Gulf of Mexico, if you are fishing for red snapper, it is required that you have a venting device on the boat, as well as a de-hooking device. I think it’s a pretty good idea, as the venting of snapper is every bit as important as the venting of redfish. Folks need to be educated. The following links may help.
Regulations currently enforced in the Gulf of Mexico require non-stainless steel circle hooks to be used when fishing with natural bait; every vessel must also have both a de-hooking device and a venting tool onboard. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Florida Sea Grant College Program have both produced Web-based sites that provide a great deal of information specific to the current regulations and to the tools and techniques for de-hooking and venting of fishes. These can be accessed at the following links:
NMFS Regulations for Circle Hooks, De-hooking Devices, and Venting Tools
Florida Sea Grant - Fisheries - Venting FishHarold Wilcox
www.haroldshogwash.com
I gots to go with DG34YF on this one. Less time, trauma for the fish and you, and they seem to work…the fish go down.
Most of the crackers I know wouldn’t have a clue of where to vent a fish.
Surprised one of the local news channels hasn’t picked up on this story and run with it yet
23 says you only need 20 baits for a day of fishing.
Fritz that’s the last thing I want to happen, That’s going to be what ultimately destroys fishing!
Keith McPherson
quote:
Originally posted by redfisher25Fritz that’s the last thing I want to happen, That’s going to be what ultimately destroys fishing!
Keith McPherson
Sadly, if anything “destroys fishing,” it’s going to be us…fishermen.
No matter how much it hurts, how dark it gets, or how far you fall…you are never out of the fight.
One thing I find interesting is the concern for one dead redfish when hundreds of other fish are killed in the next report you may read and no one cares about the conservation of that species.
23 says you only need 20 baits for a day of fishing.
quote:
Originally posted by CaptFritzOne thing I find interesting is the concern for one dead redfish when hundreds of other fish are killed in the next report you may read and no one cares about the conservation of that species.
23 says you only need 20 baits for a day of fishing.
^Agreed. Stewardship and conservation of our fisheries should be practiced on many levels.
This forum is relied heavily upon for those who fish this area. There are a million posts about finding the/where to fish, but I would love to see a “sticky” thread right on top regarding “best practices” for tackle, rigging and handling to protect the fish.
On that list I would add using the “owen lupton rig” when bottom fishing. The parts are detailed on Sea Tonic’s Q&A. These rigs help prevent deep hooking; which has to be one of the main risks to the fish. They are easy to make up, easy to store in excess and quick to change out if you get snagged and broken off.
quote:
Originally posted by CaptFritzOne thing I find interesting is the concern for one dead redfish when hundreds of other fish are killed in the next report you may read and no one cares about the conservation of that species.
23 says you only need 20 baits for a day of fishing.
I absolutely agree, I get so frustrated with those who just throw fish into the water, those who refuse to fish circle hooks when it’s applicable, people who keep fish out of water too long, etc…! It shouldn’t matter the species because all species play some role in keeping our waterways healthy! Also I your freezer has fish in it, do you really need to keep more? Don’t take more than you can use.
Keith McPherson
I pratice the same catch and release on all species unless I intend to kill it. I mostly kill bait fish because I don’t eat inshore fish unless its gonna die from a bad hook up and about once a year or less I gut hook a big red and feel awful when releasing it but a gut hooked fish can live. I’ve caught reds with whiskers from all the lines hanging out there mouth.
Hiding a hook in something a fish thinks is food, dragging it up, exposing it to attack or exhaustion while it fights for it’s life, holding it out of the water while it further struggles for oxygen to get a self-serving pic, then poking a hole in it that wasn’t there naturally so it can maybe get back down and live, maybe, while acting like it’s a puppy in a kill shelter. Lol.