Using Circular Hooks is becoming popular as a way to improve the odds of
fish surviving when released.

With the spread of Shark Fishing Tournaments (as seen on a new reality TV
show) how do people improve the odds of a Shark surviving a catch and
release. I know some people just cut the leader, but that seems like it
impacts on the fish's ability to hunt and opens the fish to infection by
having a wound that will not heal.

Does the hook and leader rust or is the fish destined to carry around a hook
and leader for ever? Is it just me or do some aspects of fishing seem
pretty brutal and barbaric?

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"Reggie Smithers" wrote in message
...
Using Circular Hooks is becoming popular as a way to improve the odds of
fish surviving when released.

With the spread of Shark Fishing Tournaments (as seen on a new reality TV
show) how do people improve the odds of a Shark surviving a catch and
release. I know some people just cut the leader, but that seems like it
impacts on the fish's ability to hunt and opens the fish to infection by
having a wound that will not heal.

Does the hook and leader rust or is the fish destined to carry around a
hook and leader for ever? Is it just me or do some aspects of fishing
seem pretty brutal and barbaric?


I was speaking with a NY DEC biologist about a month ago. He said he'd just
been to a seminar on the results of catch & release, where one discussion
focused on the results of catch & release. It may not be the panacea it was
made out to be. Fish apparently build up huge amounts of lactic acid in
their muscles as they're being caught, and they may not recover from the
experience. The fact that a fish swims away is no indication of future
survival, because in many cases, the fisherman is a moron who picks up the
fish around the mouth and gills, thereby damaging the gills. Removal of
lactic acid from the bloodstream requires efficient breathing, which can't
happen when the gills are damaged. And, even a minute out of the water for a
photograph is enough to cause trouble.

Reggie Smithers wrote:
Using Circular Hooks is becoming popular as a way to improve the odds of
fish surviving when released.

With the spread of Shark Fishing Tournaments (as seen on a new reality TV
show) how do people improve the odds of a Shark surviving a catch and
release. I know some people just cut the leader, but that seems like it
impacts on the fish's ability to hunt and opens the fish to infection by
having a wound that will not heal.

Does the hook and leader rust or is the fish destined to carry around a hook
and leader for ever? Is it just me or do some aspects of fishing seem
pretty brutal and barbaric?

part of the problem with catch and release, is most people do not do it
correctly. i'm well past annoyed at some of the local fishing guides /
so-called experts who get a cable show and have some of the worst fish
handling techniques. for them it is all about the monster hook set, and
the money shot for the camera. i laugh when i see these guys practically
knock themselves over backwards to set a hook. how many times have you
seen these yahoos grab a fish by the mouth or gills and hold it in the
air for an extended time? for some, it is every time. i simply stop
watching their shows and have stop patronizing their sponsors.

those shark fishing tournaments are the worst of the bunch. and they
'catch to kill' about everything they hook. i watched that show ONE
time. if i ever do turn on that show again, it will only be to make note
of the sponsors so i can let them know.

done properly, the fish really do have a pretty decent chance at survival.

Sharks are very hardy animals. We use steel hooks, no stainless, leave
a steel hook in salt water and you will be surprised just how fast they
rust out. As far as barbaric, it is very common to hook a shark, tag
and release him, only to catch the same fish again only a short time
later, sometimes multiple times. I've seen them cut off and just swim
over to the next bait and take that one. And they don't seem to mind
hooks in their mouth while they rust out. As far as circle hooks, for
most fish I would agree, circle hooks are the way to go. But most
sharks are hooked in the mouth, it's because they tend to pick up a
bait in their mouth and swim off with it before swallowing it. Their
kind of like when you feed a group of dogs, or, for that matter, most
animals, they grab their food and get away from the group before eating
it, so no one else can grab it. Most fishermen will let a shark run for
a short distance before trying to set the hook, their's not much time
for the shark to actually swallow the bait to the point that it's in
its stomach. So, for the most part, the fish are hooked in the mouth,
no one wants to keep cutting off more expensive circle hooks, some may
be tempted to hang the shark until it's dead to get them back (on a
good day you can go through lots of hooks) and that defeats the whole
purpose.

On fish like Striped Bass, I can see them having a higher mortality
rate. With them use heavier line if your releasing the fish, to get
them in ASAP, they will not be as tired. Also, resist the urge to bring
the fish into the boat to take the hook out, do it with the fish still
in the water, the less you handle them and the sooner the fight is
over, the better the chances of surviving.

On Thu, 5 Jan 2006 08:20:26 -0500, "Reggie Smithers"
wrote:

Using Circular Hooks is becoming popular as a way to improve the odds of
fish surviving when released.

With the spread of Shark Fishing Tournaments (as seen on a new reality TV
show) how do people improve the odds of a Shark surviving a catch and
release. I know some people just cut the leader, but that seems like it
impacts on the fish's ability to hunt and opens the fish to infection by
having a wound that will not heal.

Does the hook and leader rust or is the fish destined to carry around a hook
and leader for ever? Is it just me or do some aspects of fishing seem
pretty brutal and barbaric?

I would say that circle hooks would work as well with sharks as any other species.
Yes, they would be rough to remove, so cutting the leader and leaving the hook in the
lip is probably the only alternative.

I see humans all the time with metal things in their lips, and it doesn't seem to
shorten their life much.

A hook in the corner of the mouth would still leave the shark in much better shape
than a gut hook would, especially after some fighting which would rip up more of the
shark's insides.

--
John H.

"Divide each difficulty into as many parts as is feasible and necessary to resolve it."
Rene Descartes