ORC 2011 Member's prizes

I know that WDFW is discouraging it, on the basis that it could lead to infections. I'm not sure about it at all. I would guess that if there is sufficient trauma and cellular damage, even if a fish is initially successful at diving, it may not survive long-term.

But if you leave the fish to float it will become bird food. End of story. Even if a fish might get an infection, it still has the chance to survive. If it does-so, then we're talking about a good healthy fish to go on and to reproduce...

Why not use a fish descender device?  Most recommend it over venting.

-Allen

I've been using this send-down rig for a while and it works really well.  I usually only have to put on about 12 to 16 ounces to send down a decent sized(for Oregon, not Alaska) yelloweye with baro-trauma.  Most of the time I combine a 6 and an 8 oz since I may not have a 12 or 16 with me.  It simply clips on to the eye of the hook I currently have on my line with a duo-lock snap.  It's a 9/0 barbless octo hook tied on upside down onto tuna chord with snaps at both ends.  Simple, cheap, easy on the fish, and very effective.

I like that descender. I will have to tie one up.
I have been just using the rig I currently have on the line and re hooking the fish through the smallest amount of lip skin that I can get the hook to grab. Sending him back down and giving a good pop to de-hook him. I haven't gotten any refloaters and I could feel the fish get lively again before a popped him free.

I usually only have to put on about 12 to 16 ounces to send down a decent sized(for Oregon, not Alaska) yelloweye with baro-trauma.

Funny you should say that.  I've put 2 or 3 pounds on a large Alaskan yelloweye and couldn't get it to go down.  It became dinner, and a yummy one at that!!!

-Allen

I usually only have to put on about 12 to 16 ounces to send down a decent sized(for Oregon, not Alaska) yelloweye with baro-trauma.

Funny you should say that.  I've put 2 or 3 pounds on a large Alaskan yelloweye and couldn't get it to go down.  It became dinner, and a yummy one at that!!!

-Allen

Holy rockfish!   

(I got the idea of that send down rig from Pelagic BTW)

I've been using this send-down rig for a while and it works really well.  I usually only have to put on about 12 to 16 ounces to send down a decent sized(for Oregon, not Alaska) yelloweye with baro-trauma.  Most of the time I combine a 6 and an 8 oz since I may not have a 12 or 16 with me.  It simply clips on to the eye of the hook I currently have on my line with a duo-lock snap.  It's a 9/0 barbless octo hook tied on upside down onto tuna chord with snaps at both ends.  Simple, cheap, easy on the fish, and very effective.

I have been using this rig for years and it is a quick, cheap, easy way to send them back down. You don't even have to retie, just clip it on and drop.
 Venting has fallen out of favor for sure.  Most folks in the know are using some form of descender.  With venting, hitting the "right spot" in addition to not hitting yourself in the process while on a pitching deck/yak plus the risk of infection for the fish makes a descender look like the best option from all angles.    I would be happy to demo tying  some up at ORC if folks brought the terminal gear.

I usually only have to put on about 12 to 16 ounces to send down a decent sized(for Oregon, not Alaska) yelloweye with baro-trauma.

Funny you should say that.  I've put 2 or 3 pounds on a large Alaskan yelloweye and couldn't get it to go down.  It became dinner, and a yummy one at that!!!

-Allen

The descender I build when I fished out of my PB farther offshore had a beer can poured full of lead for weight.  It had its own dedicated stubby rod.  The lead now makes a nice doorstop for the shop door

But if you leave the fish to float it will become bird food.

You're right, becoming crab food is much better than bird food.

General advice in descending order of my preference...
-Fish shallow
-If you're fishing deep and are catching rockfish with barotrauma that you don't intend to (or can't) keep, move.   
-At the first sign of a canary, move (they like to school).
-Use a descender
-If you vent the fish do so with a properly sterilized needle.  That also means knowing where the air bladder is and how to find it from the side of the fish.  It's generally an inch or so behind the pectoral and requires the proper angle of entry.  You might want to practice on a dead fish.
-Don't vent the "air bladder" coming out of it's mouth.  That's actually it's stomach/esophogus being pushed out by the air bladder.
-Learn to live with the fact that you've helped a sea gull, sea lion, or some crab get it's next meal. I find it helps if you sing or hum "Circle of Life" from the Lion King while you watch the fish float away.

I've been using this send-down rig for a while and it works really well.  I usually only have to put on about 12 to 16 ounces to send down a decent sized(for Oregon, not Alaska) yelloweye with baro-trauma.  Most of the time I combine a 6 and an 8 oz since I may not have a 12 or 16 with me.  It simply clips on to the eye of the hook I currently have on my line with a duo-lock snap.  It's a 9/0 barbless octo hook tied on upside down onto tuna chord with snaps at both ends.  Simple, cheap, easy on the fish, and very effective.

I have been using this rig for years and it is a quick, cheap, easy way to send them back down. You don't even have to retie, just clip it on and drop.
 Venting has fallen out of favor for sure.  Most folks in the know are using some form of descender.  With venting, hitting the "right spot" in addition to not hitting yourself in the process while on a pitching deck/yak plus the risk of infection for the fish makes a descender look like the best option from all angles.    I would be happy to demo tying  some up at ORC if folks brought the terminal gear.

I think I have some big barbless hooks laying around that I'll truck down with me if some one has a roll of Tuna cord laying around. I'll kick in a pack of Duo Lock too....

I'll have a spool of "green cord" with me.  Its not as thick as tuna cord but its plenty strong.  Its what is commonly used on halibut long liner's for leader material

Although I haven't had to use it yet, I made a descender a while back very similar to Rawkfish's out of left over sturgeon gear I had laying around.

I tend to fish shallow, and have never caught a floater, let alone a throwback other than underlings (which don't have the bladder). 
I guess I haven't boated enough fish yet.