Thanks I will have a needle by the weekend. It is nice to see a picture but best is having someone say this is how is should be done.

 

good info... thanks. i happen to have some 16gauge needles in the office for my difficult patients! will bring a few out and give it a try.

 

GREAT POST! I actually still have a needle onboard from a year ago in fla.

 

Bump up ttt

 

Highwire- Thanks again for the.info. Being a man of m word I got my needle.
One question, with fish with smaller scales like cod and ling, do you think this is still efective? Or would the puncture more likly be come infected?

 

The answer was, use the same procedure on cod and ling.

 

I have no idea, but will ask Hugh Carberry this week. You should clean and sterilize the tool after the trip. We use Orpine soap in a bucket. Its the first thing in and first out, then clean the rest of the boat.

 

From the 2009 NJ Reef News

Release Some Pressure and Vent
by Jennifer Resciniti


http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2009/reef_news09.pdf


Venting seabass

To release the gas hold the fish gently, but firmly, on its side.
At a 45-degree angle and 1-2 inches from the base of the pectoral fin insert the needle until the gas is released. If the pressure within the body cavity is severe, apply gentle pressure on the abdomen, which will aid in the release of gas. Be careful not to insert the needle too far, as this may cause damage to other organs. Make sure to clean the venting tool with bleach between uses.
Never puncture the stomach coming out of the mouth or the intestines coming out from the anus, which can prove fatal. Proper venting increases the post-release survival of the fish. Within a few hours of venting the organs will return to their proper location


All ray-finned fishes have an organ, similar to lungs, called a gas bladder, also known as an air bladder or swim bladder. The gas bladder is a thin-walled sac that functions as a hydrostatic organ. It regulates itself accordingly to ambient pressure, allowing fish to remain neutrally buoyant, whether they ascend or descend, without having to waste any energy in swimming. The volume of gasses found in the bladder varies between depths.

When a fish swims deeper, the surrounding water pressure increases. The increased pressure compresses the gas within the bladder. The opposite is true of a fish swimming towards the surface, where the amount of gas increases and the bladder inflates due to a decrease in water pressure. In order for the fish to remain neutrally buoyant the bladder regulates the amount of gas contained within.

The process works smoothly until a fish is swiftly reeled from the seafloor. The gas bladder expands rapidly due to the decreased water pressure at the surface. The rapid change in pressure makes the fish unable to expel the air. Thus, the air gets trapped and prevents the fish from regaining its balance, occasionally triggering severe physiological problems.
A released fish will have a better chance at survival if it is handled quickly and returned to the water as soon as possible. It is best to place the fish back into the water with its head facing down. If the fish floats on the surface, a few nudges with the tip of a fishing rod should be enough to stimulate it to swim down.
A technique called venting can be used if the pressure change causes severe damage to the fish. Only a fish that appears to be bloated and is floating at the surface or a fish displaying an everted stomach or distended intestines should be vented. These conditions occur if the expansion is too great, resulting in a rupture of the gas bladder. The gases then escape into the body cavity increasing the pressure on organs. If a fish is released in this condition it will merely float away and become easy target for predators or die from exposure to the elements.
Venting releases gases from the body cavity eliminating pressure on internal organs, allowing the fish to overcome buoyancy problems and swim down to the proper depth. There are tools fishermen can buy designed specifically for venting fish, but hypodermic needles with the plunger removed or a 16-gauge hollow needle may also be used.

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