If you’re a deep-sea fisherman, you’re all too familiar with the problems of releasing fish – either undersized or out of season – caught in deep water. Fish often appear bloated and cannot swim back down to safe depth, resulting in almost certain mortality. New gear and release methods are rapidly developing here in Florida that show promising results for quickly getting fish back down to the bottom, maximizing their chances for survival.
Tune in online this Wednesday night, Sept. 11, from 6:30-7:30 pm for a FREE Florida Sea Grant webinar that will cover:
Barotrauma: its causes, symptoms, and research updates
Tools and tips for deep-water release, including the latest on fish descending gear
Recent changes to the Gulf of Mexico venting rule and how it will affect your fishing in state and federal waters
Take advantage of this great opportunity to learn about new methods and gear for safely and effectively releasing deep-water fish that are suffering from barotrauma. You will see photos and videos of gear, have the chance to ask questions, and get inside tips on how to select and rig release gear for all kinds of fishing conditions.
The webinar will be given LIVE by Florida Sea Grant extension agents, who have been busy over the last several months logging more than 20 field trials in both Gulf and South Atlantic waters to test and evaluate many types of descending gear – both manufactured and home-made – that have appeared on the market in the last 6-12 months.
The webinar is absolutely free, but you must register beforehand at this link to watch and participate:
http://www.fsgbarotrauma.eventbrite.com
More details are included with the attachment. Share this message with anglers you think may want to be ‘in the know’ on this important topic.
Questions? Contact the webinar leaders, Lisa Krimsky (Miami-Dade County), lkrimsky@ufl.edu; or Bryan Fluech (Collier County), Fluech@ufl.edu.
Dorothy Zimmerman
Communications Director
Florida Sea Grant
(352) 392-2801
http://flseagrant.org
Editors note: Dorothy Zimmerman, Communications Director at Florida Sea Grant, sends the following announcement of a great program on releasing fish caught in deep water. Mark your calendar to listing and learn. It is a free seminar, but you must register to take advantage of it. See details below.