First problem........parking-area/beach-closure......next, fish-finder fail......and then……………......

[iethinker]

Originally Posted by bolocop

Venting is not recommended and it makes sense not to poke a hole in the air bladder.

What I have done in the past is make a recompression tool. I used a long-shanked hook and pressed in the barb. You attach the weight to the eye of the hook and attach the line to the bend in the hook. Yes, you use the hook upside-down.

You then hook the rockfish through the lower lip and drop everything in the water. At about 100 ft, yank up on rod and the fish will be safely recompressed.

No floaters, those are your trophy fish of the future.

OK...re-compression tool complete.

1. Snap/swivel means I can attach this to various rigs as/when needed conveniently.
2. I have a big spool of 25-lb mono so this is not a strategic choice.
3. The 6/0 EWG hook lets the line pull directly opposite the point of fish attachment for easy release with a jerk. Being wide, it should also be easy to engage the fish with. I pinched the barb off.
4. The loop-knot allows me to change weights.
5. The 1-lb weight is overkill for rockfish but it may come in handy for the BSB that we inadvertently find sometimes.

The re-compression tool:


I'm looking forward to the trophy fish of the future!

Matt