For many years bait has been banned in catch-and-release trout fisheries owing to anticipated high rates of hooking mortality. Recent studies that have been conducted in streams have found relatively low rates of hooking mortality. The objective of this study was to quantify the rates of hooking and handling mortality of stocked trout that were caught by recreational anglers using the terminal tackle of their choice during a 2-d tournament for three consecutive years on a small stream in central Pennsylvania. Each year, we affixed T-bar anchor tags to more than 800 Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis, Brown Trout Salmo trutta, Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, and golden Rainbow Trout and stocked them in an 11-km stream reach. All of the tagged trout that were alive when they were checked in were eligible for cash prizes. After processing, the trout were monitored for 9 d in a hatchery. Anglers brought in 423–591 tagged trout each year. The rates for hooking and handling mortality among years ranged from 3.9% to 8.0%. Mortality of Rainbow Trout (7.4%) was the highest among the three species. The trout were caught on natural and manufactured baits (87.9%), artificial lures (10.8%), and flies (1.3%); mortality was not related to terminal tackle. Trout that had hooks left embedded in them or had blood in their holding container had the highest mortality. Time from capture to check-in, holding method, hook type, or hook size did not influence mortality. This study demonstrated low mortality of trout that were caught primarily with bait and subjected to more handling stress than they would normally experience in catch-and-release waters. We suggest that these results support the notion that bait fishing can be allowed without negative population-level effects in streams where regulations require that most or all angled trout are released.

中文翻译：

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宾夕法尼亚州秃鹰溪鳟鱼锦标赛中捕获的鳟鱼的钩住和处理死亡率

多年来，由于预期的高钩死亡率，在捕捞和释放鳟鱼渔业中一直禁止使用诱饵。最近在溪流中进行的研究发现上钩死亡率相对较低。本研究的目的是量化休闲垂钓者在宾夕法尼亚州中部的一条小溪上连续三年在 2 d 锦标赛中使用他们选择的终端钓具捕获的鳟鱼的钩住和处理死亡率。每年，我们都会在 800 多条 Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis、Brown Trout Salmo trutta和 Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss上贴上 T 形锚定标签和金色虹鳟鱼，并将它们放养在 11 公里长的溪流中。所有在登记时还活着的标记鳟鱼都有资格获得现金奖励。加工后，鳟鱼在孵化场进行 9 天的监测。钓鱼者每年带来 423-591 条带标签的鳟鱼。多年来，钩住和处理死亡率从 3.9% 到 8.0% 不等。虹鳟鱼的死亡率（7.4%）是三个品种中最高的。鳟鱼被天然和人造诱饵（87.9%）、人工诱饵（10.8%）和苍蝇（1.3%）捕获；死亡率与末端铲球无关。钩子嵌在鱼钩上或容器里有血的鳟鱼死亡率最高。从捕获到登记的时间、保持方法、钩子类型或钩子大小不影响死亡率。这项研究表明，主要用诱饵捕获的鳟鱼的死亡率较低，并且承受的处理压力比通常在捕获和释放的水域中所经历的要大。我们建议这些结果支持这样的观点，即在法规要求释放大部分或所有有角度的鳟鱼的溪流中，可以允许诱饵捕捞，而不会对种群水平产生负面影响。