Circle Hooks and the Proper Handling of Striped Bass. How to Reduce Striped Bass Mortality Using Circle Hooks and Proper Handling

Transcription

1 Circle Hooks and the Proper Handling of Striped Bass How to Reduce Striped Bass Mortality Using Circle Hooks and Proper Handling

2 Prepared for the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association by Donald A. Smith

3 In Cooperation with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Janet L. Coit, Director

4 We Love To Catch Stripers Recreational fishing adds $160 million to RI s economy annually It is the backbone of RI s charter fishing industry Recreational fishing accounts for hundreds of jobs in RI

5 Here Are The Statistics On Released Striped Bass

6 Did You Know That on a National Level in 2008: We released about 11.8 million stripers We harvested about 1.2 million stripers Approximately 1 million of the fish we released died That means we killed almost as many fish as we kept The bulk of the damage is done by recreational fishermen

7 Here sthe Statistics On Striped Bass Removal From The Population In 2008 Source: ASMFC Atlantic Striped Bass Technical Committee, 2009

8 We Need To Reduce Striper Mortality To Insure An Abundant Population

9 What Can We Do To Reduce Striper Mortality? We can use circle hooks when fishing with live and natural baits We can learn proper handling of fish to reduce stress and injury We can modify our lures to reduce injury to fish from treble hooks

10 What is a Circle Hook? Circle Hook J Hook The point of a circle hook is generally oriented to be perpendicular to the shank. In some circle hooks the point is pointed down towards the bend. The entire hook is rounded and the shank is shortened.

11 Where Did They Come From? Archeologists note that 90% of ancient fish hooks found in museums today are circle hooks. They were carved from bone and shell Our hunter-gatherer ancestors depended on circle hooks to hold the fish until they could be brought to hand They were lost to more modern production methods because J hooks were easier to make

12 They were rediscovered by the Australians around 1900 because they didn t hang up when fishing the Great Barrier Reef In the 1960 s the commercial long line industry began using circle hooks because they were efficient They were largely ignored by recreational users until the 70 s when halibut and tarpon anglers started using them Circle hooks are now mandated in many big game fishing tournaments

13 How Do Circle Hooks Work? Circle hooks are designed to prevent the exposed barb point from puncturing internal organs if the hook is swallowed. Fish swallow the baited hook and begin to move away. The movement pulls the hook from the throat, decreasing the chance of gut hooking. As the hook shaft begins to exit the mouth the shape of the hook causes the shaft to rotate towards the corner of the mouth and the barb embeds in the corner of the jaw

14 Diagram Of How Circle Hooks Work

15 Just How Good Are Circle Hooks? They will improve your hook up rate to 90 to 95% They almost completely eliminate gut hooked fish and reduce fish mortality They make it easier to release a fish unharmed Because of their shape they reduce the chance of a clumsy fisherman hooking an ear or finger

16 Studies Show Circle Hooks Reduce Mortality By More Than 50% STUDY AND DATE MORTALITY RATE USING CIRCLE HOOKS J HOOKS Massachusetts, Caruso, % 15.5% Maryland, Lukacovic, % 9.1% Lukacovic, % 8.7% North Carolina % 18.2% Lukacovic, % 7.4%

17 Studies Also Show Circle Hooks Are Effective STUDY AND DATE HOOK TYPE TOTAL FISH HOOK LOCATION CAUGHT MOUTH DEEP FOUL Caruso, 2000 CIRCLE 60 97% 1.5% 1.5% J 58 60% 24.1% 15.5% Lukacovic, 2000 CIRCLE % 3.4% J % 17.2% Lukacovic/Uphoff, 2002 CIRCLE 90 81% 19% Lukacovic, 2002 CIRCLE % 6.6% J % 17%

18 How Do I Use Circle Hooks? Circle hooks come in a variety of sizes - match the hook size to the type fish you are after You can leave the spool engaged or the bail closed Leave the drag set at normal fighting position Let the fish take the bait and it will hook itself And remember the most important thing

19 CRANK, DON T T YANK! Just reel the fish in Do not try to set the hook you will pull it out of the mouth of the fish

20 Here s a few examples of how well circle hooks work for striped bass. The fish were caught on 6/0 circle hooks using live eels Fishermen Peter Vican and Don Smith have been using circle hooks for more than 10 years and swear by them

21 State Record Striper Caught by Peter Vican in July lbs. 14 oz.

22 Tournament Striper Caught by Don Smith in July lbs.

23 Kevin Robishaw 40 lbs. July 2009

24 Kevin Robishaw July 2009

25 Russell Crossman 38 lbs.

26 Michael Moore, Jr. August 8, 2010

27 Don Smith 38.6 lbs.

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29 What Else Can I Do To Reduce Fish Mortality? Eliminate treble hooks on lures Flatten the barbs Use heavier gear when the water is warm to reduce fight time Never gaff a fish Never put your hands in the fish s gills Use a dehooker Use a boga type grip to handle small fish and a cradle for bigger fish Handle the fish properly

30 Eliminate Treble Hooks Cut hook off at base of shank Hook will remain in good position when using lure Less damage will be done to fish Lure with one hook cut off each set

31 Flatten Barbs On Hooks Barbs were made to hold bait on hook Flattening barbs makes for better penetration of fish s jaw A flattened barb makes hook removal easier

32 Use Heavier Gear In Warm Water There is less oxygen in warm water so fish tire quicker in a fight when hooked Stepping up to a slightly heavier rod and reel will reduce fight time Fish can then be released safely and floaters eliminated

33 Do Not Gaff Fish A gaff punctures the fish and causes injuries Use a fish Boga type grip to hold fish in order to remove hook It is best not to remove fish from the water Use a net or cradle to lift fish if it has to be removed from water Cover fish s eyes with a wet towel to keep fish calm

34 Never Put Hands in Fish s Gills Fish breathe by having water pass over gill filaments Touching them removes bacteria that protects The gill filaments Fish will most certainly die from infection

35 Use A Fish Dehooker Dehookers come in different lengths You can remove the hook without removing fish from water Hooks can be removed without injury to fish They can be easily mastered with a little practice

36 If You Have To Remove A Fish From The Water Handle It Properly Never lift a heavy fish out of the water using a Boga type grip you can injure their lower jaw Use a net or cradle to bring the fish on board Cover their eyes with a wet towel to keep them calm Support fish with one hand under their stomach when putting it back in the water

37 Conservation Is Our Responsibility If all of us pitch in we can reduce the death rate of released fish and improve our fish stocks to get the maximum yield from our quotas. That way we can enjoy fishing today and insure good fishing for future generations. And remember -

38 = more Using circle hooks will keep the bass coming around

39 The End