Starting
Jan. 1, 2007, billfish tournament participants in the Atlantic,
Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Caribbean using natural bait or
artificial lure/natural bait combinations must use circle
hooks. This new regulation is part of a much larger rule
by NOAA Fisheries Service for the conservation of highly
migratory species – billfish, tunas, swordfish and
sharks in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
Studies
show that fish caught on circle hooks are more likely to
survive being caught and released than those caught on standard
“J” hooks. Circle hooks are more likely than
J-hooks to hook fish in the mouth or jaw, causing minimal
damage. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) predicts
that the new circle hook requirement for tournaments could
save an estimated 300 billfish from dying in catch-and-release
tournaments each year. Commercial longliners in the open-water
pelagic fishery have been required to use circle hooks since
2004.
Many
anglers already use circle hooks for a number of reasons.
They are finding that fewer fish destined for release are
deeply hooked, so hooks are quick to remove and fish are
in better condition. Additionally, many anglers find that
circle hooks give them a higher percentage of solid hook-ups,
with fewer fish coming unhooked part-way to the boat.
However,
anglers trying circle hooks for the first time often have
poor success and give up on the design. Using the traditional
“break-their-jaw” hookset with circle hooks
will almost always pull the bait out of the fish’s
mouth. A slow, steady pull is actually what is needed. This
“sets” the hook in the corner of the fish’s
mouth nearly every time. This technique requires some re-learning
for people accustomed to using traditional J-hooks and stretchy
monofilament line. A slow hookset is particularly important
when using circle hooks on the new no-stretch braided lines.
Offshore
tournament participants using trolled artificial lures can
continue using J-style fishing hooks since there already
is a high survival rate for fish caught and released using
this method. Tournament organizers who want to keep the
option of fishing for marlin with J-hooks and natural bait
may apply for an exempted fishing permit, given on a case-by-case
basis to help NOAA collect additional scientific information
on the impact of J-hooks on marlin.
The
new regulations also require that circle hooks used in billfish
tournaments be the non-offset style. This means that the
hook must not have any lateral bend that puts the point
of the hook off line with the shaft. Researchers (and anglers)
have found that a strong offset in a circle hook reduce
the benefits of the design, resulting in a higher likelihood
of deep-hooking fish.
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