Everyone buy a Shelton fish descender...

[Malibu_Two]

Anyone who fishes deep water should have one of these ready to use:

http://www.sheltonproducts.com/

It takes fish back down whose air bladders have inflated on the ride up from the depths.

[EWB]

I actually made one out of a 8oz torpedo sinker and a barbless hook and a screw. same concept and I had the parts on hand.

[Malibu_Two]

Yeah, I actually have used a diamond bar with some success - just lodge the hook gently in the fish's bony nose and gently lower it until you feel the fish come off. The Shelton release works much better, IMO.

[EWB]

for sure...I'm just cheap. Next time I hit up FW I'll grab one. I assume they have them?

[otobepelagic]

I pass them out to everyone I fish with. I even gave one to a power boater the other day while we were launching the boat. From what I have read survival is still not assured but it beats the alternative. I attach mine to an old leverdrag and get em going down while I continue fishing.

[Tote]

Or make your own.

[EWB]

Or make your own.

Thats pretty much what I have now. Except I just attached the hook directly to the sinker

[BANJOTAD]

Or make your own.

BRILLIANT, I'll make one for my next RF trip!

[Tote]

Or make your own.

Thats pretty much what I have now. Except I just attached the hook directly to the sinker

I tried that first. I like the idea of a removeable weight. Makes it a lot easier to stow in a pocket.

[e2g]

I too am a cheap guy so made my own with the hook on the weight.  It just rolls around in my cup holder until needed.  An 8 oz weight drops back large gophers very fast, and there is no question when they get lively.  A small cork can be added to the hook in case you are prone to getting hooked.

[Northern Boy]

Another blindingly obvious suggestion (that it took me a few trips to work out); use a big swivel when constructing your descender.

Then you can just thread the swivel over the hook of your actual fishing rig and use it to descend.

(What I mean is; you don't have to keep a separate rod just to use for your descender).

Another alternative is to use barbless hooks when fishing. Then you can just descend a fish on the same rig you bought it up on.

[dilbeck]

Or make your own.

Hey Tote, I'm having a hard time seeing exactly how you connected to the hook and then the swivel.  And what is the thing that almost travels the entire shank of the hook?  Is it some sort of glue to keep the hook in that position or did you snell the hook?  And it looks like you didn't tie to the eye of the hook, just ran through and tied to the brass swivel?  Think I might have it now.

Thanks for posting the picture, you just saved me $6 + shipping.

Michael

[stoggie]

The website explains the how to's pretty well.
I am going to stop by Bayside and pick up a bunch of them.

I like the inline approach so when you send them back down you can leave the jigs there and just keep fishing.

Stoggie

[Sin Coast]

I have not had much luck decending fish w/the old "upside-down barbless hook" technique. And believe me--I have a lot of experience w/it.
I have used a rig similar to the one Tote posted. But I have to tie the line directly to the curve of the hook, instead of snelling the line along the shank. Also helps to use a narrow-gap hook like a Siwash instead of an octopus hook.

[Tote]

Or make your own.

Hey Tote, I'm having a hard time seeing exactly how you connected to the hook and then the swivel.  And what is the thing that almost travels the entire shank of the hook?  Is it some sort of glue to keep the hook in that position or did you snell the hook?  And it looks like you didn't tie to the eye of the hook, just ran through and tied to the brass swivel?  Think I might have it now.
Thanks for posting the picture, you just saved me $6 + shipping.
Michael

It is 50lb mono.  Run it through the eye of the hook, then snell the heck out of it around the shank all the way down. Keep a long tag end so it comes straight off the shank.
Tie a snap swivel close to the eye of the hook and another swivel off the tag end of the snell a few inches away from the hook.
Make sure you pinch the heck out of the barb.
I will post a closer pic later. Right now it is GAF time.