Release Weight

[Kimberly662]

For those who have never heard of the release weight, I wanted to bring it to attention, and hopefully change the way we release fish in deeper waters.

All the information about it is in this URL...I won't bother going into extreme detail, you can just read for yourself.

http://www.recfishwest.org.au/ReleaseWeight.htm

I actually read an article about it in "saltwater sportsman magazine" many months back. I loved the idea, and made a few emails- since they aren't in production here in the US, (but according to they guy I talked to, "at the recent World Recreational Fishing Conference in Florida there was large interest by manufactures to produce a device for the USA market") but, until then, I made one myself- using a large "J" hook with the barb pinched/filed down, and a 1lb. weight attached to the eye of the hook with a splitring. Then I tied the line right to the bend in the upside-down hook.

Pretty simple, cheap, and it works... we got to use it down in the keys a few weeks back, and again in Tampa Bay just last week. With great results.

It works like a charm for all those undersized fish, or even the fish that you already have your limit on. Although you may need to upgrade to a larger weight for larger fish, but I've found 1-2lb. to be sufficient, but then again I haven't had to release any LARGE fish yet...

Just follow the steps on that website.

The only real dissadvantages I've found are:
-The time it takes to make it
-Having to have a rod set-up for it, or a handline.
-Possibly having to have larger weights, if releasing larger fish.
-And finding a way to secure that big ass weight, so its not swinging around and beating the crap out of your boat/gear.

Everything else seems pretty good to me:
-takes up the same amount of time it would to vent a fish, if not faster.(unless using a handline )
-without sticking a fish theres no room for infection, which could kill the fish later.
-actually gets the fish back to its habitat faster.
-limits the fish time out of the water.
-limits contact with fish.

Check out the website, watch the video of it in action, and tell me what you all think.

Like I said, we got to use our homemade rig a few times now, and it worked flawlessly. So I figured I would take the time and tell you all (or all of you that haven't heard of it). And hopefully change the way we release fish in the future.

[Sea Draggin]

Pretty simple, cheap, and it works... we got to use it down in the keys a few weeks back, and again in Tampa Bay just last week. With great results.

Glad to hear it worked well for you. We had a lot of discussion about it when the article came out.

The other method folks used was a weighted basket flipped over for small fish.

There was a time last summer that everyone was catching big jacks and they just couldn't get back down without some help, but we were venting them at that point and throwing around some ideas for alternate handling methods like body slings for lifting the fish out of the water to weigh, which Dihrd actually did.

[Kimberly662]

Glad to hear it worked well for you. We had a lot of discussion about it when the article came out.

The other method folks used was a weighted basket flipped over for small fish.

There was a time last summer that everyone was catching big jacks and they just couldn't get back down without some help, but we were venting them at that point and throwing around some ideas for alternate handling methods like body slings for lifting the fish out of the water to weigh, which Dihrd actually did.

I'm a fairly new member, and I guess I missed that discussion all together

I've heard of the weighted basket as well, maybe its just me, but the weighted hook just seems easier than hauling around a basket, etc...

But what you are saying, is exactly what I was afraid of with large fish. Releasing fish that are simply too big to use a weight or basket. And I guess a sling would limit contact time/time out of the water. But what was the wrap made out of? To me, fabric or the like, seems like it would be rough and damage the fish's protective slim covering.

[Sea Draggin]

Steve had made his from a blue tarp. When wet, they are nice and slippery.