A giant laid to rest 4/23/18
 

Damn shame. Found this guy floating today. Looked to be 6-7'. Maybe 80-100lbs? I thought it was a dead dog initially.

http://i.imgur.com/z6qtlEbl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/1iHdb5ll.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/2ffBbn2l.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/0cjFQqal.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/55YEh6ol.jpg
We got some dinner at least though

http://i.imgur.com/lxQzzQ2l.jpg

It would have fit nicely in your hatch. Fermented BSB is delicious.

Lame
 

Unfortunate mortality.
They really do tire themselves out, good a time as any for the PSA...
Not for the OP, but a general note!
Carrying a descender at all times is good practice, as you never know when you might hook one of these.
The longer they remain on the surface, the greater the likelihood of them ending as a floater a day or even a week later.
Mortality odds decrease significantly the quicker they are returned to a depth where they can fend for themselves.
http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ad.php?t=32807

Thanks for the report OP, sorry you had to bear the bad news.

LOL

In all seriousness, great info. Heartbreaking to see thing like this.

Bummer on the GSB (Giant Seabass)!Thanks for reprting it though!

Sadly this happens often when less experienced anglers release them. As stated above these fish sometimes need a lot of help recovering after a long drawn out fight. A little extra effort in reviving them can go a long ways.

Next time you or anyone else encounters something like this please shoot a call over to the lifeguards or call the stranding hotline at the South West Fisheries Science Center.... which is just up the hill from Scripps Pier. Or call Scripps as they would have launched a boat and been out there in 10 minutes to collect it.

San Diego County:

Stranding Hotline #

(858) 546-7162

https://swfsc.noaa.gov/

The fish could have been utilized for biological samples. There is a lot of research currently going on with these guys.... every sample helps! :you_rock:

And carry some extra lead... the bigger the fish the more weight needed to get her down to depth! :you_rock:

HMMM
 

That would be some pretty heavy weight to be storing in your kayak. Persistence always pays off with these black beasts. I guarantee it was a Private Boater, 9 out 10 times they leave floating do to not being able to reach over the side of their boat far enough. Its actually quite easy to get these guys back down without weight in a kayak.

Redondo
 

"Next time you or anyone else encounters something like this please shoot a call over to the lifeguards or call the stranding hotline at the South West Fisheries Science Center.... which is just up the hill from Scripps Pier. Or call Scripps as they would have launched a boat and been out there in 10 minutes to collect it."

They must have a really fast boat at at the science center to make it to Redondo in 10 minutes...LOL :cheers1:

http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwegall...eoutput_7.jpeg

Teleportation. lol. It looked to be dead for half a day when we found it. Slime coat coming off, eyes foggy, gills pink/red.

It can suck up your whole morning but you never give up trying to get em to go down and watch your meter and make sure they descend. Morally obligated! Sad to see a floater. I have found getting their head down will get em going in the right direction.

Disagree on both the 9 out of 10 comment, and the not being able to reach over the side comment.

But kayakers these days know everything and are way better than people that own power boats. So you're probably right :rolleyes:

Redondo? Couldn't have been.... we all know La Jolla is the only spot GSB live :D

Still fresh enough to be worthy of sampling! Plenty of people in Redondo that would have really appreciated the call... Larry Allen is working on the age and growth rates of these guys... he is pretty fishy and does a lot of work to help the community:

https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-C.../dp/1421418320

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm out. It's the first time I've seen a floater in the years I've fished the area.

yea
 

yea, King Saba...I agree...never seen one myself..."It's the first time I've seen a floater in the years I've fished the area."
There are a lot of big boys along the edges of the Redondo Canyon...My biggest fish out of a kayak was one of these giants...Their mouths are huge it's almost scary trying to get the hook out...and they are so strong you can really feel their big tail beating when you hook one and he slowly moves away and there's nothing you can do but hang on and hope he'll get tired eventually...before you do...:notworthy:

Very true.

Didn’t know they needed samples for studies. Next time I gaff one I’ll bring it to them. Well the head at least.

:)

Hey we only want the heads from the white ones

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Sad To See This
 

Caught my third one of the year yesterday and successfully revived all three. Yes, it takes some time and can be risky as you turn them over, but well worth the risk when you see what is at stake. I would rather flip over trying to revive one of these great fish than leave it floating.

Agree to disagree
 

I’ve personally watched my buddy Grant spend an hour or so CPR’ing One left behind by a boater during the hot squid bite last year.

So yea 9 out of 10 is an exaggeration but I still feel kayakers typically complete the CPR more effectively by being able to put hands on these fish and guiding there head towards the bottom, while boaters struggle to reach them and refer to using gaff or whatever to try and push them back towards the bottom. But hey agree to disagree!

And no not all PVB are dicks!!