Saved a Redfish

[McGillicuddy]

Heres one of Ron's pieces. Check out the links he offers from FL Sea Grant.
http://saltfishing.about.com/od/catc.../aa061220a.htm

Out west distended swim bladders are a problem with the popular rockfishes (Sebastes spp.)species, as they are typically deeper water catches.

CA Sea Grant is starting to advise against venting, suggesting that it will cause infection and it may be detrimental to the fish... I don't know - if you do nothing the fish will die, if you properly vent it and send it down using an upside-down milk crate or something, at least it has a chance of survival. I keep an iv size (maybe 18 ga.) hypodermic needle in the tackle box just in case I come across a suffering giant black sea bass(our version of the Jewfish, err, Goliath grouper now), but I rarely fish for the tasty rockfishes.