Rockfish Release

[spring fever]

Yellow eye rockfish and other bottom fish have proved to be a bit of a problem in recent years in view of the low retention rate and the fact that a live release is next to impossible due to Baro trauma . Just received my Seaqualizer from Westview marina. What a great piece of kit-should make a live release of rockfish easy!! Hats off to John and Cathy for selling them at cost to help out the fishery!!

 

[RogersonCrusoe]

I bought mine from the manufacturer (before they were sold in Canada). Completely agree! So happy this product exists and is so well regarded!

 

[Prairie Buoy]

Picked mine up at HC last week. Was his last one but expecting more in few weeks. Used it yesterday on couple rockfish picked up while jigging pcod. Seemed to work great. Used it on downrigger and had set at 150. Nothing floated back up so can only assume they are swimming around there some where... great idea!!

 

[JamesF]

nice to see people taking the time to do this, we have the same problem here( not the same depth as you) but with walleye that are caught in more than 30 feet of water dont survive.so many people dont care about what they are doing and the effects it has on everything.
congrats to you guys

 

[getbent]

They work great!!

 

[seascene]

seascene Active Member
http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa...ing/rec_fish_wcr/bring_that_rockfish_down.pdf

A barbless hook inside the mouth on a heavy weight/milk carton upside down weighted... all very cheap methods of release in this article. I will be getting a commercial one I saw.

 

[spring fever]

Yellow eye rockfish and other bottom fish have proved to be a bit of a problem in recent years in view of the low retention rate and the fact that a live release is next to impossible due to Baro trauma . Just received my Seaqualizer from Westview marina. What a great piece of kit-should make a live release of rockfish easy!! Hats off to John and Cathy for selling them at cost to help out the fishery!!

They work as advertised-used it at Nootka last weekend( see Nootka report) 2 thunbs up--no floaters behind my boat!!

 

[seascene]

They work as advertised-used it at Nootka last weekend( see Nootka report) 2 thunbs up--no floaters behind my boat!!

Thanks Fever.... Presently anchored out off Quadra...any source in Campbell River?

 

[cohochinook]

Yellow eye rockfish and other bottom fish have proved to be a bit of a problem in recent years in view of the low retention rate and the fact that a live release is next to impossible due to Baro trauma . Just received my Seaqualizer from Westview marina. What a great piece of kit-should make a live release of rockfish easy!! Hats off to John and Cathy for selling them at cost to help out the fishery!!

How much do they cost?

 

[bones]

I liked the idea but didnt want to pay the $$$. So I watch the videos on YouTube. I tried the weight box method once last year. I put a permanent box with 150' of cheap poly on it in the boat

 

[Waterwolf2230]

I was looking at those but opted for the SFD - Shelton Fish Descender. Its a pretty slick system and at $12 a guy would be irresponsible to bottom-fish without one. I just have a rod with a high speed reel attached. http://www.sheltonproducts.com/SFD.html I'm curious Spring Fever, do you poke the air bladder before you descend the fish? Another question, if the eyes receive barotrauma, what is the likelihood of survival? I'm not sure there is any data on this.

 

[Big_Shank]

I built one of my own using a small spreader bar with a 2lb(can use bigger balls if you need to lol) ball on it. You cut the short end off the bar, the ball goes on the long end. Bend it to the shape of an r. Place the short end on the fish's lower jaw and send it down. Works like a charm, and have yet to have any come floating back up.

 

[spring fever]

How much do they cost?

John (Westview Marina Tahsis) sells them at cost. I think it was 55 including tax which is cheaper than the advertised price in the States US $ Check their website

 

[spring fever]

I was looking at those but opted for the SFD - Shelton Fish Descender. Its a pretty slick system and at $12 a guy would be irresponsible to bottom-fish without one. I just have a rod with a high speed reel attached. http://www.sheltonproducts.com/SFD.html I'm curious Spring Fever, do you poke the air bladder before you descend the fish? Another question, if the eyes receive barotrauma, what is the likelihood of survival? I'm not sure there is any data on this.

Not all have Baro trauma in the eyes-but deflating the bladder before descending them defeats the purpose of the descenders

 

[seascene]

I was looking at those but opted for the SFD - Shelton Fish Descender. Its a pretty slick system and at $12 a guy would be irresponsible to bottom-fish without one. I just have a rod with a high speed reel attached. http://www.sheltonproducts.com/SFD.html I'm curious Spring Fever, do you poke the air bladder before you descend the fish? Another question, if the eyes receive barotrauma, what is the likelihood of survival? I'm not sure there is any data on this.

I always thought it was the air bladder but from the attachment in my post they claim "myth" and actually is the stomach.

 

[seascene]

I built one of my own using a small spreader bar with a 2lb(can use bigger balls if you need to lol) ball on it. You cut the short end off the bar, the ball goes on the long end. Bend it to the shape of an r. Place the short end on the fish's lower jaw and send it down. Works like a charm, and have yet to have any come floating back up.

Shank: do you have a pic of that ...? thanks

 

[spring fever]

I always thought it was the air bladder but from the attachment in my post they claim "myth" and actually is the stomach.

Think it really is the stomach we usually see but the swim bladder also inflates in certain fish. Whatever is being pushed up and out ain't doing him any favours and needs to get decompressed as soon as possible by "slowly" descending him to as close as possible to where you hooked him.

 

[Whole in the Water]

Where can you buy them in the Victoria area?

 

[Derby]

Pnt can get them down to u if u want some

 

[Englishman]

We send 'em back down with a bit of gear we made ourselves attached to a spare rod.. A size 2 hook attached to a small piece of line goes to the downrigger clip. A short piece of stiff wire is attached to the bend of the hook and then to a loop of line which goes to the swivel on the spare rod. Hook the fish in the upper jaw on the outside, lower the whole lot down to the required depth, give a short yank on the rod and the wired hook pops out of the fish and is retrieved for next time.