Release weight
Description
A release weight is a tool which is used to return a fish to its depth of capture, which recompresses the gasses in the fish's body and allows it to regain correct buoyancy.
This helps to reduce barotrauma, assists recovery, and provides fish with a higher probability of survival than those released at the surface.
The most common form of release weight is a large sinker attached to an inverted barbless hook, which is attached to a separate fishing rod or a heavy retrieval line.
Carrying requirements
All recreational fishers should carry a release weight, especially when fishing in deeper water, to improve the recovery of released:
- undersized fish
- unintentionally caught fish.
These can be purchased from fishing and tackle stores around South Australia or made at home.
How to use a release weight
The release weight is most easily used by two people, where one person supports the fish and the other attaches the weight. However, it can also be used individually.
The recommended approach is to:
- support the fish and attach the release weight through the upper jaw – where possible, use the existing hole from where the fish was hooked
- place the fish in the water and then let it go, allowing the release weight to take it back to depth
- let the retrieval line to run free as the fish is released and then detach the release weight from the fish by stopping the retrieval line and briefly pulling on it
- the barbless hook will slide out of the fish’s mouth and the release weight can be retrieved.
Transcript
Transcript
[Courtney Cheesman] Recreational fishers in South Australia are strongly encouraged to carry a release weight when releasing in deeper water, especially to assist with the release of unintentionally caught or undersized Snapper.
A release weight returns the fish to its depth of capture, which recompresses the gasses in the fish’s body and allows it to regain correct buoyancy.
[Jamie Crawford] The most common form of release weight is a large sinker attached to an inverted barbless hook, which is fitted to a separate fishing rod or a heavy retrieval line.
These can be purchased from fishing and tackle stores around South Australia or made at home using a large sinker and a barbless hook.
[Troy Rogers] The release weight is most easily used by two people, where one person supports the fish and the other attaches the weight.
The recommended approach is to support the fish and attach the release weight through the upper jaw.
Where possible, use the existing hole from where the fish was hooked.
Place the fish in the water and then let it go, allowing the release weight to take the fish back to depth.
[Courtney Cheesman] Let the retrieval line run free as the fish is released and then detach the release weight from the fish by stopping the retrieval line and briefly pulling on it.
The barbless hook will slide out of the fish’s mouth and the release weight can be retrieved.