Outside Yelloweye, this will effect you.

[BearCove]

The idea of all the home made devices is great and its fantastic that guys have been trying to find ways to release these fish for years now.

I personally have not and have not needed too as I do not continue to fish an area that is over producing a species

That being said myself or my company do not float fish looking for other fish. If I get to the point where this becomes an issue I leave that area and onto other things.

I have not used any other devise besides the above mentioned and it has work flawlessly for myself and my staff.

In reading about devises that MAY work PL and making them yourself and taking the chance of not releasing that fish correctly over $80-$100 bucks seems narrow minded in the big picture of conservation and money spent on fishing gear in a season.

If you think about it and take care of your gear, most of it you have for life. So $80-$100 over the next 10 years.

That's $10 bucks a year for a descending devise and helping conserve our fish stocks, seems pretty cheap in the big picture.

Everybody to their own, but when their gone their gone.

 

[ILHG]

We afte reading this I thought about it and Bear Cove is right. I blow a lot of $ each year on fancy gear & lodges, yet I refrain from a descending device because of the money....

I just bought mine & feel good about the investment.

 

[BearCove]

Good on you ILHG!

It's like any other piece of fishing gear. It will be there if/when you need it.

 

[MadJigga]

Ordered one last night as well. I've looked at them for a couple of years but only pulled the trigger now.

 

[Prairie Locked]

The idea of all the home made devices is great and its fantastic that guys have been trying to find ways to release these fish for years now.

I personally have not and have not needed too as I do not continue to fish an area that is over producing a species

That being said myself or my company do not float fish looking for other fish. If I get to the point where this becomes an issue I leave that area and onto other things.

I have not used any other devise besides the above mentioned and it has work flawlessly for myself and my staff.

In reading about devises that MAY work PL and making them yourself and taking the chance of not releasing that fish correctly over $80-$100 bucks seems narrow minded in the big picture of conservation and money spent on fishing gear in a season.

If you think about it and take care of your gear, most of it you have for life. So $80-$100 over the next 10 years.

That's $10 bucks a year for a descending devise and helping conserve our fish stocks, seems pretty cheap in the big picture.

Everybody to their own, but when their gone their gone.

BearCove, I'll say it again regarding someones post... with all due respect, please stop comparing apples to oranges. Again as well, not a personal attack and not directed specifically at you, but I'm starting to get really tired of individuals that guide and individuals that own guiding businesses telling me how and where I should spend my hard earned money. It would be absolutely nothing for you to purchase a couple of Seaqualizers for each of the vessels in the fleet of your 'company'. It's a business expense that costs you nothing. I don't have the same luxury.

I think some of the narrow mindedness you mention is your own. Don't try to sell me on the economics of amortizing the cost over the next 10 years of a purchase, you sound like a greasy used car salesman. Using that logic, conversely my unit cost per yellow eye is at $80-100 per fish.

Don't start preaching at me about conservation. As a guide, a single boat will put a larger dent in the local ecology in a single week than I will in my entire lifetime. In other words, the order of magnitude is hundreds of thousands of times greater so I would expect every one of the boats in your company to have this device or any other device or piece of equipment to increase conservation of and protect all species.

So, if I'm narrowminded, then by association, others here like @TheBigGuy and @Fishtofino who utilize their own devices are narrowminded too? Or are they not narrow minded because they are more senior here and more well respected members? Which is it?

I'll tell you what, if you are so bothered by my thought process and my methodology, why don't you have your company purchase a Seaqualizer for me and send it my way and I'll gladly use it? After all, I'm sure that would be about as equivalent to me personally spending $1 out of pocket to purchase my own. (I know your cost would be much better than mine, and trust me when I say that I know how business expenses work, it would be to your advantage!). Since you're such an advocate of conservation and how people should do their part, it would be completely logical for you to do this because you are that passionate about it. If you aren't willing to, then who is the one that is being narrow minded??

Okay, now that my rant is over, most of that was all tongue in cheek to an extent. The center of it holds true though, however I'm being a bit harsh and literal to get a point across, so not a personal attack on you BearCove, I actually applaud your conservation bias and attitude. Sorry, I had some free time on my hands

Also, I'll be fair and say that I am considering purchasing a commercial device. I really have a hard time swallowing $80-100 on something I literally most likely won't need to use this year. If I had a $100 to spend this year on extra gear, it would likely go towards safety equipment for my little boat. New PFD's and new lights would be higher on my priority list. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of extra funds to spend so I budget accordingly.

Okay, back on track... Go Oilers!

 

[Aces]

I think the main point is anglers address the problem and find a solution. Some of us articulate it differently

A bunch of Tofino guides are making a bulk purchase on the Seaqualizers am so I will add obe to my Aresenal. That way I can release more than 1 at a time when we hit a school of them

 

[Peahead]

I think the main point is anglers address the problem and find a solution. Some of us articulate it differently

A bunch of Tofino guides are making a bulk purchase on the Seaqualizers am so I will add obe to my Aresenal. That way I can release more than 1 at a time when we hit a school of them

Couldn't agree more with your comment - "main point is anglers address the problem and find a solution". So far I have found a solution I am quite satisfied with (other than obviously moving to avoid incidental rockfish hook ups). I use a Shelton descender. Not at all a costly or complicated tool. My Shelton was given to me to try out but apparently they cost only about $6-$9. An inverted "V" shaped stainless steel wire is all it is. Fish is hooked in lip and the inverted "V" holds the fish as it pulled by the weight to depth . Jig rod when fish is at depth and wire jigs upward off lip and releases fish at the depth - really simple and works well. Been using for 2 years.

http://www.sheltonproducts.com/SFD.html

Photo # 1 :
a lead weight is attached to the open end of the Shelton descender ( top of photo ). Your rod/line goes to the 'point' of the V ( bottom of photo)

Photo #2:
Shelton Descender packaging, showing diagram

 

[Prairie Locked]

Just came across this.

SeaQualizer is on for $63.99 at Chandler.


http://www.harbourchandler.ca/shop/fishing/tools/seaqualizer-fish-release

 

[Peahead]

Or as a reminder if you prefer to save yourself $50+ and still protect the stock with a basic wire descender there is this one. They both work.

http://www.sheltonproducts.com/SFD.html

 

[chris73]

You can even use a regular jig - a bit on the heavier side. Just pierce the hook through some skin around the mouth, let to the bottom and jerk to tear the skin. The skin will heal easily.

 

[Fixit]

I use a home made decender. And contrary to some of the above comments it works well and doesn't leave a slick of floating fish

2 lb Hali ball tied to the eye of a 10/0 barbless hook, mainline tied to the bend of the hook

With the rod int he holder and in free spool I hook a lip through a thin spot.... drop the ball amd down they spiral. Send them to the bottom and then a quick jerk on the rod sets them free ( if they haven't already swam off)

 

[Peahead]

You can even use a regular jig - a bit on the heavier side. Just pierce the hook through some skin around the mouth, let to the bottom and jerk to tear the skin. The skin will heal easily.

Not a bad idea, although I'd probably want to tie an old heavy jig such as a Norwegian upside down, perhaps tie directly onto the barbless hook ( hook now on top and upside down with weight of jig pulling from below) . Fish pulled down head first. Then at depth jerking rig upward directly from upside down hook would release fish easily from lip I'd think ( no tearing lip even necessary)

 

[Derby]