Are Barbless Circle Hooks Effective?

The effectiveness of barbless circle hooks was a popular topic during the 2016 Tokunaga Ulua Challenge Fishing Tournament in Hawaii.

A leader in the effort to learn more about circle hooks is Kurt Kawamoto, a fisheries biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

Each time a fish caught with a barbless circle hook was weighed in, Kawamoto stepped forward to slap a special sticker on it, and hopefully to see a new record.

Kawamoto's work is part of a NOAA and Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Barbless Circle Hook Project.

The Tokunaga tournament has grown from 136 entrants in 2003 to 637 this year. It’s estimated more than 50% of the contestants catch their fish using barbless circle hooks.

In 2015, the winning ulua was caught with a barbless hook. This year, the winning omilu was caught by a woman fishing barbless.

Making a barbless hook is really simple. You use a pair of pliers to smash down the barb. Kawamoto explains, “Once you smash down the barbs on these hooks they become self-shedding, so that was the main idea behind it. It’s easy for a fish, or a seal or a turtle to get rid of the hook themselves.”

Researchers have witnessed a monk seal actually shed a barbless circle hook and anglers have relayed stories about sea turtles also easily expelling barbless hooks.

Although it’s easier for animals to rid themselves of the hooks, research, angler reports, and actual catches with barbless circle hooks have proved their efficacy when it comes to catching target fish.

During a shoreline research project, fishers used two poles; one with a barbed hook, the other with a barbless one. Kawamoto said, “We caught over 300 shoreline fish, of many different kinds. We looked at the catches, losses and misses and statistically we couldn’t tell the difference. Essentially you could catch just as many fish with a barbless circle hook.”

Angler Carlo Russo who fishes from the shoreline said "My experience with them has been 100% positive. I caught three papio’s, nice size papio’s on them, and didn’t lose any fish. Popped them right out; all perfectly caught in the corner of their mouths.

The outreach team from the Barbless Circle Hook Project regularly attends fishing tournaments around the state to provide information, encouragement, and free barbless circle hooks.

Kawamoto concluded, “Since starting the project I only use barbless hooks in my personal shoreline fishing and I’ve caught all the same species. I couldn’t in good conscience ask fisherman to try something that I don’t use or believe in myself. I have guys on every island who are only using barbless hooks and they’ve seen it doesn’t make a difference…and allows the big one that got away…to reproduce, to grow and possibly to be caught another day. This helps enhance the reputation of fishermen and women as practicing conservationists.”

source: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

NOAA Recreational Bait and Tackle Economic Survey

NOAA Fisheries is conducting the Recreational Bait and Tackle Economic Survey to better understand the economic contributions of saltwater bait and tackle stores.

The study will focus on retail stores that sell bait and tackle to marine recreational anglers in coastal communities located in 23 U.S. states on the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific coasts, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Over the course of the summer of 2014, selected stores will receive mail surveys asking about their business’ costs and revenues, employment, and structure.

source: NOAA Fisheries

Circle Hook Advantages

Circle hooks have become essential equipment for saltwater fishing. Their unique design helps reduce deep hooking and unnecessary bycatch.

Circle Hook Advantages

 - reduced gut hooking, lower mortality

 - reduced bycatch of smaller fish

 - anglers may catch a wider range of species using a single rig

 - smaller inventory of tackle required

 - better suited for inattentive fishing situations

 - non-offset circle hooks are mandated in certain fisheries

Circle Hook Rigs

 - some designs have a turned down eye and are suitable for snelling

 - small ringed eye circle hooks can be connected using the palomar knot or improved clinch knot

 - large hooks can be connected to the leader with a snell knot, uni-knot or by crimping

 - live bait rigs can be unweighted, or rigged Carolina, Texas or dropshot style

 - circle hooks can be rigged for bottom fishing using a 3 way rig, fish-finder rig or standard top and bottom rig

 - In certain conditions, circle hooks rigged with flourocarbon leaders are less visible to line-shy fish

What are Weak Circle Hooks?

Beginning May 5, 2011, NOAA’s Fisheries Service will require commercial fishermen who fish for yellowfin tuna, swordfish and other species with longlines in the Gulf of Mexico to use a new type of hook, called a weak hook.

The weak hook is a circular hook constructed of thin gauge wire, and is  designed to straighten when a large fish, such as bluefin tuna, is hooked, releasing it but holding on to smaller fish.

Although fishing for bluefin tuna in the Gulf has been closed since the early 1980s, bluefin are caught incidentally by longliners who are fishing for yellowfin tuna.

The average size of bluefin tuna landed in the Gulf of Mexico longline fishery is 485 pounds, while the average for yellowfin tuna is about 86 pounds.

"NOAA worked with longline fishermen from the Gulf to test the weak hook carefully over the last three years," said Eric Schwaab, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. "Our cooperative scientific research with fishermen is showing that this new technology can protect bluefin tuna in the Gulf while still allowing fishermen to target yellowfin tuna and swordfish."

source: NOAA

South Carolina to Require Circle Hooks for Saltwater Fishing

Circle hooks, designed to improve the survival rate of released fish, will be required in both state and federal water beginning March 3, according to the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The requirement for non-stainless steel circle hooks will apply to all marine species in the snapper-grouper Circle hook complex, a grouping of bottom fish species defined by the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC).

Species caught in state waters most affected by this new regulation include sheepshead, spadefish and black sea bass. Circle hooks come in a full range of sizes and are readily available at tackle shops.

Circle hooks have the point turned inward, back towards the shank to form a circle or oval. They hook fish in the corner of the mouth causing only superficial injury and are less likely to gut hook a fish, which can be fatal.

South Carolina DNR recommended the use of circle hooks in saltwater because of their proven ability to increase survival of released fish of many species.

The SAFMC will this year consider recommending removal of 35 species from the complex, which would transfer management to the states lifting the federal requirement for the use of circle hooks.


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Fishing for Amberjack

Greater Amberjack | Credit: NOAA

Amberjack are one of the hardest fighting saltwater fish. They exhibit the classic shape of the jack family, which includes a rounded head, large pectoral fins and a deeply forked tail.

Greater Amberjack have a dark stripe over the eye, silvery flanks and white undersides. They can reach weights of 80 pounds or more.

Amberjack fishermen use a variety of outfits, depending on the situation. Experienced anglers employ stronger than normal tackle as these fish have a reputation for destroying cheap equipment. For casting live baits or lures, most anglers use a spinning or bait casting outfit in the 20-30 pound range.

Other situations such as fishing near obstructions require heavier conventional reels. Most amberjack specialists choose reels with smooth drags and fish with high quality lines.

Anglers fish for amberjack with live baits such as spot, croaker, perch, menhaden, striped mullet, eels and large shrimp. Top baits vary with season, location, availability and personal preference.

Some anglers obtain live baits in local tackle shops while others choose to catch their own with cast nets, hook and line, seines or traps.

Some anglers prefer lures for amberjack although though the fish have a reputation for being difficult to fool. A few basic lures, presented correctly can sometimes incite a strike from a wary amberjack.

These include surface poppers, soft bodied jigs and other lifelike lures. The action and presentation of lures can be critical, with experience being a key asset for fishermen. As with rods and reels, lures and terminal tackle need to be sturdy built to handle the stresses of these brutal fish.

Saltwater fly fishing anglers also target amberjack. Fly casters seek out fish around wrecks, reefs, oil rigs or other structures. Fly rods and reels must be high quality saltwater versions, capable of withstanding powerful runs. Large saltwater flies that mimic local baitfish are used most often.

Anglers that catch amberjack usually choose to release the fish unharmed, sometimes tagging the fish before it is released. Fish destined for release are often kept in the water to prevent harming them.