Please protect Big Reds in the Charleston Channel

Friday I found 2 large Red Fish. 40 ins and 42 ins floating belly up in the channel between the Patriots point and the Wando terminal (I don’t want to give too much detail so this will not happend to more fish). At first I thought they were dead. Both of them were trying to swim down but could not because their swim bladders were distended and their anus was protruding. After venting them they were able to swim down. I talked to the boat that had caught the fish. The depth was around 50 feet. I don’t know what depth you need to vent fish. I also don’t know if the low air pressure also contributed to this. I hope to catch those fish some day in the future. I don’t want them to die.

Good job, and I hope you put a little knowledge on them so they know what to do in the future. One of the biggest red fish I have ever seen floated over to sunrise park from the fort sumter area and was filleted perfectly and was at least 45 inches I would even believe it could of been in the 50’s, pretty much disgusted me because if your that good a filleting you know that’s an illegal fish and to me that’s pretty much a poacher.

When our guberment reads this, Redfish season will be closed for 2 years.

Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250

haha long enuff… too tru

It would seem to me the responsible approach if you plan on targeting these fish especially in the summer when there is also a significant thermocline would be to come prepared with an 18 gauge hypodermic needle for venting or one of those descending devices DNR has been giving to offshore anglers.

Where exactly do you vent a bull spottail? Can someone post a picture with an arrow pointing to a precise location? I intend on catching a few of these in the coming weeks. Thanks.

Fishing Nerd

“you win some, you lose some…but nothing beats getting some!”

https://www.flseagrant.org/fisheries/venting/

Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250

quote:
Originally posted by Long Enuff

https://www.flseagrant.org/fisheries/venting/

Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250


Excellent, thanks.

Fishing Nerd

“you win some, you lose some…but nothing beats getting some!”

Make sure you slide the tool under a scale rather than going in at a perpendicular angle. Big red drum have scales which are hard to pierce so this approach works best.

That wouldn’t be a bad thing to go to ALL catch and release for 2 years.

quote:
Originally posted by Long Enuff

When our guberment reads this, Redfish season will be closed for 2 years.

Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250


Wouldn’t hurt my feelings any. I can’t imagine anyone hungry enough to fillet a 50 inch redfish. I bet the worms were as big as your thumb.

Pioneer 222 Sportfish
Yamaha 250