Influence of artificial lure hook type on hooking characteristics, handling, and injury of angled freshwater gamefish
Introduction
Recreational fishing is a popular activity around the globe. Although some fish are harvested, it is increasingly common that fish are released to comply with regulations or as a voluntary action linked to a conservation ethos (Arlinghaus et al., 2007). An assumption that underpins catch-and-release (C&R) as a conservation and management strategy is that mortality is low and that any injuries or sublethal disturbances are short lived (Wydoski, 1977; Cooke and Schramm, 2007). However, a growing body of research reveals that not all fish survive angling events (Muoneke and Childress, 1994; Bartholomew and Bohnsack, 2005; Arlinghaus et al., 2007). Mortality rates are highly variable and context dependent, (Bartholomew and Bohnsack, 2005; Brownscombe et al., 2017), varying widely depending on environmental factors, angler behaviour, gear type used, and species-specific responses to stress (reviewed in Brownscombe et al., 2017).
Across C&R studies, a common factor has been identified as being the single largest determinant of fish survival - anatomical hooking location, whereby fish hooked in vital areas (e.g., the gullet and/or gills) tend to experience higher mortality and bleeding compared to fish hooked in the jaw (e.g., Pelzman, 1978; Taylor and White, 1992; reviewed in Bartholomew and Bohnsack, 2005). Hooking location can be influenced by a variety of factors including lure/bait type, gear type, and angler experience (Muoneke and Childress, 1994). For example, organic baits tend to result in deeper hooking locations than artificial baits while smaller baits tend to result in deeper hooking locations than larger baits (Arlinghaus et al., 2008; Fobert et al., 2009). Novice anglers are also more likely to deeply hook fish in comparison to more experienced anglers (Dunmall et al., 2001).
Hook type and hook number have also been shown to influence physical damage in recreationally angled fish (Muoneke and Childress, 1994; Brownscombe et al., 2017). For instance, circle hooks tend to yield shallower hooking locations compared to J hooks (Cooke and Suski, 2004). Many studies on salmonids have found that using single hooks on lures results in decreased mortality compared to the use of treble hooks (Hunsaker et al., 1970; Matlock et al., 1993; Nuhfer and Alexander, 1992; Warner, 1979). Similar findings have been found with Northern Pike (Esox lucius), where using a single hook on lures instead of a treble hook tended to result in less mortality (Burkholder, 1992). A recent study has suggested that using lures with fewer hooks and/or single hooks may help to reduce unhooking time and minimize air exposure in Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides; Clarke et al., 2020). However, that study failed to systematically vary hook type and the presence of barbs on the same lure types. Single hooks have been shown to cause less injury and lower mortality in comparison to treble hooks in some contexts (Muoneke and Childress, 1994; Bartholomew and Bohnsack, 2005). However, there has been very little work done evaluating the effects of using a single hook on hard plastic fishing lures commonly used by anglers when targeting freshwater gamefish (Cooke and Suski, 2005). Hook type and number can also influence handling time and need to use different hook removal gear (e.g., pliers rather than bare hands), which is another factor to consider when assessing impacts on recreationally angled fish (Brownscombe et al., 2017).
Traditionally, most artificial hard body lures use treble hooks, but this tradition has been slowly changing in the angling community. There are discussions in online forums as well as increasing number of fishing media stories about the merits of replacing treble hooks on hard bodied lures with single J style hooks (e.g., Landesfeind, 2018; Waters, 2019). Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and Largemouth Bass are species that are traditionally caught with treble hooks when using hard plastic lures. As such, investigating the impacts of using single J hooks could provide insight on whether there is merit in replacing treble hooks on lures. The use of barbless hooks has also become a common practice (sometimes voluntary or mandated) in some jurisdictions as some studies suggest barbless hooks reduce injury during catch and release angling events (Meka, 2004; Bartholomew and Bohnsack, 2005). Yet, beyond salmonids (see Schill and Scarpella, 1997), there is relatively little known about the extent to which barbless hooks benefit fish caught on lures.
The primary objective of this study was to investigate if replacing treble hooks on lures with single hooks influenced hooking location, injuries and fish handling (i.e., use of different hook removal gear) and the extent to which these outcomes are moderated by barbs. To do so, we focused on hard plastic lures (i.e., crankbaits, jerkbaits, and lipless crankbaits) which are commonly used to target freshwater gamefish, and for which barbed treble hooks are the default hook type at time of purchase. This study compared treble hooks (barbed and barbless) as well as J hooks (barbed and barbless) on the different lure types. Three species were included in the study (Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and Largemouth Bass) representing some of the most popular freshwater gamefish in North America. Given interspecific variation in anatomy and hook performance we did not quantitatively compare outcomes among different species.
Section snippets
Animal welfare
All experiments were conducted in accordance with regulations and guidelines set by the Canadian Council on Animal Care (Carleton University protocol AUP #110,558). Fish were collected under Scientific Collection Permit #08,577 from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Study site and fish capture
Angling was conducted on Lake Opinicon (44.5590 °N, 76.3280 °W), Constance Lake (45.4090 °N, 75.9797 °W), Mississippi Lake (45.0321 °N, 76.2029 °W), Big Rideau Lake (44.7706 °N, 76.2152 °W), and the Rideau River
Results
A total of 572 fish were captured and included in our study, including 220 Northern Pike, 103 Smallmouth Bass, and 246 Largemouth Bass (Table 1), from across the five different study lakes (Lake Opinicon n = 380, Constance Lake n = 53, Mississippi Lake n = 67, the Rideau River n = 12, Big Rideau Lake n = 60).
Discussion
Overall findings from our study demonstrate that replacing treble hooks with single hooks on hard plastic lures reduces deep hooking and unhooking time for Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and Largemouth Bass. Across species, we found limited evidence or added benefit (increased survival) of using barbless hooks; the use of single hooks over treble hooks derived the greatest benefit. However, that benefit was still rather minor and did not translate to differences in immediate mortality (which
Conclusion
Our research provides evidence that hook type on hard plastic lures used to capture Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, and Largemouth Bass is important for determining some welfare outcomes. Lure and hook type influenced the unhooking time, hooking location, average hook depth, and deepest hook in most cases. Specifically, barbed treble hooks typically took longer to remove compared to single barbless hooks. Angler education programs, fishing guides, and fishing media should promote scientifically
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Alexandria Trahan: Conceptualization, Methodology, Software, Formal analysis, Investigation, Data curation, Resources, Writing - original draft, Visualization. Auston D. Chhor: Software, Formal analysis, Investigation, Resources, Writing - review & editing. Luc LaRochelle: Investigation, Resources, Writing - review & editing. Andy J. Danylchuk: Writing - review & editing, Supervision. Steven J. Cooke: Conceptualization, Writing - review & editing, Supervision, Project administration, Funding
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors report no declarations of interest.
Acknowledgements
We extend our gratitude to Queen’s University Biological Station for serving as a base for this research. Brooke Etherington, Jon Kubelka, Adam Williamson, Alice Abrams, Daniel Glassman and Connor Reid assisted with data collection. We thank Jacob Brownscombe for assistance with data analyst. We are grateful to two anonymous referees for input on our manuscript. Funding was provided by the Anderson Family Foundation with additional support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
References (50)
- et al.
Physiological and behavioural consequences of catch-and-release angling on northern pike (Esox lucius)
Fish. Res.
(2009) - et al.
Best practices for catch-and-release recreational fisheries – angling tools and tactics
Fish. Res.
(2017) - et al.
Efficacy of dehooking tools for the removal of hooks from the jaw region of angled fish
Fish. Res.
(2021) - et al.
Cut the line or remove the hook? An evaluation of sublethal and lethal endpoints for deeply hooked bluegill
Fish. Res.
(2009) - et al.
Evaluating the consequences of catch-and-release recreational angling on golden dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) in Salta, Argentina
Fish. Res.
(2017) - et al.
Synergistic and interactive effects of angler behaviour, gear type, and fish behaviour on hooking depth in passively angled fish
Fish. Res.
(2017) - et al.
Effects of catch-and-release angling on large cichlids in the subtropical Zambezi River
Fish. Res.
(2004) - et al.
Behavioral and physiological responses of the congeneric largemouth (Micropterus salmoides) and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieu) to various exercise and air exposure durations
Fish. Res.
(2008) - et al.
Effects of hook size and barbless hooks on hooking injury, catch per unit effort, and fish size in a mixed-species recreational fishery in the western Mediterranean Sea
Ices J. Mar. Sci.
(2008) - et al.
Understanding the complexity of catch-and-Release in recreational fishing: an integrative synthesis of global knowledge from historical, ethical, social, and biological perspectives
Rev. Fish. Sci.
(2007)
Size selectivity, injury, handling time, and determinants of initial hooking mortality in recreational angling for northern pike: the influence of type and size of bait
N. Am. J. Fish. Manag.
A review of catch-and-release angling mortality with implications for no-take reserves
Rev. Fish Biol. Fish.
Mortality of Northern Pike Captured and Released With Sport Fishing Gear
Do angler experience and fishing lure characteristics influence welfare outcomes for largemouth bass?
Fish. Res.
Effects of cryptic mortality and the hidden costs of using length limits in fishery management
Fish Fish.
FISH Out of WATER: How Much Air is Too Much?
Fisheries
Catch-and-release science and its application to conservation and management of recreational fisheries
Fish. Manag. Ecol.
Are circle hooks an effective tool for conserving marine and freshwater recreational catch-and-release fisheries?
Aquat. Conserv. Mar. Freshw. Ecosyst.
Do we need species-specific guidelines for catch-and-release recreational angling to effectively conserve diverse fishery resources?
Biodivers. Conserv.
The influence of terminal tackle on injury, handling time, and cardiac disturbance of rock bass
N. Am. J. Fish. Manag.
Physiological impacts of catch-and-release angling practices on largemouth bass and smallmouth bass
Am. Fish. Soc. Symp.
Scientific and stakeholder perspectives on the use of circle hooks in recreational fisheries
Bull. Mar. Sci.
Key Principles for Understanding Fish Bycatch Discard Mortality
Simulated fishing experiments for predicting delayed mortality rates using reflex impairment in restrained fish
Ices J. Mar. Sci.
The effect of scented lures on the hooking injury and mortality of smallmouth bass caught by novice and experienced anglers
N. Am. J. Fish. Manag.
Cited by (7)
Catch and release angling for sea trout explored by citizen science: Angler behavior, hooking location and bleeding patterns
2022, Fisheries ResearchCitation Excerpt :Another potential reason for more bleeding among sea trout caught by spin fishing, could relate to the more frequent use of treble hooks in this method compared to fly fishing. This is in line with studies showing increased mortality of fish hooked deep with treble hooks compared to fish hooked deep with single hooks (e.g., Nuhfer and Alexander, 1992; Ayvazian et al., 2002), and that treble hooks generally are more likely to be embedded in sensitive areas (e.g., foul hooked, gullet, gills, and/or eyes) compared to J hooks (e.g., Trahan et al., 2021). On the other hand, several other studies have indicated that single hooks can cause more damage than treble hooks, and meta-analysis studies have not been able to make clear conclusions whether treble hooks or single hooks are likely to cause higher post-release mortality (Taylor and White, 1992; Bartholomew and Bohnsack, 2005; Hühn and Arlinghaus, 2011).
To eat or not to eat, coastal sea trout anglers’ motivations and perceptions of best practices for catch and release
2022, Fisheries ResearchCitation Excerpt :Research has shown that the relative importance of these tools for the success of a release is context specific, and that depending on the situation or tool they have the potential to increase handling time and injury (Cooke et al., 2021). Respondents’ perspectives on the use of barbless and single hooks to improve C&R outcomes are outliers when considered as factors that are important regardless of season, and that have demonstrated importance for the status of sea trout that will be released (Blyth and Bower, 2022; Trahan et al., 2021). Even anglers that indicated that they intend to release as many of the fish that they catch as possible scored these factors lower than others on the list.
Short-term response of giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) to capture and handling in a catch-and-release fly fishing recreational fishery, Republic of the Seychelles, Western Indian Ocean.
2022, Fisheries ResearchCitation Excerpt :In GT spin fishing-oriented fisheries, anglers often use large (10–30 cm) double (front and back) treble hooked poppers. While not evaluated in this study, the use of treble hooked lures and their effects on GT should be examined since these hooks are likely to become embedded in sensitive locations that may be detrimental to fish survival, e.g., foul hooked, gills, and/or eyes (Trahan et al., 2021). Beyond injury related to gear choice, GT may also be susceptible to other angling and handling stressors and require additional research, especially in GT fisheries where fish are routinely landed out of water, e.g., onto the shore or boats.
Evaluating different hook removal gear for in-water dehooking of jaw-hooked fish captured with barbed or barbless hooks
2022, Fisheries ResearchCitation Excerpt :Moreover, fish often struggled during hook removal, so longer periods of hook removal presumably translated to higher levels of physiological exhaustion (Kieffer, 2000). What is clear from our work and supported by other studies (e.g., Cooke et al., 2021a, 2021b; Trahan et al., 2021) is that barbless hooks are removed more rapidly than barbed hooks, which can reduce reflex impairment indicative of stress. Tearing was a reasonably common outcome for fish in this study.
Hook Types Influence The Catch Effectiveness, Injuries, and Survival Rates of Fishes in Recreational Fishing
2023, Malaysian Applied Biology