I got curious about venting fish the other day and I found some articles that said the it was no longer necessary to carry a fish venting tool and it was recommended to use some other form of drop rig to return decompressed fish back to the bottom so that they could repressurize their swim bladders.
I saw several kinds of rigs including the ones in the video at the below link ( good read on venting verses releasing )
and the tool used and encouraged by the Australians:
The above link also has a video showing the Aussie fish release weight.
So I figured, how hard could it be to make one? While at Bass Pro Shop the other day, I picked up a 12oz barrel weight. I took a good sized shark hook and squeezed the eye down a little bit and drilled a hole down the middle of the weight and saved all the little drill filings. I pushed the hook eye though the hole, kind crimped the eye end of the weight and then stuck a piece of coated clothes line wire in the hole ( I image any wire leader would do ) and melted the filings down and poured them into the bore hole and sealed the hook and wire into the weight. Then I ground off the barb of the hook and I got a decent looking drop weight.
I figure that a 12 oz weight would be heavy enough for most bsb and if more weight was needed, some bank sinkers could be easily attached.
All I need now is a boat ride out to deep water to give it a try. :lol:
Itms the law up ere in AK to have one ready to deploy when bottom fishing. I have a spare rod with a rig always attached sitting under the gunwale and have found it super easy to use. The fish seem to fair better as well as far as I can tell. Haven’t had any float up or not make it back down after being stuck with a venting took. Plus they don’t get a hole in their side. I’m a fan.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council is reducing discard mortality rates for several species of rockfish based on voluntary use of descending devices by responsible fishermen. This means fishermen have higher quotas and less seafood is wasted. Please tell the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council if you use a descending device and ask them to reduce discard mortality rates. safmc@safmc.net
Just rcvd a Sea Qualizer from Capt Harry’s- $50.
50/100/150 model
Directions call for a 5# weight. Gonna start out w/ a 2# ball and see how well it works (if I haven’t jinxed the boat by purchasing one).
Will start out using 1/4" nylon w/ knots @ 60/110/160 and see how that works. Can’t see having a dedicated rod for it that may otherwise be used to try catch critters.
Plenty of room on the 3 way swivel to attach the GoPro too…
Will fwd to SAFMC.
I hooked up the drop weight to 100’ of 50lb mono on a hand-line rig. I tried it today and it worked like a charm. I brought up a Rock Hind from 150 feet and he had the bulging eyes and stomach…a full on barotrauma and he seemed very lethargic on the boat.
I hooked him up on the drop weight and sent him down and could feel him wiggling on the line. A jerk or 2 and when I brought up the line, he was off the hook. Success.
Later, we caught a black sea bass from 80 feet and he had mild barotrauma, so we tossed him back and he floated on the surface and a shark got him almost immediately. I felt kinda bad. Next black sea bass with barotrauma I sent down on the drop weight. I felt him struggling on the way down…a jerk or 2 and he appeared to swim free.
Seems like the drop weight works. Tossing over the side certainly is up to the sharks if the fish survives.
It only takes a few extra seconds to give a fish a chance.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 19 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 1 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
We successfully released a very bloated Red Snapper with a SeaQualizer this trip. Thankfully the rest of our fish were legal or swam down on their own. I recommend securing SeaQualizers with a snap swivel. The clip can slip or come off your line. Thanks to everyone who is using a Descending Device and letting the SAFMC know about it.
I released a few black sea bass with my drop weight yesterday. A few fish swam off and down to the bottom on their own before I could get them more than a few feet under. Our people on the boat with us tossed a few over the side and we watched them struggle on the surface until I told the folks to give me their bloated fish.
Drop weights work.
Decending devices are better than watching the poor fish struggle on the surface.
“I am constantly amazed at the stupidity of the general public.”
~my dad
Equipment:
190cc Sea Pro w/130 Johnson
1- 19 year old (boy of leisure)
1 - 1 year old (fishing maniac)
1 - wife (The Warden)
