You know of any

Complete catalogs

Alaska Hunting Books
Alaska Fishing Books
Alaska Travel Books

[ Return to Contents | Post a Reply | Post a new message ]

Releasing Rockfish pulled from even 5-6 fathoms are going to be suffering the effects from decompression injuries or die.  It does not matter whether or not you reel ‘em up fast or slow… thinking that slow is better does not prevent decompression injury as this would take hours on the uptake rather than minutes.

As some others posted - there are two basic techniques… one is recompression (better of the two, less risk to fish, more effective for survival, tho’ a bit more involving/time consuming) and the 2nd is venting (essentially puncturing and potentially more damaging if not done properly w/ a needle or hollow instrument).

One of the best & up-to-date studies on this is found in a publication by the Oregon Sea Grant detailed in RELEASE METHODS FOR ROCKFISH.  

It relates how even grim lookers w/ eyes all bulged out and stomach fit to bust out from the mouth can survive by recompression or venting if done carefully, correctly, and quickly.

More good info for here in Alaska published by the Alaska Sea grant is ANGLERS GUIDE TO THE ROCKFISHES OF ALASKA.

Online it is www.uaf.edu/seagrant/bookstore/pubs/SG-ED-40.html

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