Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

I'm a bit skeptical about this one... remember I'm just passing this on...
The local?(to Raritan Bay?) Commercial Hook/Line fisherman and a professor from FDU presented the following at the Mid Atlantic Fisheries Council Meeting yesterday.

What they were trying to propose to the council is that by having Recreational fisherman only use Larger hooks then the mortality figures shrink and then everyone can keep more fish. There were comments from the Council, including Johh McMurray that is/was? a charter guy about how Recreational fisherman are there for the experience not just to harvest fish.

http://static1.squarespace.com/stati...er+Bycatch.pdf


and yes there were many variables not measured or addressed. They claim that they will do a similar study with "wide gap" and "circle" hooks if they get funding.
This could also backfire for them considering the statistics that they provided.

remember this is just part of my personal point of view....

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

Use the biggest hook you can use that will still catch fish. Small hooks on fluke are killers. Dead releases. We go as big as 12-0 for stripers!Leave the fresh water stuff home!

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

I guess it must be true after all,the recreational fisher people are the blame for
everything.

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

Can't wait to see the Buck-tailers with 8'0 Spro's !!:D

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

I know this is like an annual thing but it usually waits for fluke season but it's relevant here. The "English bend" or "Kahle" hooks should be outlawed. I've been converting anglers for 12 years to regular J hooks or, my favorite, the octopus hook yet some still think you need those silly hooks to catch fluke and it is 100% false. After unhooking bazillions of fluke over the years I can tellyou that those ridiculous little gold hooks are the worst. Get rid of them and you will save some fish from the crabs.

////Cue the outraged flukers.../////

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

On the subject of gut hooking fluke: I've always thought that party boat rental rods should go with a dropper loop rig instead of a fishfinder/3-way type deal.

Sinker on the bottom, hook off a short dropper loop...use bait, use gulp, use bait + gulp ---- fluke hook themselves after they turn to the bottom, and you tend to feel those fish immediately even with rental rods/40lb mono, as opposed to a hook on a 3 ft leader trailing behind a heavy sinker. No more "feeding" the fish, counting to 30, leaving a trail of dead shorts behind bc the summer crowd can't feel a 12 inch fluke chewing on their squid strip.

Also, at least once the water warms up...I think it would catch a lot more fish as well, esp on a slower drift/wind against etc. Your bait will have a lot more action than on a fishfinder rig.

Just my 2 cents.

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

3 ft.leader, 40 lb test? Sorry my friend but I don't know what Party boats you are talking about, certainly not mine....customers are not schooled to count to 30 then set the hook. No English hook's here and larger J hooks to prevent damage...take this somewhere else.:mad:

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

14/0 xxx strenght circle hooks for porgies.....:D

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

All good points. I have a question/statement regarding those gold English style hooks. I have found them to be helpful due to the fact that if you gut hook a fish you just cut the line the hook dissolves extremely quickly. I left a couple in a bag on the bost came back the next day already rusting away. Your thoughts? I would like to know if I'm on the wrong track. I'm not a big fan of murdering fish

Re: Reducing Recreational Mortality
 

BYOB... Bring you own bait- i.e.: squid strips