Need some ■■■■■■■■ from the experts. I do most of my bottom fishing in 80-120 ft of water. I am obcessive about releasing fish alive and will go after any fish that floats after release. In my experience 100% of vermillion and trigger, 70% of bsb and 50 % of ARS will swim down after release with no venting. Focusing on ARS, which seems to be the only significant mortality at this depth, this means you arre jabbing a hole in 50% of fish for no benefit if you vent them all. Most of us remember the ideal gas law from high school physics PV=nRT, so the two options for correcting the problem are to remove the excess volume of air created by the decreased pressure(venting) or to increase the pressure to normalize the volume of air in the swim bladder(returning the fish to the nomal depth). Although we are required to have a venting tool it seems to me that it would be preferable to return the fish to its normal depth which would spare it the potential morbidity of poking it with a needle. The downside is that you can vent a fish and watch it swim home, but if you descend one you can only hope that he or she survives. I have been using this device recently rather than venting because I believe it is better than venting and I am too cheap to buy one fir $75. Bottom line is that I want to do what is best for the fish. Would like input as to whether I am doing the right thing.
Mr Claim posted his simple rig a while back - similar to yours.
I spent the $ and got a Sea Qualizer. My Turkey injection needle is carried to comply but has yet to be used. We fish several states so once the law allows some sort of release mechanism, we’re covered. Even looks like something Jacques Cousteau would approve of.
you will NEVER get a 20 lb + Snapper back down on that rig! I have the seaqualizer and had to go from a 2# ball to 4# to send an estimated 18# Snapper back down. It floated a 2# weight!
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PROUD YANKEE
Oyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
Good lord. The 20oz sinker worked but we had nothing over 10#. Doesn’t sound like anyone has an issue with descending rather than venting though. I assumed that since we are required to have a venting tool there is some science somewhere that suggests that is better.
Good lord. The 20oz sinker worked but we had nothing over 10#. Doesn’t sound like anyone has an issue with descending rather than venting though. I assumed that since we are required to have a venting tool there is some science somewhere that suggests that is better.
Hydra-Sport 3300VX
18 Key West
A new study in the GOM suggests that venting doesn't really help or hurt. I would imagine at some point the SAFMC will use this data to repeal the venting tool requirement.
i use the seaqualizer attached to the end of a 96oz trolling weight. keep it rigged up in standby. always bring a big bent butt on the boat for just this reason. big snapper comes up, it only takes a second to snap on the weight with the release and send her down. works great even with the largest fish.
