Corpusfishing.com

[FoldCatOne]

I read (and I'll be darned if I can find it again) the other day that Snook that have been lifted from the water using a Boga Grip or equivalent, even if supported by the other hand will die in several days because the lifting by the lower jaw paralyzes several of the muscles of the jaws and makes the fish unable to eat. I wonder if the same applies to reds and trout that you see being hung from their jaws for the infamous Photo OP, before its release. I think that TPWD should do a study on that and if a trout or red or drum, or ???? is going to be released, it should never be taken clear of the water. For the best for the fish stocks, if they are going to lower the limits to 5, they should require that the first 5 regardless of length are kept. That way the ones who aren't going to be kept have no reason a) to be targeted, and b) others caught incidentally can just be released in the water the way that most release Hardhead Catfish.

[Brine]

Here are some tips on catch and release of Bonefish so as to reduce mortality rate.
Most seem applicable to other coastal species.

http://www.tarbone.org/education/catch-a-release/bonefish-catch-and-release.html

[FoldCatOne]

Here is a piece of Info from a Snook Fishing site:

"Do not hold large fish vertically by the lower jaw. In a study, 50 of 50 barramundi (a related species) died after being held this way."

The Link:

http://research.myfwc.com/features/view_article.asp?id=25021

My bet is that Trout especially are harmed by this method of landing them. Trout don't seem to be as robust and strong as Reds and Black Drum and probably suffer from being hanged/lifted by their bottom jaw such as from a Boga Grip.

[ltorna1]

SEE BELOW. I am posting these just as abstracts, because I dont own the rights to any of these works, journals, thesis, so I just wanted to point out that these types of studies are being done. And not just for trout/reds/snook but also for all types of freshwater game fish, striped bass, etc



This is an abstract from a paper by two profs at TAMUCC, Stunz and McKee. 2006.

Catch and release is becoming more common as a management tool in marine recreational fisheries. Clearly, a critical factor in determining different management scenarios that use this strategy is postcapture survival. We investigated the mortality associated with catch and release in the fishery for spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus in south Texas. Specifically, this study investigated the mortality for hook-and-line-captured spotted seatrout as a function of bait type, hook type, angler skill level, and fish size. Using a variety of angling techniques, we captured 448 spotted seatrout ranging from 250 to 760 mm total length (TL) and assessed mortality in replicate field enclosures. The overall short-term mortality for all treatments was relatively low (11%); the majority of fish survived. The exception was angler skill level. Angling by novices produced a significantly higher mortality rate than angling by skilled anglers; however, mortality averaged only 18% even for inexperienced anglers. To evaluate long-term mortality, we monitored 27 spotted seatrout held in a laboratory facility for 30 d; the fish showed no signs of long-term mortality. We observed 11% mortality during the first 48 h and no mortality during the subsequent 28 d. In an attempt to increase the abundance of “trophy” (>635 mm TL) spotted seatrout, Texas has adopted new slot limit regulations that allow only one trophy-size fish to be kept per person per day. We targeted larger (635–736 mm TL) fish to assess the mortality associated with this size-group. Regression analysis showed no size-related mortality. The location of hook-related injuries may be the most important factor in determining catch-and-release mortality. Anatomical hooking location was not a factor in the analyses but was treated as a component of experimental treatment level; however, we observed that mortality was typically associated with hooking location rather than angling method or bait type. These data suggest that management options involving the release of spotted seatrout, including those larger than 635 mm TL, are viable tools.

This is an abstract for a SHORT TERM (3day) catch/release mortality study for reds and trout, by Matlock et al

Short-term (3-d) hooking mortalities of red drums Sciaenops ocellatus and spotted seatrout Cynoscion nehulosus caught with single-barb hooks were compared with hooking mortalities for those caught with treble hooks in Texas bays in the summers of 1989 and 1990. Natural baits (primarily penaeid shrimp) and artificial baits (spoons, worms, and fish-shaped lures) were used with both hook types. Overall mortality of 121 red drums was 4.1 % at the end of 3 d after capture, and there were no significant (P = 0.67) red drum mortality differences between hook types or bait types. Mortality of 124 spotted seatrout was 7.3% by 3 d after capture, and no significant (P = 0.27) differences between hook types or bait types were found. Restricting anglers to one hook type (either single-barb or treble hooks) would not reduce unintended fishing mortality for either species.

Below is an abstract from a master's student at TAMUCC, J. James, from 2006.

he spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) is a highly sought-after marine sportfish along the Gulf Coast and in Texas. Despite the apparent abundance of spotted seatrout, increasing fishing pressure has raised concerns over its sustainability, particularly as it relates to the larger individuals. As a result, a maximum size limit management regulation has been enacted that requires the release of larger individuals. This strategy will work only if the fish survive post-release. The purpose of this study was to estimate catch-and-release mortality associated with hook-and-line captured spotted seatrout by recreational anglers as a function of anatomical hooking location, season, and tournament-related mortality. From July 2004 to June 2005, a total of 479 spotted seatrout ranging from 220 – 555 mm TL were captured by hook-and-line in Aransas and Corpus Christi Bays and maintained in replicated 3.5-m3 field enclosures for 72 h. Overall mortality for the experimental studies was 19%. For anatomical studies, hooking location was assigned to four body regions: mouth, gills, esophagus, and external. Study results suggest anatomical hooking location is a major factor influencing spotted seatrout mortality. Fish hooked in the gills and esophagus had mortality rates of 75% and 95%, respectively, whereas fish hooked external and in the mouth had mortality rates of 8% and 10%, respectively. A significant relationship was found between season and catch-and-release mortality of spotted seatrout with higher mortality rates in spring and summer months than fall and winter. Trends were observed when examining monthly mortality rates and environmental conditions. These trends showed significant relationships with water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and salinity. Data was also collected on 1,373 spotted seatrout from nine live-release tournaments. Overall tournament mortality was 23% with initial and delayed mortality rates of 11% and 14%, respectively.
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[ltorna1]

I know none of those papers talked about boga grips and methods of lifting specifically, but it will give you an idea as to how sensitive the fish are to other fishing practices.
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[Bigrock]

Thanks for the info Luke. It seems that holding in livewells and transporting the fish may have some impact on the percentages of mortalities. I would think that immediate release, with only a few seconds out of water for photos, would lower those rates.

[FoldCatOne]

However, almost all of the pictures in magazines, on guides sites, etc show BIG TROUT being held up with a Boga grip either hanging by it, or being held in such a manner that the head is being pinched upwards with gills flaring. Imagine what it would feel like to have your body hanging from someone who is grabbing your jaw to support your weight. That kind of treatment is what the average fisherman sees as the "correct, accepted way to hold a big fish prior to release". My bet is these fish suffer some skeletal or muscular damage.

[5moreminutes]

How were the fish handled in the Trout tagging program? I think they were all successfully picked up at the sensors? Granted they are skilled individuals and along with the boga grip? they were also tagged.
Snook though?
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[ltorna1]

I think the holding-by-the-jaw mortality is mainly a snook problem, not sure whats so different about their jaw morphology, but I don't think the same particular probelm applies to trout and reds. Granted, lifting a 10lb+ fish by its most delicate body parts can't feel great and cant be great for the fish, but then again, dragging it through the water for a few minutes with a hook stuck in its mouth probably doesn't tickle either. As far as the handling of the tagged trout, thats a good question. The study is being done by the same group that wrote 2 of the 3 papers I posted, so I am sure they did whatever was the safest for the fish. I do know that right after they caught the fish, it immediately wound up in water bath for surgery, but many of the fish were tournament fish, and who knows how they were handled prior to being tagged by the TAMUCC team.

Speaking of the trout tagging program, that same fisheries ecology lab is doing a demonstration on their radio-transmitter surgery tomorrow at Holidays at Harte. Its a fund-raiser/holiday celebration at the Harte Research Institute at TAMUCC. I think it begins at 12, not sure when exactly the demonstration is. But this might be a good time to see what its all about and ask any questions you may have about catch/release practices. Harte faculty and students will also be selling/raffling off some cool stuff, really pretty and cheap seashells, beautiful handmade blankets with fish on them, coffee mugs, t-shirts, books, $75 in gift cards to pfchangs, $25 gift card to coffee waves and more stuff I cant remember. I'll be there.

OK, done with my shameless plug.
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