Circle hooks in billfish tournaments

[OnTheFlats]

Barring any unforseen circumstances, it will soon officially be law:

"Effective January 1, 2007, all HMS permitted vessels participating in Atlantic billfish tournaments may only use non–offset circle hooks when fishing natural baits or natural bait/artificial lure combos."

-according to NOAA's finalized Consolidated Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan

What do you all think of this? Unnecessary, or a long time coming? Circle hooks have been scientifically proven to reduce mortality, and some tournaments have already made the switch, but what do you think about it being required?

[George Woodward]

It's about time! Long overdue.

[wavydave]

I think that the fear is (though non would admit ) that their #s may drop and for a lot of guys it is a ego driven pasttime where #s mean everything. Now if we could just make all tournaments non kill events.

[noodman]

People cant look past the cost or through the ego to realize its still "only" fishing and its all about the fish. A couple missed makes a goal acheived that much more satisfying. Thats just me.

[Dorado1]

who made the NMFS into God. The h**l with them, they going to send the Homeland Security or the FBI out to arrest the captains, crews and anglers off about 100 vessels measuring 50+' with $500K on the line for using the wrong hook? OK. Let's see it happen, screw them.

[Legend]

NMFS isn't going to send anyone out, let alone the insecurity forces. It's just another government organization with an "enviro-wacko" agenda. No one elected them, so I wouldn't expect anyone to really adhere to "their rules".

[built4billfish]

bottom line is that gut hooked fish die! So I say the more of you that switch now the better. From my own experence, there was a bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to the proper way of using them, you'll love them. I know for a fact our hook to release, and our hook ratio went up from J hooks. Not one fish died on us this year in Mag Bay and we released somewhere around 100 stripers. Everyone needs to think CONSERVATION! :gr_cheers:

[floridadeckie]

i personally cant see why people are opposed to using circle hooks with baits. i hate nothing more than to see a billfish of any size gushing blood from its gills, because you know that fish is dead. if it doesnt die right after release, the sharks will find it. circle hooks are NOT hard to rig, with a little patience any concievable rig can be mastered. would i spend a few extra minutes rigging a circle hook ballyhoo in order to greatly increase my quarry's chance of survival? he!! yea