Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge  

Go Back   Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge > Kayak Fishing Forum - Message Board > General Kayak Fishing Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-03-2015, 11:23 AM   #1
pbb
Senior Member
 
pbb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: San Diego
Posts: 149
DIY Rockfish descender

Now that Rockfish season is closed, we should all not only be releasing rockfish by-catch, but ideally getting them back down to depths so they don't just get eaten the birds.

They grow slowly, so let's protect the fishery and get the by-catch back down to where it has a good chance at survival.

DFW/NOAA has this guide, but it includes only commercial products and DIY rigs that require specific preparation: http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa....kfish_down.pdf

Here's a simple approach that you can make with gear you almost certainly have with you on the water, so you have no excuses. (Although rockfish will survive much better if you have something ready to go before they get to the surface).

It's pretty simple. The easiest version requires line, a snap swivel, and a hook (plus pliers to crimp the barb if it isn't barbless). The second version doesn't require a snap swivel, but is a little harder to tie.

First, take a length of heavy line (I used 50lb mono), and snell your hook, leaving a very long tag end. You can use any snell, but if you know how to tie a uni-knot, using the uni-knot snell is probably easiest. Otherwise consider looking up an "easy snell knot." Too keep the inverted hook upright, you will need to wrap the whole shank of the hook, so it will require many more turns than if you were just trying to keep the hook on the end of your leader.

Tie a loop (I use a surgeon's loop knot) in the tag end (i.e., the end closest to the bottom of the hook).

Tie the standing end (the end closest to the hook eye) to a snap swivel. I suggest a palomar knot.

Now you've got a rig which, like the commercial Shelton Fish Descender, you can connect (via the loop) to a snap swivel on you pole and add weights to the snap swivel. Like the SFD, you can even put a rig below the swivel so you don't need to reel up to start fishing again if you are fishing/releasing deep.

You can do all of this, even if you aren't using snap swivels, by snelling the hook upside down a ways up your leader. It requires a bit of adaptation, since the tag end goes through the hook eye last rather than at the beginning of the snell, but it's not hard to make it work. Then you can tie whatever you want (e.g., dropped loop) in the tag end below the inverted hook (assuming you left the tag end long enough.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg RFD1.jpg (21.2 KB, 329 views)
File Type: jpg RFD2.jpg (28.1 KB, 327 views)
__________________
2008 Olive Hobie Revolution 13

Last edited by pbb; 01-03-2015 at 01:56 PM.
pbb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-03-2015, 11:53 AM   #2
momo fish
Senior Member
 
momo fish's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Camarillo
Posts: 1,491
Good read and idea. Will try this as well
momo fish is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2015, 09:23 AM   #3
blitzburgh
Senior Member
 
blitzburgh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Menifee
Posts: 2,509
Great post. I have been using the roklees tool with great success but this is a cool do it yourself rig.
__________________
”The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.”
~Thomas Jefferson.........maybe
blitzburgh is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2015, 01:05 PM   #4
h-james
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Torrance, CA
Posts: 51
learn something new everyday

Simple,yet effective.
h-james is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2015, 02:40 PM   #5
lowprofile
#1 on fishstick's hitlist
 
lowprofile's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Sea level
Posts: 1,478
Have your tried it out yet? I've always used a hanger and 1lb weight.
__________________
MLPA- My Largest Poaching Area
lowprofile is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-04-2015, 02:57 PM   #6
pbb
Senior Member
 
pbb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: San Diego
Posts: 149
Quote:
Originally Posted by lowprofile View Post
Have your tried it out yet? I've always used a hanger and 1lb weight.
Not yet.

I had made something similar to the SFD using brass rod, but when I went for a last rockfishing trip of 2014, of course I forgot it. I found myself scrambling to improvise to get a little guy back down. (I failed, BTW. I got him down a ways, after he'd been out too long, but he floated back up).

That inspired me to figure out the best way to tie an inverted hook, so I could always make something usable on the water.
__________________
2008 Olive Hobie Revolution 13
pbb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2015, 11:18 AM   #7
RockyRaab
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Utah
Posts: 138
Pardon the ignorance of a freshwater guy, but would it not work at least as well to tie your weight to the hook eye on a short line, then tie your main line to the bend of the hook with a simple clinch or trilene knot? That would positively insure the hook stayed upright but "upside down."

We have the same swim bladder problem with some freshwater species when they're caught from down deep. Some guys even make up an old casting reel with used/discard braid and mounted on a short handle just for this purpose.
RockyRaab is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2015, 12:03 PM   #8
Hunters Pa
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Fullerton
Posts: 1,360
Looks effective and well thought out.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pbb View Post
. Like the SFD, you can even put a rig below the swivel so you don't need to reel up to start fishing again if you are fishing/releasing deep. .
Keep in mind, though, that when fishing for certain species or having them on board you are limited to the number of hooks you can fish with. I could easily see this being considered an "active" hook in your setup, so you would need to count it in your number. Also, you are limited on active rods for certain situations, so fishing with one while "releasing" with another could be interpreted as fishing with two by a warden.

Not trying to detract from the innovation nor intent to release with better chances of survival, but if it helps someone avoid a ticket then it is worth reminding.
Hunters Pa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-06-2015, 02:36 PM   #9
roadx
.
 
roadx's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,155
if your paranoid you could use a device like this to release fish at the depth you choose.


The Shallow Water SeaQualizer
This device has release depth settings of 30-50-70ft and is ideal for fish caught in water from 30 to 140ft. These fish aren't always suffering from barotrauma but the device reverses effects of thermocline changes as well!









Quote:
Originally Posted by Hunters Pa View Post
Looks effective and well thought out.



Keep in mind, though, that when fishing for certain species or having them on board you are limited to the number of hooks you can fish with. I could easily see this being considered an "active" hook in your setup, so you would need to count it in your number. Also, you are limited on active rods for certain situations, so fishing with one while "releasing" with another could be interpreted as fishing with two by a warden.

Not trying to detract from the innovation nor intent to release with better chances of survival, but if it helps someone avoid a ticket then it is worth reminding.
__________________
roadx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2015, 10:42 AM   #10
Saba Slayer
Senior Member
 
Saba Slayer's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Palos Verdes
Posts: 1,857
Easy descender rig

I use a similar rig on the kayak...but I just use a San Diego knot and a squashed down barb with a snap swivel on each end...just put the upside down hook in the fish's upper lip and send em down.




On my skiff I use an inverted milk crate with weights on each corner and 75' of rope...so much easier to just drop the small fish in the water and send them down with the crate.
__________________
Jim / Saba Slayer

Saba Slayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 05:53 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
© 2002 Big Water's Edge. All rights reserved.