Barotrauma - survival rates?

[nal]

Hi everyone, 

I recently caught a jewfish that suffered from barotrauma, where the rapid change in pressure effects the fish in such ways as bulging eyes and swelled up swim bladders. I thought it was a bit odd that this fish suffered from barotrauma when it was only pulled out of 8m of water, however it released well after about 30 seconds of swimming it and it never floated back up to the surface. I was wondering if fish can survive the affects of barotrauma and why this jewie got it from relatively shallow water? 
PS This particular fish had its swim bladder protruding about 2cm from its lip and was extremely swelled up

thanks, max

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by Max_fish

[kingie chaser]

Some people do use release weights to get fish back to the depths they came from quickly.

https://www.fishingworld.com.au/how-to/diy-release-weight

[Rebel]

Well done releasing the fish back to live another day.

Cheers.

[dirvin21]

Jewie's don't have the best survival rate at the best of times but if it stayed down decent chance it'll live, definitely much less likely to survive in an esky🤔

[JonD]

I saw a study a few years ago where fish that were thought to release ok from deeper water (snapper USA version) were turning belly up after 3 days being kept in a controlled environment (tank). Brain hemorrhageing was the issue, which took longer to effect the fish than barotrauma.

Ive fished wrecks north of Sydney that I had to motor away from because of the amount of jews I kept hooking in deepwater while targeting other species. 

Edited October 26, 2021 by JonD

[Jiggy]

I've read that pulling a jewie in from more than 14 metres of water causes fatal barotrauma in most cases. If the fish is bought up very slowly, and given time to gas off, then they can be released with a high recovery rate. Otherwise release into an esky, if legal, and go fish for something else.

Cheers

Rob

[kingie chaser]

1 hour ago, maccapacca said:

Stupid question, if a undersized Jewie undergoes fatal barotruama and dies before Realease, is it legal to eat such fish or do you have to dispose of it in a certain way.Only ever been catch and release just curious.

 

Kind regards, M

If your found in possession of an undersized fish it can be up to a $500 fine per fish!

And on top your fishing gear, car, boat, trailer can also be seized it the offence is bad enough!!

Dont screw with fisheries, if its 5mm under size then it will cost you $100 per mm 😬

 

Also fishing in the wrong spot can be a similar fine.

 

Make sure you check the DPI website for size & bag limits for fish & anything that comes out of the ocean plus check maps for sanctuary zones, the fishsmart nsw is a good app to have on your phone

 

 

Edited October 27, 2021 by kingie chaser

[noelm]

The law is very black and white, because it has to be, other wise people would keep undersized fish and say "it died on capture/release" a fish has to be over regulation size, not close or "just on" not too sure about the "per mm" business.

Edited October 27, 2021 by noelm

[kingie chaser]

10 minutes ago, maccapacca said:

Ah yes fair enough, ever happened to people you’ve known?

Me, $500 fine for 295mm snapper.

Measured with a tape measure as I didnt have a mat on me at the time.

 

A mistake I will never make again!

Edited October 27, 2021 by kingie chaser

[mrsswordfisherman]

15 minutes ago, maccapacca said:

Yeah it was weird, I’m always catch and release just as it’s simple that way.But like iv caught what I call small fish like around 25cm bream and all (never measured fish before) and went to a place and they had the smallest bream like iv ever seen for sale.Like they must of been just legal but I was astounded how small they were.

@maccapacca you need to know where to get the info on Rules and Regulations

Here is a link where you look up bag limits and size. Spend time reading how to measure a capture etc 

You are responsible for your fishing activities. Our site rules are very clear and have a read of them. 

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-rules-and-regs 

[JonD]

My policy is to not take snapper under 35cm when first caught, kingfish 77cm minimum. Fish will contract a little once in an ice slurry, so a 30cm snapper can easily drop 1cm after a day on ice, likewise with most fish. Come to think of it, its not the only thing that shrinks after being in cold water a while!!!!

If you are catching fish that don't release well, think about moving on.

[Yowie]

1 hour ago, JonD said:

My policy is to not take snapper under 35cm when first caught, kingfish 77cm minimum. Fish will contract a little once in an ice slurry, so a 30cm snapper can easily drop 1cm after a day on ice, likewise with most fish. Come to think of it, its not the only thing that shrinks after being in cold water a while!!!!

 

Shrinkage applies to both sexes.  

 

While the ice slurry keeps fish fresh for a long time, it does cause a bit more shrinkage than standard water temp. I have noticed that a fish that fights hard on the line and takes some time to land, can have slightly more shrinkage when placed in the ice, possibly due to muscle stress during the fight. Tailor being a prime example when bled and dropped into the ice.

 

As for swollen swim bladders, some experienced fishos pierce the bladder with a pin or small needle before release, though this technique is not for all to use as too big a hole in the bladder will not repair itself.

Edited October 27, 2021 by Yowie

[noelm]

As a rule (pun intended) I never measure fish, to me, minimum size is not worth keeping for most species, if it looks "close" it goes back, unless I am doing it tough for a few for a feed, then I might measure a couple, same goes for crabs, a just legal crab is useless, not trying to be a greenie or some kind of hero, it's just how it is for me.

[Yowie]

That's right Noel, sometimes the fish are hard to find, so a couple just over the limit are better than nothing, and I go fishing for a feed, not to throw them all back. If the fish are ON, I can always pack up early and head home.

Some days I have been able to upsize when I pull out a bigger fish of the same species.

As for the just legal crabs, it is not worth the effort of cooking and eating them.

Edited October 27, 2021 by Yowie

[noelm]

Yep, crabs, Bream and Blackfish are way too small when "just legal" however, you take (say) a Whiting, and a "just under" looks like good eating size, if you get what I mean.

[PaddyT]

Jewfish are a pretty poor C&R species in deeper water , they blow their air bladder really easily. They are one of those species that tastes better the bigger they are -just legals are pretty ordinary .

[noelm]

Yep agree, a legal Jew is a decent sized fish, but eating them is pretty ordinary, they tend to be soft and almost mushy, never tasted the "soapy" flavour though, one around 15kg or bigger is fantastic eating.

[JonD]

I have onboard my boat a venting tool that I bought from the USA, where they are part of the legal regulation fishing kit to have over there. Its called ventafish venting tool.https://fishntech.com/ventafish.html

[noelm]

I guess what it amounts to is, regardless of your release methods, poking holes in bladders, big sinkers to drag a fish down or anything else, it's got a far better chance of survival than in your esky or lying on the floor, catch and release is not for everyone, those equiped to do it tend to be pretty fast and skilled at handling the fish, those that just "toss back" unwanted/undersized fish (most of us) are at least doing something to help.

[Yowie]

2 hours ago, PaddyT said:

Jewfish are a pretty poor C&R species in deeper water , they blow their air bladder really easily. They are one of those species that tastes better the bigger they are -just legals are pretty ordinary .

Jewies are not my favourite. I will keep a legal one if nothing else is doing, otherwise releasing them if there is something else in the fish box.

As for legal ones, I do not mind the taste of them, though prefer other fish if available.

[whiskey299]

I don’t know what the survival rates are but I do the following to ensure they have the best possible chance:

1. I immediately pierce the bladder to relieve the pressure. Using a hyperdermic needle or even a bridle rig needle works. When piercing the bladder I poke the needle behind the pectoral fin and you can usually hear it deflating. 
 

2. I use a home made release sinker consisting of a 500g sinker and a blunt gaff hook. This is used to send the fish back to the bottom

3. I try and release the fish back as quickly as possible to minimise the damage from barotrauma 

 

BTW the thing protruding from its mouth is the stomach, not the bladder so it’s important to not pierce this organ.

I have a video of the release sinker in use