Do you put back fish that have gill injuries

[wildmanoutdoors]

Rockfish and such take 15 or so years to get to full size. However, there is no minimum size restriction on rockfish when harvestable.

[jackmaster]

Rockfish and such take 15 or so years to get to full size. However, there is no minimum size restriction on rockfish when harvestable.

no, i understand that, but like when i am fishn for butts and true cod, often you will reel up a canary fish or i think they are yellow eye, probably all canary, but sometimes their guts and stuff can be coming out both ends, i think all of them die, when you fish seabass do you turn any of them lose? i will normally turn the real big ones loose, i try to keep the mid size seabass, the last time i was fishn wadda island and had a seal take 3 seabass before i could get one to the boat 

[kenzmad]

I have one rod on the boat that is dedicated to the fish decending device. Send the fish back down to the depth you caught it at and then release it. They say it improve survival just trying to do my part.

[jackmaster]

never even hear of that kenzmad, cool idea, i have hear you can poke a hole in the bladder and send them back, i havent ever tried it though

[singleshot12]

It's cheaper to feed the scavengers than get a ticket of coarse

 I've always wondered what the average mortality rate is with C&R fishing. I bet it's higher than most people think.

I've seen articles that have a range for mortality from 5% to 50% for fish like steelhead and trout, and even seen up to the high 90%s for things like rockfish.

Oh I'm sure with the 90% rock fish mortality. I'm mainly thinking like protected native kings and sturgeon being released tired out and exhausted only to be easy pray for the awaiting seal or sea lion

Also since spending a lot of time fishing on the water more people than not do NOT know how to properly handle fish for release.

[plugger]

If I have a fish that's hooked deep and I don't want to or cant keep it, I cut the leader as close as I can. Figure it has a better chance of living than yanking the hook out.

[ouchfoss]

If I have a fish that's hooked deep and I don't want to or cant keep it, I cut the leader as close as I can. Figure it has a better chance of living than yanking the hook out.

That's what I've always done for deeply hooked fish that I cant keep or don't want to keep. Had a guy tell me about doing that years ago and he said that you would be surprised how quickly that the acids in the fish will eat away the hook. Even more so in sea water. Don't know how much truth there is to that but sounds reasonable and I've gone by that method for years.

[wildweeds]

My uncle is a 35 year service  fish bio in S. E. alaska,he knows everything there is to know about fish,he told me a steel finewire hook like the old mustad 9263's are gone in about 24-30 hours,the combo of the salt water and the enzymes in the fish cause rapid decay of the metal through electrolisis,depending on the salinity of the water.Even stainless hooks will get ate into as well with time and it aint much time either as the hooks are of 304 high carbon content stainless.

If this state makes the commercials throw dead or dying by catch purse seined  non target salmon over the side,your going to have a hard time talking yourself out of a ticket.My  commercial fisherman buddy was totally ticked off at the states cockamamie rule on that last august when they got a big school of 20-40 pound kings in the bag with a couple thousand pounds of pinks.They have a recovery box on board but he said the bigger fish do not respond well to it and almost always end up going back over the side dead.Total waste that could be used to feed the less fortunate and down on their luck.