Mike Boswell
Contributor
Just for future reference, DFG recommends the following;
VENTING: A sharp needle or steel cannula is used to puncture a fish’s inflated swim bladder.
The California Department of Fish and Game does not currently encourage venting as it can cause
serious injury to fish and angler. You may accidentally puncture the wrong organ and/or introduce
infection. Even when done properly, venting damages a fish’s swim bladder.
Other methods of sinking a fish are at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/pdfs/release.pdf
Thanks, Max. That is very good information. I think most people - including me - would have tried to puncture the large "bag" sticking out of the fish's mouth, but as your DFG link points out, that is the fish's stomach, not his air bladder.
The GSB was once common along the California coast, but was nearly wiped out by overfishing. They were protected by law in 1982, and since then have been making a slow comeback.
One of the joys of diving in San Diego is seeing these magnificent fish in the kelp forests where they live. There are a number of awesome You-tube videos of them if you want to do a search.
These days it is not uncommon for anglers to catch them while targeting other species, and unless fishermen are equipped with the means to return them to depth, they are unlikely to survive.
At "only" 4-1/2 feet long, he was just a baby: Giant sea bass - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia