Reduced C & R mortality?

[SilverFly]

Reading the thread on circle hooks for sturgeon made me think that this might be a way to reduce release mortality for steelhead and salmon. I was curious if anyone has tried them for salmonids. My understanding is that they are primarily used for saltwater bait fishing (tuna, etc...) but if it is possible to use them for lures or flies as well then they might be a great way to reduce sport impact on native fish (and get more fishing opportunities!) Another benefit might be reduced foul-hooking in situations where fish are concentrated.

If it turns out that circle hooks do work in river fishing for salmon/steelhead then it would also solve the old hookset problem. Supposedly you just come tight to the fish and they're on!

Just kicking around an idea. Maybe some of our Tuna guys might have some input.

[Flatfish]

My experience with them is based on trout.

The trick is the fish needs to turn before you get the hooks in it. If it takes the bait, and keeps facing you it is a swing and a miss usually. But if they turn away from you, they worked well wnough on Cranebows.

Not even 2 cents worth.

Mark and the dog.

[Ty]

The best thing for C & R is the shorter teh fight and handling the better. Studies show that levels of Cortison increase dramitically with increased play time. Also, temperature is a key factor. Temperatures over 60 F have dramitic increase in Cortison levels.

[SilverFly]

Flatfish, - good info! If they work on trout, then steelhead and salmon should be fair game for circle hooks too. I would be interested to know where you get circle hooks that small.

Ty, - you are correct. Fighting fish too long or in warm water, and careless handling are major hitters with C & R mortality. As I remember, the studies I read discussed lactic acid buildup, but the results are the same.

Even so, hooking too deeply is a problem too, mostly with bait. One exception was last summer when I actually had a hatchery brat die on me when it sucked in a very small fly and was throat hooked. This was the first time I ever have seen a steelie or salmon go belly up from a fly.

Here's a response I got off the saltwater board that seems to confirm what I'm getting at:

Here's one data point, for what it's worth. In California, circle hooks are required when mooching (drifting) for salmon in the ocean. Before circle hooks, the "J" hooks would frequently hook the salmon way down the throat. Now, with the circles, most of the fish are hooked in the jaw or corner of mouth.

- Mark

<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Thanks, - SF.

[ 01-26-2004, 12:32 AM: Message edited by: SilverFly ]

[jaydee]

Yes, California requires circle hooks whenever using "bait" for chinook in the ocean.
Some folks here in WA are lobbying certain charter boat associations here to do the switch as well.
I don't mooch much anymore. But I have used circles for salmon with success when I did it on a regular basis.
In Hawaii (were I'm from originally), they are common place amongst all bait fisherman and have been for years (even centuries).
I tried using a tandem circle hook leader for salmon without great results at first.
There was I time I used to pusue Chinooks with live bait under a float off some seattle piers. The problem was that the live bait would wiggle of the barbless hooks, so I started using a circle as the first, or top hook, and kept the trail hook as a normal octopus hook.
I found that I lost no fish on the barbless circle.
When I tried it mooching from the boat later, I found a lot of salmon would short strike the cut-plugg and miss a trailing circle. So I switched to the ol' pier set-up consisting of a octopus trailer instead.
Hookups increased, the occurances of hooks in the gills over standard double octopuses decreased.
The only aspect, that I can see, of circle hooks actually increasing mortality rates of salmon is being as how much more difficult they are to remove. Even barbless ones. I like to release salmon without ever bringing them onboard.
They do work in a mooching situation, but I strongly suggest not using them trolling.

J.D.

[ 01-26-2004, 02:21 AM: Message edited by: jaydee ]