Mini rockfish release strategy

I know that there are a few different purpose built creations for getting the little rockies back down and surviving to become worthy toads. I definitely feel good when I can get those floaters swimming again.

I tried something really simple yesterday at Stillwater with a few 8" coppers I caught:

I was using a Megabait modified with a single hook, rather than a treble. Would work okay with a treble almost as well I suppose. I carefully ran the hook through just a little bit (like 1/8 inch) of the fleshy part of the cheek (not the gill plate, but the skin)

Dropped the fish down to the bottom on the iron, and waited a couple minutes till I felt some activity down below- fish recovering. Then loaded up the rod and pulled hard like setting the hook, pulling through the skin, fish gone, jig at the bottom ready for the next customer.

I'm no biologist, but I think this works just fine. Try it and let me know what you think.

Paul

My favorite way to release small rockfish is to send them back down and wait for a large lingcod to help me out. 

My favorite way to release small rockfish is to send them back down and wait for a large lingcod to help me out. 

Brian, I like the way you think   

My favorite way to release small rockfish is to send them back down and wait for a large lingcod to help me out. 

Its definitely gonna come off on the hook thats for sure, I had much luck catching lings on this technique, Paul is making a good point but my way of releasing small fish getting caught on deep water was actually poking that blow up bladder or whatever you call it, thats the only thing stop them for submerging, I think dropping them back will hurt them more they still need to stage to adapt the again just my 2 cents...

My favorite way to release small rockfish is to send them back down and wait for a large lingcod to help me out. 

Yeah, I like this one too, but there is some mortality associated with it - hopefully.

My favorite way to release small rockfish is to send them back down and wait for a large lingcod to help me out.  

Yeah, I like this one too, but there is some mortality associated with it - hopefully.

Not to mention you have to count the baby rockfish toward your daily limit.


Paul, I've tried the method you described, too. It works sometimes. Other times the fish gets tangled in the line/lure and doesn't come off...so I just wasted a bunch of time trying to recompress a tiny fish that now has to go on my stringer. Then there is the issue of gouging a chunk of flesh out of a fish's cheek, thus making it more susceptible to infection. Just my opinion but I prefer an inline recompression tool, like the SFD (or a homemade version of it).  

Paul is making a good point but my way of releasing small fish getting caught on deep water was actually poking that blow up bladder or whatever you call it, thats the only thing stop them for submerging, I think dropping them back will hurt them more they still need to stage to adapt the again just my 2 cents...

I wouldnt pop that bladder thow its just gonna cause infection and they will die anyway... Disending them a divise as metioned above or a SFD will work best I have also hooked bearly any of the hook threw a fin and as soon as the start to get life back in them there off the hook in no time. No need to swing the rod to get them off the hook...
Or jst leave them on for LING's

Paul, so you just barely hook the fish's cheek so it hangs on to the bottom, then when you yank up, it kind of tears off? I guess the fish would be left with basically just a scratch on the cheek, so it seems like the fish should be fine - I assume fish experience worse external cuts & stuff all the time. Convenient to get your jig back down at the same time & without any extra releasing hardware.

Paul is making a good point but my way of releasing small fish getting caught on deep water was actually poking that blow up bladder or whatever you call it, thats the only thing stop them for submerging, I think dropping them back will hurt them more they still need to stage to adapt the again just my 2 cents...

I wouldnt pop that bladder thow its just gonna cause infection and they will die anyway... Disending them a divise as metioned above or a SFD will work best I have also hooked bearly any of the hook threw a fin and as soon as the start to get life back in them there off the hook in no time. No need to swing the rod to get them off the hook...
Or jst leave them on for LING's

Yep, venting has been proven to be ineffective and possibly causing more harm than good. There have been some previous threads about it here and DFG discourages it: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/groundfishcentral/barotrauma.asp

ROCKFISH-BAROTRAUMA MYTHS
Myth: The organ protruding from a “popped” fish’s mouth is the swim bladder.
Fact: It is the stomach! Never vent the stomach or try to force it back inside the mouth.

VENTING:
A sharp needle or steel cannula is used to puncture a fish’s inflated swim bladder.
The California Department of Fish and Game does not currently encourage venting as it can cause
serious injury to fish and angler. You may accidentally puncture the wrong organ and/or introduce
infection. Even when done properly, venting damages a fish’s swim bladder.

Most research supports the descender as the preferred method. They are so easy to make from a heavy jig or sinker.

Imho,If they are coming up with way blown up cracked-crystal looking eyes you should eat it, use it for bait, or fish shallower.

I've heard and read about using a needle to decompress fish. I'm not saying fishermen are dumb, but I suspect that few of us know our fish anatomy well enough to do this without risking damaging other organs. At least I don't know the proper way. Perhaps someone who really knows will show me some time. Until then...

I don't think the damage I'm doing to the fish with a hook torn through a very small piece of skin will be fatal or even serious, (remember, we're already expecting them to recover from being hooked in the first place) and I'm optimistic about their ability to survive once I get them a bit of bottom time. I can say this: they're not floating back up.

I use a decender I made, but I like the simplicity of skin hooking a fin. I think that would be far less harmfull than tearing out a hunk of flesh. Even though I know they don't all make it, I'd rather feed another rockie down there, than watch seagulls slowly pick out there eyeballs and gills...

that hyop needle thing would be great for fishing pressure.  You figure half the guys who use it would eventually put the needle in themselves and introduce some life threatening woe.  When half of us die, the other half get better fishing.  Of course since I would surely stick myself, I vote no

Just an FYI for anybody who doesn't already know--the inflated organ protruding from the mouth is not the swim bladder.

Just an FYI for anybody who doesn't already know--the inflated organ protruding from the mouth is not the swim bladder.

ROCKFISH-BAROTRAUMA MYTHS
Myth: The organ protruding from a “popped” fish’s mouth is the swim bladder.
Fact: It is the stomach! Never vent the stomach or try to force it back inside the mouth.