Keep it or Release it? POLL Recordbook fish

[j_h_nimrod]

There is a difference between bulging eyes and ruptured eyes.  When the eye is almost all gas and every layer of tissue is separated with gas in between there is no long term recovery.  Simply compressing the gas back to the original state is not going to fix that.  Even if by some stroke of luck the fish survived ascending and descending blind fish can't eat.

 
When the eyes look crystallized like that it means there is damage beyond simple barotrauma.  It is like the level at which a human gets the bends, there is a level at which survival does not exist.  No matter if a decompression chamber is only seconds away.

I agree that if it is an illegal catch that whatever can be done to increase survival is good.  Kind of like releasing undersized trout/salmon/whatever bleeding from the gills, the fish is 99% likely to die but it is the rules and there is a chance, though small, that it will survive.   Certainly better to try with the rockfish than leaving a trail of bird buoys. NOAA and NMFS have carried out a number of studies on survival rates, most have been inconclusive or showed only a small increase in success rate. 

[fishngamereaper]

If the survival is long term or short term, its better than seeing a 100 orange dots floating on the surface for the birds to eat. Like I said, I would have kept the fish if legal, but since washington is focusing on Yellow eye revovery and our seasons and species retention are becoming limited, I also have some belief in descended fish survival rates.

Absolutely agree! That came out wrong on my end, didn't mean to say that you weren't doing the right thing! I am just skeptical as to whether fish released after being brought up from such depths have any chance at all. When fish are illegal to retain, like in WA, all we can do is try! Good on you for using a descending device! I just don't understand people who are giving this guy grief for keeping a legal fish that probably won't live anyway.

 

[Gobble Doc]

I chose release but I don't really know without being there.  I wonder if it was heavier from 200 years of mercury accumulation?

[elkfins]

I find it very interesting the volume of misinformation and lack of knowledge about deep water rockfish.

This fish is not a yelloweye, nor is it a protected species of rockfish.  Properly identifying the bottom fish you catch is the first step in protecting our sport fisheries.  Huge areas of the ocean are being closed down to us because of misinformation about bottom fish stocks.

Hook and Line fishing at 900 feet deep is very possible with today's technologies... between high strength braided line and electric reels, there are more and more people targeting fish at these depths.  Most specifically black cod.  It is not unreasonable to hand reel at 900 feet (We fish halibut & Ling cod at 600 - 700 feet offshore every year) but I agree that it is a whole lot of work.
The effect of the swim bladder expanding as the fish comes up from the depths is called Barotrauma.  The expansion of the swim bladder causes the stomach to protrude out the mouth and the eyes to bulge.  The faster you reel up the fish, the works the condition is.  When released, these fish cannot dive down to their depths because of this and end up being bird food. 
Venting used to be the accepted way to release these fish... a sharp poke behind the fin and the gases would escape, allowing the fish to dive...  This is not a good idea.  Popping the stomach that is protruding from the mouth will not vent the fish... all you are doing is poking a hole in the fishes stomach and releasing no gasses.
Recent research indicates that a descent device is the best way to release these fish and the survival rate may be upwards of 80%.  There are several models out there and are easy to use.  The key to successfully releasing bottomfish is to get them down to depths where the pressure will naturally compress the swim bladder back to it's original size. Lots of good information at this link.

http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/stories/2013/18_2013_06_19_preventing_barotrauma.html

Having said all that.. yes, in the circumstances in which this fish was caught, I would have kept this fish.

[plugger]

I just read where they revised the age to 64 years. (the fish not the angler)

[Bean Counter]

What is the strongest argument in favor of releasing it? So that it can continue to breed?