Effects of lure type, fish size and water temperature on hooking location and bleeding in northern pike (Esox lucius) angled in the Baltic Sea

Stålhammar, Martin; Franstam, T.; Lindström, Jan; Höjesjö, Johan; Arlinghaus, Robert; Nilsson, P. Anders

doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2014.04.002

“…Deep hooking and the amount of injury induced by hooking and hook removal are amongst the most important factors affecting mortality in C&R across a range of species ( Bartholomew & Bohnsack, 2005 ; Hühn & Arlinghaus, 2011 ; Margenau, 2007 ; Munoeke & Childress, 1994 ). Hooking the fish deeply can be avoided by using large hooks/baits/lures ( Alós et al, 2008 ; Arlinghaus et al, 2008a ; Wilde, Pope & Durham, 2003 ), artificial lures rather than natural bait ( Arlinghaus et al, 2008a ; Grixti, Conron & Jones, 2007 ), using fixed weights in fishing with natural baits for bottom-feeding fish ( Beckwith Jr & Rand, 2005 ; Rapp, Cooke & Arlinghaus, 2008 ) or choosing particular bait/lure types ( Alós et al, 2009 ; Stålhammer et al, 2014 ; Wilde, Pope & Durham, 2003 ). Also the hook size and type of mounting of hooks on the rig can affect the injury induced by recreational angling gear and its landing rate ( Alós et al, 2008 ; Rapp, Cooke & Arlinghaus, 2008 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, deep hooking does not necessarily mean the pike bleeds, and pike that are bleeding do not necessarily die ( Arlinghaus et al, 2008a ; DuBois et al, 1994 ). Deep hooking can be reduced by avoiding small lures ( Arlinghaus et al, 2008a ) and certain types of baits, such as natural bait ( Arlinghaus et al, 2008a ) or spinfly ( Stålhammer et al, 2014 ). Additionally, the environment plays a role in deep hooking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Citizen science data suggest that a novel rig improves landing rate and reduces injury and handling time in recreational angling with artificial lures in Baltic pike (Esox lucius)

Bursell¹,

Arlinghaus

²

2018

PeerJ

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The optimal terminal gear in hook-and-line recreational fishing maximizes landing rates and minimizes injury to the fish because some fish will be released after capture. We designed a novel rig configuration in artificial lure fishing for top predators and examined its effectiveness in angling for Baltic northern pike (Esox lucius) using a citizen science approach based on observational data collected from volunteer anglers in the field. The novel rig included two changes to traditional rig designs common to artificial lure angling. First, hooks were mounted in a way giving better hook exposure and eliminating lever-arm effects from the lure to the hooks once a fish is hooked. This construction allowed the second change, being a shift to hooks 4–5 sizes smaller than those used on traditional hook mounts. We analysed observational data collected by volunteer anglers using either the novel rig or a standard rig mount in two types of artificial lures (softbait and hardbait) of the same size (about 17 cm). Using N = 768 pike contacts as input data, we showed the landing rates of pike targeted with artificial lures significantly and substantially increased from 45% with normal-rigs to 85% when the same lure types were fished with the novel rig configuration. Lure type and water temperature had no effects on landing rates. Moreover, hardbaits on normal-rigs produced significantly more injury, bleeding and elevated unhooking time compared to fish captured on hardbaits with release-rigs. We conclude that simple changes to traditional hook sizes and mounts in lure fishing may benefit both anglers and the fishes that are to be released and that citizen science projects with volunteer anglers are able to provide good data in proof-of-concept studies. Further experimental studies are needed to differentiate hook size from hook mount effects because both variables were confounded in the results of the observational data presented here.

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“…Overall, we analysed 768 pike contacts for the effect of 214 release-rig relative to standard rig, lure type and water temperature (cool vs. warm) on landing 215 rates. We used two lure types to see whether the release-rig with small hooks had a consistent 216 effect, and we controlled for water temperature because previous research in the Baltic has 217 shown it affects deep hooking (Stålhammer et al 2014). 218 On a substantially smaller subset of fish targeted with hardbaits only by the first author, 219 additional data on hook wounds, injury and bleeding was collected from the Baltic.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Citizen science data suggest that a novel rig improves landing rate and reduces injury and handling time in recreational angling with artificial lures in Baltic pike (Esox lucius)

Bursell¹,

Arlinghaus

²

2018

Preprint

0

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The optimal terminal gear in hook-and-line recreational fishing maximizes landing rates and minimizes injury to the fish because some fish will be released after capture. We designed a novel rig configuration in artificial lure fishing for top predators and examined its effectiveness in angling for Baltic northern pike (Esox lucius ) using a citizen science approach based on observational data collected from volunteer anglers in the field. The novel rig included two changes to traditional rig designs common to artificial lure angling.First, hooks were mounted in a way giving better hook exposure and eliminating lever-arm effects from the lure to the hooks once a fish is hooked. This construction allowed the second change, being a shift to hooks 4-5 sizes smaller than those used on traditional hook mounts. We analysed observational data collected by volunteer anglers using either the novel rig or a standard rig mount in two types of artificial lures (softbait and hardbait) of the same size (about 17 cm). Using N = 768 pike contacts as input data, we showed the landing rates of pike targeted with artificial lures significantly and substantially increased from 45 % with normal-rigs to 85 % when the same lure types were fished with the novel rig configuration. Lure type and water temperature had no effects on landing rates.Moreover, hardbaits on normal-rigs produced significantly more injury, bleeding and elevated unhooking time compared to fish captured on hardbaits with release-rigs. We conclude that simple changes to traditional hook sizes and mounts in lure fishing may benefit both anglers and the fishes that are to be released and that citizen science projects with volunteer anglers are able to provide good data in proof-of-concept studies. The optimal terminal gear in hook-and-line recreational fishing maximizes landing rates and 22 minimizes injury to the fish because some fish will be released after capture. We designed a 23 novel rig configuration in artificial lure fishing for top predators and examined its effectiveness 24 in angling for Baltic northern pike (Esox lucius) using a citizen science approach based on 25 observational data collected from volunteer anglers in the field. The novel rig included two 26 changes to traditional rig designs common to artificial lure angling. First, hooks were mounted 27 in a way giving better hook exposure and eliminating lever-arm effects from the lure to the 28 hooks once a fish is hooked. This construction allowed the second change, being a shift to 29 hooks 4-5 sizes smaller than those used on traditional hook mounts. We analysed observational 30 data collected by volunteer anglers using either the novel rig or a standard rig mount in two 31 types of artificial lures (softbait and hardbait) of the same size (about 17 cm). Using N = 768 32 pike contacts as input data, we showed the landing rates of pike targeted with artificial lures 33 significantly and substantially increased from 45 % with normal-rigs to 85 % when the same lure 34 types were fished with the nove...

show abstract

“…Overall, we analysed pike contacts for the effect of release-rig relative to standard rig, lure type and water temperature (cool vs. warm) on landing rates. We used two lure types to see whether the release-rig with small hooks had a consistent effect, and we controlled for water temperature because previous research in the Baltic has shown it affects deep hooking (Stålhammer et al 2014).…”

Section: Study Site and Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hooking the fish deeply can be avoided by using large hooks/baits/lures (Alós et al 2008b, al. 2008a, Grixti et al 2007, using fixed weights in fishing with natural baits for bottom-feeding fish (Beckwith & Rand 2005, Rapp et al 2008 or choosing particular bait/lure types (Alós et al 2009, Stålhammer et al 2014, Wilde et al 2003. Also the hook size and type of mounting of hooks on the rig can affect the injury induced by recreational angling gear and its landing rate (Alós et al 2008, Rapp et al 2008.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of lure type, fish size and water temperature on hooking location and bleeding in northern pike (Esox lucius) angled in the Baltic Sea

Cited by 27 publications

References 44 publications

Citizen science data suggest that a novel rig improves landing rate and reduces injury and handling time in recreational angling with artificial lures in Baltic pike (Esox lucius)

Citizen science data suggest that a novel rig improves landing rate and reduces injury and handling time in recreational angling with artificial lures in Baltic pike (Esox lucius)

Citizen science data suggest that a novel rig improves landing rate and reduces injury and handling time in recreational angling with artificial lures in Baltic pike (Esox lucius)

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