Category Archives: Conservation

From Hook To Release: How Gear Can Make A Difference For Fish Survival

If you want to do catch and release, remember From Hook To Release: How Gear Can Make A Difference For Fish Survival
from The Fishing Wire

By Greyson Webb

Your odds of success on the water can hinge on the gear you use, and the same principle applies when it comes to releasing fish. From not meeting size requirements to being caught out of season, there are many reasons why you might land a fish that you’ll need to release.

While released fish can go on to survive and be caught again, there are a variety of stressors a fish can experience throughout their landing and handling that can result in injury or death. Simply letting a fish go does not guarantee its survival, and the use of proper gear is a best fishing practice that can be adopted to help minimize stressors and improve a fish’s chance of recovery and survival.

What makes certain tools more effective in minimizing stress and injury than others? This article explores how the tools used throughout the catch and release process can boost the survival rates of released fish to keep populations healthy for the environment and anglers alike.

Non-Offset, Non-Stainless Steel Circle Hooks

It all starts with the hook—the first point of contact between angler and fish. The right hook will minimize hooking injury, reduce stress, and improve the ease of hook removal—all factors that influence a fish’s chance of survival. This is where the circle hook can make a difference. Circle hooks are designed to catch a fish in the jaw, which is the safest area if release is needed. Less likely to be swallowed or snag vulnerable areas like the gills or eyes, circle hooks decrease the odds of a potentially fatal hooking.

Not all circle hooks are the same, though. Non-offset circle hooks and non-stainless steel circle hooks go the extra mile in improving a fish’s chance of survival after release. Non-offset hooks are easier to remove than offset hooks, meaning less time out of the water for the fish, less bleeding caused by removal and less stress overall. In the case a hook cannot be removed, a non-stainless steel circle hook provides the benefit of degrading and shedding up to three times faster than a hook made of stainless steel or other non-corrodible metals.

Pro tip: If you’re wondering whether a hook is stainless or non-stainless steel, “Tournament Approved” labeling usually indicates non-stainless steel. For a quick test, you can also use a magnet to check the material. Simply place a magnet on a hook: if it sticks, the hook is stainless steel; if it doesn’t, you’ve got yourself a non-stainless steel circle hook.

Knotless, Rubberized Landing Nets

While not necessary for landing every fish, landing nets are a functional tool that help shorten fight time, reduce stress on the line and rod, and prevent potential poking or piercing by hooks, teeth, or spines as you land your fish. However, landing nets with coarse mesh can inadvertently damage a fish’s delicate fins, scales, or protective slime layer—increasing their vulnerability to infections or injuries. Made from a smoother and friction-reducing material, knotless, rubberized landing nets help in preventing these potential traumas. With the protective slime layer preserved and more scales and fins intact, a fish landed with a knotless, rubberized net is a fish that has a better chance of survival after release.

If you prefer to use your hands to land a fish, using wet hands or rubber gloves provides similar relief to that of a knotless, rubberized landing net.

Dehooking Tools

The clock starts ticking the moment a fish is brought out of the water—its chances of survival dropping the longer it stays out of its natural environment. This is when a dehooking tool can help fish and anglers alike. Designed to rapidly remove hooks while causing minimal injury to the fish, time is not wasted struggling with a tough hook and the risk of injury during hook removal—for both the fish and the angler—is greatly reduced. It’s a win-win.

That said, there are situations where it is better to leave the hook in place. If a fish is deeply hooked in the gut or throat, attempting to remove the hook can often do more harm than good. In these cases, it is best to simply cut the leader close to the hook and leave it in the fish—particularly if it is a non-stainless steel hook, which has a greater chance of being shed. Research indicates this is less damaging and gives the fish the best chance for survival.

Descending Devices

If you land a fish and notice it has bulging eyes, bubbling scales, difficulty swimming below the surface, or organs protruding from the mouth or anus, it is likely suffering from barotrauma. Similar to the bends experienced by divers, barotrauma is an injury that can occur when a fish is brought from the high-pressure environment of deep waters to the low-pressure environment of the surface. This change in pressure can cause the gases in a fish’s swim bladder to expand, damaging organs and making it difficult for the fish to return to its original depth. Barotrauma is particularly common in deep-dwelling species, such as some snappers and groupers. Untreated, a fish experiencing barotrauma becomes vulnerable to predators, the elements, and the injuries of barotrauma itself. Fortunately, the right tool can help reverse this condition.

Descending devices are tools that use added weights to lower fish back to their depth of capture. As the fish is pulled down the water column by a descending device, the swim bladder recompresses, and the fish is given a better chance at survival. Descending devices all work to return a fish to their original depth, but they come in different forms: inverted hooks, weighted crates, and lip clamps.

An inverted hook is a barbless hook with an added weight that is inserted either through the original hook hole or through the soft tissue on the fish’s lower jaw. Rigged to a rod and reel, the inverted hook guides the fish back to its proper depth. Once there, a gentle tug on the rod will release the fish if it hasn’t already slid free.

Similar to an inverted hook, the lip clamp is a descending device that uses an attached weight to pull a fish back to depth by attaching to a fish’s lower jaw. However, instead of piercing the jaw, the clamp securely grips it. A lip clamp can be pressure triggered or spring triggered for release. A pressure triggered lip clamp includes a pressure-sensor mechanism designed to automatically release fish once the desired depth is reached. A spring triggered lip clamp requires you to manually open the lip clamp by pulling up on the rod once the fish reaches the desired depth.

A weighted crate, often referred to as a fish elevator, is a crate with an open top—such as a milk crate—that has a rope attached to the closed bottom along with weights. To use one, place the fish in the crate, quickly flip it upside down into the water, and let the attached weights sink the contraption. Acting as a bottomless cage, the weighted crate will bring fish back to depth, where they recompress and can swim away on their own.

A good rule of thumb when using any descending device is to use one pound of added weight for every five pounds of fish.

Given their benefits, many of these tools—such as descending devices, dehooking tools, and non-offset, non-stainless steel hooks—are required to be readily available or in use when fishing for or possessing snapper grouper species in federal waters off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Eastern Florida. Interested in learning more about the practices and requirements that give snapper grouper species a better chance at survival after release in the South Atlantic? Check out the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s Best Fishing Practices campaign for more information and ways to get involved.

Threatened Coho Salmon Return To Upper Klamath River Basin

Coho hatchery

Fisheries
Threatened Coho Salmon Return To Upper Klamath River Basin For First Time In More Than 60 Years
November 24, 2024
By The Fishing Wire
CDFW releases 270,000 fall-run Chinook salmon into Fall Creek, the first yearling hatchery salmon release following historic dam removal

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has seen the first returns of threatened coho salmon to the upper Klamath River Basin in more than 60 years following historic dam removal completed last month. Not since the construction of the former Iron Gate Dam in the early 1960s has CDFW documented coho salmon occupying their historic habitat in the upper watershed.

On Nov. 13, seven coho salmon entered CDFW’s new Fall Creek Fish Hatchery in Siskiyou County, which is located on Fall Creek, a formerly inaccessible Klamath River tributary about 7.5 miles upstream of the former Iron Gate Dam location.

“To see coho successfully returning this quickly to this new habitat post-dam removal is exciting,” said Eric Jones, a Senior Environmental Scientist who oversees CDFW’s north state hatchery operations. “We’ve already seen the Chinook make it back and now we’re seeing the coho make it back.”

Of the seven coho salmon that entered the Fall Creek Fish Hatchery last week, four were male and three were female. Two had missing adipose fins, identifying them as being of hatchery origin. The other five were natural origin fish as all hatchery raised coho salmon in the Klamath Basin have their adipose fins removed for identification prior to release.

The returning coho are being kept at the Fall Creek Hatchery pending genetic testing at the NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center laboratory in Santa Cruz. Geneticists will determine which of the seven coho are the least related genetically and direct the spawning of those pairs to maximize genetic diversity.

Coho salmon in the Klamath Basin are listed as a threatened species under both state and federal endangered species acts. Coho salmon typically return to freshwater to spawn in the late fall and winter, later than the more numerous fall-run Chinook salmon.

CDFW’s Fall Creek Fish Hatchery has an annual production goal of raising 75,000 coho salmon to help restore populations in the upper Klamath River Basin post dam-removal.

Also pertaining to CDFW’s salmon work in the Klamath Basin:

** CDFW last week released approximately 270,000 yearling, fall-run Chinook salmon into Fall Creek, the last Klamath Basin hatchery release of the year and the first release following dam removal. The year-old juvenile salmon, approximately 4 to 6 inches in length, were released over four days, mostly at dusk to improve survival, and allowed to swim freely out of the hatchery into Fall Creek without handling.

“We’re releasing various life histories so that gives the fish a chance to out-migrate at different times of the year mimicking what we would see in the river naturally,” said Crystal Robinson, Senior Environmental Scientist and CDFW’s Klamath Watershed Program Supervisor.

Hatchery salmon released as yearlings in the fall show some of the highest rates of return as adults, which is attributed to their larger size at release and optimal fall river conditions with cool temperatures and strong flows.

** CDFW’s Fall Creek Fish Hatchery, a $35 million, state-of-the-art facility in its first year of operation, began spawning returning fall-run Chinook salmon in late October. To date, the hatchery has spawned 100 fish and collected 277,393 eggs. The hatchery has an ambitious annual production goal of 3.25 million fall-run Chinook salmon.

** Multiple state and federal agencies, Tribes and non-governmental organizations are monitoring salmon throughout the Klamath Basin, including the 420 miles of newly accessible habitat following dam removal. CDFW is particularly focused on newly accessible tributaries within the former reservoir footprints, including Jenny and Shovel creeks. To date, a video fish counting weir installed on Jenny Creek has recorded 310 adult Chinook salmon and one Pacific lamprey entering the tributary from the Klamath River. CDFW field crews are surveying regularly for salmon nests, or redds, and post-spawned adults.

The salmon work taking place in the Klamath Basin reflects all six priorities of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Futurereleased in January 2024. Those priorities are removing barriers and modernizing infrastructure for salmon migration; restoring and expanding habitat for spawning and rearing; protecting water flows and water quality at the right times to benefit salmon; modernizing salmon hatcheries; transforming technology and management systems for climate adaptability; and strengthening partnerships.

CDFW’s post-dam removal management strategy, as detailed in the recently released Klamath River Anadromous Fishery Reintroduction and Monitoring Plan, is to mostly allow these ocean-going fish species to naturally repopulate the 420 miles of newly accessible habitat as they are now doing.

When Is National Fishing and Boating Week in 2024

National Fishing and Boating Week is June 1 through June 9 this year. This week, set aside to recognize the millions of people who love fishing and boating, was started in 1979 a National Fishing Week and Boating was added later to include others.

Georgia celebrates this event by offering ”Free Fishing Days” from June 4 – 11^th. During this week you can fish on public waters without first buying a fishing license. You also can fish on WMAs without a Land Pass and do not need a trout stamp to fish for them.

Based in those relaxed rules, this would be a good week to check out Big Lazer PFA south of Thomaston. It offers great shore or boat fishing and has good facilities for fishermen and their families. Although gas is ridiculously expensive to get there, there are no other costs once you arrive with your tackle and bait.

Also consider trips to High Falls, the Flint River (a public access boat ramp is at the Highway 18 bridge,) Still Branch Reservoir and Jackson Lake. All are less than an hour from Griffin and give you the chance to enjoy the water and catch some good eating fish for dinner.

I’m glad this all takes place after Memorial Day weekend. There are already many jokes on social media about the kinds of clueless boat owners that visit the lake on holiday weekends.

Some are just funny, like the pictures of boat ramps with truck underwater with boat trailer still in parking lot, or boat floating in the water with trailer still firmly attached under it.

But what is scary to me are the folks out there that don’t have a clue on driving a boat safely. They are apt to cut across in front of you illegally as well as not obeying other laws. They have no clue about boating “rules of the road.”

I will be home this weekend.

How KastKing Fishing Contributes To Getting Wounded Warriors Back On The Water

EVENTS, GEAR, INDUSTRY, THE LEAD

KastKing Contributes To Getting Wounded Warriors Back On The Water

May 8, 2024
By The Fishing Wire

The simple pleasure of casting into the water and connecting with a fish attracts millions of anglers to the thrill of the sport. It’s easy to take the sport and hobby we love for granted until a traumatic injury takes that opportunity away.

Such is the case with many wounded warriors and first responders harmed in the line of duty. Spinal cord or head injuries can leave them with limited or no use of their hands, arms, and legs.

Before their injuries, these wounded heroes may or may not have been avid anglers; however, veteran assistance groups, such as River Deep Foundation, recognize the restorative power of being outdoors and having a renewed empowerment to cast and retrieve a lure to catch a fish.

Through a collaborative effort with their non-profit alliance member organizations, River Deep Foundation works with vets with debilitating spinal cord and other traumatic injuries to offer outdoor family events, such as fishing, to assist in re-engaging in sport and adventure.

This is where Colorado University Graduate Engineering student, Connor Borshard, and the team of six other fellow engineering graduate students stepped in to help. A non-profit group called Quality of Life Plus issued a call for university STEM programs to create innovative technology solutions that improve the quality of life for injured veterans and first responders. Borshard’s team was drawn to a project aiding in the casting, catching, and reeling of fish for individuals who have little to no dexterity in their hands or upper limbs. Borshard and his team proposed and engineered a brilliant solution they’ve dubbed, the Adaptive Fishing Device.

In summary, the Adaptive Fishing Device holds a spin cast rod and reel in the vertical casting position above a firm tripod base. The device receives inputs from the user, such as the desired casting distance, then loads a set of torsion springs to bring the rod back while depressing the casting button of the reel. Once loaded, the device springs the rod tip forward while releasing the casting button and launching the lure toward the target.

As Borshard explains, “We wanted the device to be relatively portable, yet stable enough for different terrains. It weighs in at 36 pounds total weight and has a 15-minute setup by those providing assistance to the angler.”

There are two methods of casting with the Adaptive Fishing Device. For those with some fine motor dexterity remaining in their fingers, a joystick can be maneuvered back and forth to load the cast. If the angler is further limited with no movement in the arms, hands, and fingers, a sip or puff device can be utilized to provide casting inputs to initiate the cast with air pressure.

The notion of getting veterans and first responders back out into the therapeutic element of the outdoors struck a chord with Borshard, who in addition to being a graduate student, is also an active-duty U.S. Marine. Once his graduate studies conclude at Colorado University, he’ll enter the Marine Corps flight training program.

When KastKing President, Al Noraker, heard of the initiative by the CU Engineering team, he leaped at the chance to aid in the effort by donating six-foot KastKing Crixus spin cast rods and KastKing Brutus spin cast reels to be used with the Adaptive Fishing Device.

“I’ve been fortunate to witness the incredible transformation from those with extreme PTSD and debilitating traumatic injuries leading to severe depression,” remarks Noraker. “I’ve seen it in a 19-year-old wounded warrior to an older Vietnam vet and it’s truly amazing how a simple experience of catching a fish changes their whole demeanor in such a short time.”

Recalling the transformation struck an emotional chord with Noraker, as he added, “When you witness the difference that fishing can make to people who have lost almost everything in the service of their country; well, that’s why I’m involved and will continue to be well after I’ve retired.”

For those interested in learning more about or implementing the Adaptive Fishing Device, Quality of Life Plus will take ownership once the graduate team hands over the finished product.

For inquiries about the device, Scott Huyvaert, Program Manager at Quality of Life Plus can be reached via email at [email protected].

For technical data and inquiries on the design, Connor Borshard is available at [email protected].

For more information about KastKing, contact Dena Vick at [email protected].

About KastKing

Founded in 2013, KastKing had a vision of producing quality products designed by anglers for anglers and delivered directly to the consumer at affordable prices. True to that vision, KastKing products are developed through feedback from the fishing community and go straight to the manufacturing floor. This inverse of the traditional manufacturer-to-consumer formula introduces cutting-edge features into new products that anglers want and need. The brand has gained popularity among anglers by offering affordable innovation through in-house engineering, which allows KastKing to provide never before seen technology at truly remarkable prices. Ten years later, KastKing products have been sold to consumers in more than 150 countries and regions across the globe through a variety of supply chains. Originally, KastKing’s products were only available online, but consumers can now find their favorite products in a growing number of retail locations. For more information about KastKing and KastKing products, please visit our website at kastking.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

Sturgeon Poachers Fined, One Jailed

Sturgeon Poachers Fined, One Jailed in Oregon

from Waterworld

St Helens, Ore. — Three men owe thousands in fines, and one served jail time after a felony conviction for poaching five oversized sturgeon fish, including one giant white sturgeon, in Scappoose Bay in 2022.

The original incident gained attention in 2022 when sportsmen fishing along the banks of Scappoose Bay noticed people fishing from a boat had caught a sturgeon but did not release it as required by law. The legal anglers reported what they saw to OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers, who began monitoring the area. After two days of surveillance, Trooper Scott Bernardi and Senior Trooper Justin Morgan, both from the St Helens office, approached the men where they were moored at the dock.

The subjects claimed that they had not caught any fish. However, Troopers could see two lines extending from the dock into the water. When they pulled up the lines, they found four live sturgeon, ranging in size from five feet to more than seven feet long. All four were secured under water so they would remain alive. While inspecting the boat, Troopers found an additional large white sturgeon, about five feet long.

Julio Duran, of Salem, pleaded guilty to take/possession of a giant white sturgeon, which is a Class C Felony, and take/possession of four oversized sturgeons, which is a Class A misdemeanor. He pleaded guilty to fishing without a license, although officials dropped charges for fishing with illegal barbed hooks. Duran served 20 days in the Columbia County jail and owes $5,000 in restitution to ODFW; $500 to the Turn In Poachers TIP reward program; 36 months’ probation, and a three-year angling license suspension. He forfeited the fishing rods and equipment used during the crime.

Jose Plascencia, of Dayton, pleaded guilty to fishing without a resident angling license. Plascencia must serve either 10 days on a Columbia County work crew, or 80 hours of community service, and 24 months of bench probation. He must pay $750 in restitution and is suspended from fishing for three years.

Axel Guell, of St Helens, pleaded guilty to angling without a resident license. Guell must pay $500 in restitution, serve 24 months bench probation and is suspended from fishing for three years.

Senior Trooper Justin Morgan is pleased with the dedicated effort of the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office to pursue charges and bring poachers like this to justice.

“This poacher spent 20 days in jail over the holidays in hopes of changing his behavior. Luckily, the quick-thinking juvenile sportsmen were able to report what they witnessed to the Oregon State Police, through the TIP line, and we were able to apprehend this individual and release the large sturgeon back into the bay,” he said.

All five sturgeon were released back into the bay alive, which is a relief to conservationists. White sturgeon, once plentiful in Oregon waterways, are a Pacific Northwest icon. Sturgeon are long-lived and revered as “living fossils” because they have remained nearly unchanged since they first evolved around 200 million years ago.

White sturgeon fisheries in the lower Columbia and Willamette rivers can currently generate between 30,000 – 40,000 angler trips annually, which contribute millions in economic benefits. In recent years, lower populations of the slow-growing fish preclude taking one home for a meal. But anglers can still catch and release the massive fish, which provides the thrill of the experience.

An 80-year-old giant sturgeon like the one Duran poached is a valued contributor to the breeding stock. Sturgeon don’t reach breeding maturity until they are about 20 years old, and about six feet long. They can live more than 100 years. Older female sturgeon can produce ten times the number of eggs as young females. Poachers who take these giants contribute to an ongoing reduction of the fishery.

Catching poachers is a collaborative effort that often begins with lawful citizens doing the right thing and reporting suspicious behavior, according to Morgan, and recently another youth reported a poaching incident that resulted in criminal citations. Morgan is proud to live in a community that values the state’s natural resources.

“These recent acts by young sportsmen to protect wildlife is a testament to values of young Columbia County residents and is a direct reflection of their parents and mentors,” Morgan said, “A game warden’s biggest asset is the public doing the right thing by reporting poaching incidents.”

The legal fishermen who reported the crime received bonus rewards of $500 each through the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Reward Program. The program offers cash rewards or hunter preference points to people who report fish and wildlife crimes that result in an arrest or citation.

Turn In Poachers campaign coordinator Yvonne Shaw states the importance of the TIP Line.

“The TIP Line is a key tool to fight poaching,” she said, “People who call the TIP Line to report poaching or suspected poaching, can remain anonymous and they also can get cash rewards or hunter preference points if their tip leads to an arrest or citation.”

The Protect Oregon’s Wildlife- Turn In Poachers campaign educates the public on how to recognize and report poaching. This campaign is a collaboration among state agencies, sportsmen and other conservationists, landowners, and recreationists to engage the public in combatting Oregon’s poaching problem. Our goal is to: Incentivize reporting on wildlife crimes through the TIP Line; Strengthen enforcement by increasing the number of OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers; and Support prosecution in becoming an effective deterrent. The campaign helps to protect and enhance Oregon’s fish and wildlife and their habitat for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Contact campaign coordinator Yvonne Shaw for more information. [email protected].

If you know of or suspect other crimes against fish wildlife or habitat, please report to the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line. 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (*677) from a mobile phone. Or email: [email protected].

Who Is Trying To Ban Your Fishing?

Angler Rights Activism

By The Fishing Wire

Those who would nix your right to fish in an instant are active and organized – recreational anglers need to be equally vigilant.

Forestville, WI – Nearly half of Australia’s fishable waters are now off limits. Some European countries ban catch and release, claiming it hurts the fish. Think it can’t happen here. Think again…

The good news is that American angler interests are backed by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the nation’s largest trade association for the recreational sportfishing industry. The bad news is that they can’t completely protect your rights alone…and that’s where you come in.

Recently, ASA VP of Government Affairs Mike Leonard spoke at the annual NPAA conference in Fort Myers, Florida on the topic of advocacy, what ASA is doing on your behalf, and what you can do as an individual to protect your fishing interests.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=tKUvWaBG-KI%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Leonard’s engaging presentation highlighted three key themes:

DO NOT take fishing for granted.
DO NOT sit on the sidelines.
Stop with the infighting.

He went on to talk about knowing the issues in your area, joining fishing organizations that work to protect sportfishing like the NPAA and the ASA, and keeping up with the issues that could affect your ability to access the vast amount of aquatic resources available in this country at asafishing.org.

If you care about the future of recreational fishing, you’re not too busy to watch Leonard’s presentation…

Join NPAA

ANGLER WINS GRAND PRIZE FOR THE 2023 GEORGIA BASS SLAM CONTEST

ANGLER WINS GRAND PRIZE FOR THE 2023 GEORGIA BASS SLAM

SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA (Feb. 6, 2024) –Anglers who succeed in earning a Georgia Bass Slam already have earned an accomplishment and some fun rewards, but it’s even more exciting when you win the Grand Prize for the 2023 Bass Slam! Out of the 57 anglers that got a Georgia Bass Slam in 2023, the Grand Prize winner was Jason McRae of Duluth, GA, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). Congrats to Jason!

“If anyone has earned a grand prize for this program, it is certainly Jason McRae,” said Scott Robinson, Chief of the WRD Fisheries Management Section. “Not only is he the only angler to have gotten a Bass Slam all 7 years that it has been offered, but he also caught all 10 bass species every year. That is an amazing accomplishment, and we are proud to offer these prizes to him.”

The Bass Slam Grand Prize Winner receives a cooler, camp chair, tackle box and a beautifully framed bass print. Are you working on your 2024 Slam?

Georgia Bass Slam: Catch (at least) five of the different black bass species found in Georgia within a calendar year and you have a Georgia Bass Slam! This program recognizes anglers with the knowledge and skill to catch different species of bass in a variety of habitats across the state, while also stimulating interest in the conservation and management of black bass and their habitats. For complete rules and more info, visit BassSlam.com.

Other Fishing Recognition Programs:

Angler Award Program: This program recognizes those who catch fish that meet or exceed a specific weight or length for that species. There is an adult, youth, public fishing area and trophy bass angler award program category. For complete rules and more info, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/anglerawards.
State Records: In addition to the angler award program, the division also maintains a freshwater fish state-record program for anglers who land a catch that exceeds the existing record catch weight by one ounce or more. More information at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/recordprogram/rules.
Trout Slam: Catch all 3 species of trout available in Georgia waters and earn a Trout Slam! More info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/trout-slam.
Kids First Fish Certificate: The division wants to recognize children across the state for catching their first fish with an online kid’s “first fish award” certificate available at GeorgiaWildlife.com/my-first.

Georgia Wildlife Resources thanks anglers that took part in these programs and appreciates all anglers that head out to state waters throughout the year to wet a line. For more information about fishing in Georgia, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/angler-resources.

Is Culling Sharks The Answer To Lost Tarpon Catches

Research Finds Culling Sharks Not The Answer To Lost Tarpon Catches

By The Fishing Wire

First-of-its-kind study led by UMass Amherst suggests tarpon time on angler’s line determines likelihood of catch being eaten by hammerheads

Amherst, MA – In wave-making research recently published in Marine and Coastal Fisheries, a team of researchers, led by biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has quantified the rate at which great hammerhead sharks are eating Atlantic tarpon hooked by anglers at Bahia Honda, Florida—one of the prime tarpon fishing spots in the Florida Keys.

Called the “depredation rate,” the team found that 15.3% of tarpon that were hooked by anglers and fought for more than five minutes were eaten while still on the line. But the researchers also show that this is not necessarily a sign that the ecosystem is out of balance. To the contrary, increased reports of depredation are to be expected, especially as great hammerhead sharks, listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), are seeing their population stabilize in the southeastern United States; the result of decades of conservation and management efforts. At the same time, angling is an increasingly popular sport. Which means that there is a greater chance for human-fish-shark encounters. To help manage the health of both the tarpon fishery and the hammerhead population, the researchers urge solutions that don’t impact either species.

Tarpon are one of the most iconic saltwater fish in the Southeastern and Gulf states. Many an angler spends their life dreaming of hooking a tarpon that could easily exceed 100 pounds, which are known to fight fiercely, often leaping entirely clear of the water in their efforts to shake a hook. The tarpon fishery, which extends from Texas to the Carolinas in the U.S., is, by some estimates, a multi-million-dollar-per-year industry, and the fish is tied deeply to local culture.

Yet, despite the legendary toughness of the species, the tarpon is listed as “vulnerable” by the IUCN, and their populations seem to have been affected by fishing, degraded water quality and habitat loss. Recently, guides have been increasingly reporting that sharks are taking a bigger bite out of the tarpon catch in recent years, and may, in fact, pose a risk to the species’ survival. But, until now, there’s been no hard data on just what the depredation rate might be, which makes it difficult to make informed conservation decisions, for either the tarpon or the hammerheads.

To arrive at the depredation rate, and then to track both the tarpons’ and sharks’ yearly movements through a specific area, you need a few things: high-tech acoustic telemetry equipment, stout fishing gear and a comfy lawn chair.

Acoustic telemetry has recently revolutionized scientists’ ability to track migratory marine species. The technique involves anchoring an acoustic receiver in the water and implanting a small transmitter into whatever it is you want to track. In this case, lead author Grace Casselberry, a postdoctoral researcher at UMass Amherst, and her colleagues deployed 16 receivers in a gridded array in the Bahia Honda Channel. They then caught and tagged 51 tarpon and 14 hammerhead sharks. Over the course of more than two years, every time one of the tagged tarpon or hammerheads swam within range of the receiver, the receiver would log that individual animal’s unique ID, date and time.

Then came the lawn chair. “I sat in that chair for two months,” says Casselberry, “watching all day long through binoculars and a camera with a long lens as people fished. Every time someone hooked tarpon, I recorded the time of day, the current, whether the tide was going in or out, which boats were fishing, how many anglers were in the area, how long it took them to bring the tarpon to their boat and whether or not a hammerhead ate the fish. I saw a total of 394 tarpon hooked.”

With all that data, the researchers revealed that the longer the angler fought their tarpon, the more likely it was to be eaten, and that when the fight lasted for more than five minutes, there was a 15.3% chance that the tarpon would be snatched by a hammerhead. These depredations most often occur on an outgoing current, which was also supported by the acoustic telemetry data that showed the hammerheads occupied a smaller area within the channel corresponding to where most tarpon are hooked and fought. The team also found that tarpon tend to congregate in Bahia Honda during the spring, pre-spawning seasons—and the hammerheads know it. So do the anglers.

“Bahia Honda has most likely been a place where sharks and tarpon have congregated for a very long time,” says Andy Danylchuk, senior author and professor of fish conservation at UMass Amherst. “If there was less depredation in recent memory, that is likely due to the fact that the population of great hammerheads was dangerously low.” But fishing pressure has also increased in recent decades. “There are more sharks in the water and also more hooks in the water,” Danylchuk continues, “which is the perfect recipe for more shark-fish-human encounters.” In fact, depredation is a growing issue in the United States, as evidenced by the recent SHARKED Act put before Congress to help find solutions.

Unfortunately, the more anglers and guides see their long-sought fish snatched by sharks, the more likely they are to advocate for culling the sharks.

“It has taken 30 years to get the hammerheads to the point where they are just starting to recover,” says Casselberry, “and all that work could be undone if we start killing sharks indiscriminately.”

“There’s some evidence that the hammerheads are pregnant females,” adds Danylchuk, “and if they are culled, it could decimate their numbers.”

None of this means that anglers need to stop fishing for tarpon in Bahia Honda, but it does mean that conservation efforts, of both tarpon and hammerheads, should be informed by solutions that don’t impact the tarpon, the hammerheads, or the anglers. Casselberry and her colleagues suggest that anglers use fishing gear that will allow them to land tarpon faster, thus reducing fight times and the opportunity for depredation. They should also avoid fishing during the outgoing tide, which is when most depredation events occur. Anglers who use fish-finders should monitor for sharks and consider relocating when hammerheads are in the area.

“We are advocating for anglers to think of themselves as part of the ocean ecosystem, rather than working against it,” says Casselberry.

How the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission ‘Fishdozer’ May Aid In Invasive Carp Management

‘Fishdozer’ May Aid In Invasive Carp Management

from The Fishing Wire

Clarendon, AR — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Lower Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Tupelo, Mississippi, recently tested a new method of fish sampling on the White River that may help monitor the fight against invasive carp. The electrified dozer trawl method streamlines two previously used sampling techniques to collect information on the populations of silver and bighead carp, two invasive species the AGFC is working to reduce in Arkansas waters.

Previously, biologists would slowly motor through an area and use electricity to stun fish while simultaneously dipping them from the water using long-handled dip nets.

“Dip netting those giant carp can be extremely difficult for the person on the front of the boat,” Matt Horton, Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator for the AGFC, said. “You also have some variability between how good different ‘dippers’ are that can make it difficult to get consistent numbers between sampling events.”

The ‘fishdozer’ takes that variability out of the equation. Instead of people using dip nets, a device called a push trawl is lowered into the water. The trawl looks like a blade of a bulldozer that’s been hollowed out and outfitted with a length of netting as a catch bag that flows underneath the hull of the boat. As fish are stunned by the electric field, the boat cruises over them, securing them in the net like a whale swallowing krill.

According to Jimmy Barnett, Invasive Carp Biologist for the AGFC, the dozer testing was conducted in three different scenarios along the White River to determine its effectiveness in varying aquatic habitats. Researchers are testing the experimental gear throughout the Mississippi River Basin to modify the design and technique to optimize carp capture and identify where it is most effective.

Standardized sampling methods are necessary to estimate fish abundance. Horton says the AGFC and its partners may be able to more accurately measure the effectiveness of carp removal efforts in some bodies of water using the dozer trawl.

The sampling technique doesn’t have immediate use as a fish removal strategy, but Barnett mentions that with some modifications, the tool may have some applications to help control these invasive fish.

“We performed both active netting with gill nets and the electrified dozer trawl in Cook’s Lake, which lets us compare the two,” Barnett said. “Gill nets produced 200 adult silver carp versus 78 collected with the dozer trawl, but we did see that the trawl collected mostly fish in the juvenile size ranges up to about 8 pounds. We use gill nets that have large webbing to reduce the amount of nontarget fish we catch, so catching carp smaller than 10 to 12 pounds is pretty rare with our current netting protocol.

“I wouldn’t say this gear is as efficient as other methods for removing carp, but it may provide managers with another tool for monitoring the distribution and abundance of carp and evaluate the effectiveness of control efforts.”

Visit www.agfc.com/ANS for more information on aquatic nuisance species like invasive carp.

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