Impact of hook choice, fish size, and water temperature on hooking depth, injury, and postcapture physiology in Channel Catfish

Abstract

ObjectiveCatch‐and‐release angling is an oft‐practiced conservation tool involving the release of captured game fish either due to harvest regulations or conservation ethic on the part of the angler. Central to this practice is the assumption that released fish survive; however, a large body of work has shown that postrelease mortality can occur, especially if fish are injured during the capture process. In this study, we examined hooking location, bleeding, injury rates, and postcapture physiology in Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus, a popular game fish species.MethodsA total of 83 Channel Catfish were angled from a lake in southern Illinois using conventional rod‐and‐reel techniques with one of four hook types (J‐hook, shiner, circle, and octopus). Captured fish were then assessed for hooking depth, bleeding, and injury. Subsequently, a subset of 40 fish were additionally held for 4 h in submerged totes before being tested for reflex responsiveness and undergoing a blood biopsy for glucose and lactate levels.ResultCircle and octopus hooks reduced hooking depth in Channel Catfish compared with J‐hooks and tended to reduce postcapture bleeding as well. Postholding physiological results showed no effect of hook type on blood lactate or glucose levels, and reflex impairment was very rare (only a single fish was impaired for any reflexes 4 h postcapture).ConclusionOverall, the results of this study suggest that the use of circle hooks reduce the likelihood of deep hooking and injury in Channel Catfish, though Channel Catfish, at least in the short term, were physiologically resilient to the effects of capture.