Quote:
Originally Posted by cube
I know this seems counter intuitive but generally trebles result in lower mortality. I was going to switch out my trebles for singles when a Member here (Levy http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...=135017&page=2) posted on the forum that the biologist from Cold Lake had told him by going to singles he could actually be increasing fish mortality.
I did not necessarily believe it so headed down to my local university library where I accessed their Scientific research paper data bases and found that the biologist was indeed correct. Not only are trebles generally better but the more trebles on a lure the better.
I think Malchoff and MacNeil summed it up nicely
Malchoff,M.H.andMacNeill,D.B.(1995) their work published in Guidelines to Increase Survival of Released Sport Fish, Released Fish Survival Sport
Fish Fact Sheet. Cornell cooperative extension, Sea Grant.
"The use of treble hooks is usually associated with longer handling times and prolonged time out of the water. DESPITE THESE EFFECTS, MORTALITY RATES ASSOCIATED WITH TREBLE HOOKS ARE USUALLY (BUT NOT ALWAYS) LOWER THAN FOR THE USE OF SINGLE HOOKS.
Hence, I left my trebles on and use large lures as they are less likely to be taken deep.
Thank you for thinking of the fish and have a great season. |
While I am familiar with this theory, it has been contrary to my own findings. First of all I have not seen a greater tendency for the lure to be taken deeply. Second of all, in my experience, gill damage is a far more likely complication than brain damage, and in my experience single hooks have less tendency to cause gill damage. And thirdly one mostly avoids the all too familiar situation where both jaws are hooked shut, often transforming what should be a relatively simple release into a more complicated operation, usually making bringing the fish aboard and using jaw spreaders necessary at the very least.
I do think that theory probably has merit, depending on the species of fish, and the size of the lure/ hook that one is using, for instance catching species like bass on huge wide gap worm hooks. But for the species I fish for, and the size of lures that I am swapping hooks on, in literally thousands of fish I have not seen anything but positive results with single hooks, regardless of what the experts say.