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  I have a friend in California who catches fish to sell live in restaurants. He uses a large horse hypodermic needle to deflate the bladders. He gets them at a vet supply. He inserts it a little way behind the pectoral fin to hit the bladder and deflate it. They will live for a while that way. At least long enough to get to the restaurant tank, get selected, and get cooked and eaten.
  Unfortunately if the swim bladder is extruded enough to see there is significant damage done to the fish. If they eyes are popped they will be blind and as good as dead. The long-term survival of fish who have had their bladders deflated is quite low. It has been at least ten years since I saw the study (done in California on rock fish), but I think the two-week survival was about 25% on fish with mild bladder deflation. If the inital ruptures don't kill them, infection does.
  With the low limits we have on non-pelagic rock fish I usually throw any I chatch back if they do not have any damage. I know before the trip is out I will have a limit of fish that would die if I returned them. I have fished with two-pound metal jigs and whole salmon heads in an effort to avoid catching rock fish. I still seem to catch a fair number of rockfish anyway.

Message Thread:

• deflating swim bladders Ripface Feb 25 2006
  • Releasing Rockfish Brian Richardson Feb 27 2006
  • "throw back" fish B_M Feb 26 2006
  • needle PatrickH Feb 26 2006
    • bladders stid2677 Feb 26 2006
  • bladders BrownBear Feb 25 2006
    • bladders dipnet Feb 25 2006
      • bladders BrownBear Feb 25 2006