| |
| |
|
Fishing Information |
|
|
|
Reviving Billfish
Last summer we had an unfortunate incident with a swordfish we brought to the boat. It was about 8:30pm and we had been set up for about 45minutes when we had our first bite, the second balloon at 150' baited with a dead squid started to scream. My brother Rocky was on the rod and the instant he pushed the drag up to strike, which on our rods is set at 25-30lbs of drag, the fish stopped and Rocky cranked the fish in effortlessly. Less then five minutes later we had a small swordfish boat side. We couldn't see the hook and since this fish was brought to the boat so quickly we didn't want to put this green fish through any trauma. Rocky handed me the pliers and I clipped the leader as close to the swordfish's mouth as possible. The swordfish kicked away and seemed to be fine, then less then a minute later on the other side of the boat we spotted the swordfish belly up. We pulled in the drift anchor and moved the boat to the swordfish. Rocky grabbed its bill and brought it along boat side. I put one engine in gear and Rocky held the fish's bill underwater in the hopes of reviving this small swordfish. After a minute or so of attempted reviving, the swordfish just became even more copper colored, stiff and lifeless. We realized there was no hope of reviving this fish so we brought him in the boat. Once he was in the boat we inspected the fish and the hook which we decided to cut was just a little bit inside the corner of its mouth and not bleeding what so ever. Since this fish was brought to the boat in minutes and received no trauma from the fight or from us upon release made us believe that this fish must have had heart failure. Incidents like this are rare, especially when the fight time is kept to a minimum. But, they do happen and it reminds us that even though we are conservation minded and try to practice good catch and release, there is always a chance that a caught fish will not survive after being released. There are many things we as fisherman can do to try and ensure a healthy release for any billfish we catch. For one, whenever we get a green billfish to the boat which we are planning on releasing simply cut the leader as close to the fishes mouth as possible and as quickly as possible. Holding any large billfish along boat side is one of the most dangerous things we can do in the sport of fishing. When a mate leans over the gunwale to hold a boated billfish, especially on a boat with high freeboard, he or she can seriously injure themselves and the fish. Billfish struggling along boat side often damage their eyes, bills and gills banging against the side of the boat. This is why simply cutting the leader as close to the fish's mouth, is much safer for the fish and the people on board. Any attempt to remove the hook from a billfish can do much more harm then good to the fish. Poor attempts to remove the hook from a struggling fish can cause sever bleeding and bruising to the fish. So, unless you have a smaller billfish at the boat and you can clearly see that de-hooking the fish will be an easy task due to where the hook is placed, simply cut the leader as close to the fish's mouth as possible, it will have a much better chance of survival. In the event you try and de-hook a smaller billfish, attempt to de-hook the fish while its head is underwater. Once a billfish's head is above water it will violently thrash its head. When you are about to release a billfish if it's not struggling to get away, is not lit up and has a copper color, grab the fish's bill holding the bill and the fish's head under water then put the boat in gear so water will run through the fish's gills. Once the fish starts to kick on its own or starts to struggle, gently let go of the bill and let it swim free. Never consider a billfish dead, always try to revive the fish as it may just be exhausted from a long battle or unconscious from lack of water (oxygen) running through its gills. TightLines, Captain Vinnie La Sorsa http://www.GoodFellasCharters.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Caring for Your Inflatable Boat - Common Sense & Consistency Are the Keys Thousands of years ago, the first inflatable boats, made from animal skins, were used for transportation. People used them to cross rivers, ferry goods to other locations, and move military troops. Join The Vespa Fishing Team High fuel prices got you down?Imagine how most of us feel in the recreational fishing world.Let me explain. Butterfly Jigs Create Buzz with American Fishermen A big buzz within the fishing community that is spreading like wildfire is deep jigging with the new "butterfly" jig. Deep jigging has always been a very productive way of catching fish at all levels up and down the water column. Lucky Hat Do you have a lucky hat?It was a beautiful warm day in the mid 70's. Typical of what we get in Colorado during September. Selecting the Right Tackle One of the most important things to consider when fly fishing is choosing your tackle the right way. Many people overlook this important factor and start with the wrong assumptions. Ever Said: We Should Have Caught Bass By Now? Have you ever been on a lake and thought to yourself or said to your fishing partner, "We should have caught some fish by now"? Well, maybe it's time to downsize. One reason to downsize is when the bass are going through the stages between spawn and postspawn like they are now in Ohio. Fly Fishing Rods - Getting The Bends Picking a fly fishing rod is a tricky endeavor. Do you go with your ego, expected fishing environment or something else? While length is a factor, the bend or action of the rod is a key factor. Fishing For Bass In Deep Water When fishing for bass in deep water try a spinnerbait that you have confidence in and have used to catch fish before. If the fish are inactive try a slow study retrieve. The Old Heddon Meadow Mouse Have you ever fished with a Heddon Meadow Mouse? How did you do? The reason I ask is, I have fished with them until I lost my last one and did extremely well at catching big bass using them. I would throw the lure out and let it sit. Eel And Eelskin Lures Eel and eelskin lures are used mostly in saltwater to catch such fish as striped bass, bluefish, snook, and marlin. The most difficult part about making eel and eelskin lures will often be obtaining the eels themselves. A Simple Way To Identify and Catch The Big One in River! River dry fly fishing considered as the purest form of fly fishing inspired generations of writers, artists, poets and even philosophers to wax lyrical about its pleasures.The gist to river dry fly fishing lies in the rise. Bass Fishing In The Winter In The North The next few days in Ohio are supposed to be in the 50's, so, guess what I plan on doing if the lakes thaw out? Yep, go fishing for bass.As you know the bass are not going to spend a lot of energy going after your bait, so offer them something a little larger than usual. How To Catch Largemouth Bass Six strategies for a good day's fishing(1) Largemouth Bass like plastic worms. Purchase a variety of colours from clear to bright and in varying shades. Fishing Alaska: The Alaskan Sampler Plate...Part I I just recently returned from my first fishing trip to Alaska.If you have ever dreamed of heading to the last frontier, but have continuously put it off because of this reason or that---STOP PUTTING IT OFF!!I myself, found reason after reason to delay one of my "dream trips" until I could no longer stand it any longer. The Hendrickson Mayfly Mayflies are essential to trout fly fishing. There are still ultra purists who consider casting dry mayfly patterns upstream to rising trout the ONLY form of fly fishing. Fort Lauderdale Swordfishing - The Perfect Fix for the Experienced Angler If you are looking to do battle with the toughest game fish South Florida has to offer, evening swordfishing in the Gulfstream of the Atlantic is your best bet. South Florida has an excellent swordfish fishery, and swordfish are truly one of the toughest predators and hardest fighting fish in the ocean. Fishing on Your Pontoon Boat Fishing on your pontoon boat can be both a relaxing and fun experience. Fishing from a pontoon boat can much more enjoyable than fishing on other smaller vessels. Bass Fishing - Recreation or Obsession? First of all, we need to look at the word .. Get Ready For Bed....Bedding Bass That Is! It's getting near the time bass will be on their beds. Not just any bass, but trophy size bass in Ohio. Information on the Rainbow Trout Rainbow trout are a fresh water fish. They are aggressive fish in that they put up a great fight for the fisherman.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |
