circle hooks?
 

Should there be a law for circle hooks with bait? Catch and release 30+ fish with treble hooks live lining? Come on man! :rolleyes:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbVD0YR1lC8

Catch your limit with whatever kind of hooks you want (treble, J, circle). After you catch your limit; switch to circle hooks.

I hate to see a law passed forcing you to use circle hooks, but video like this certainly hurts. There is the outside possibility that he was "hook and lining" and keeping those fish. I didn't see any released.

I don't consider myself as "wasteful" and I don't use circle hooks:eek:
I use "J" hooks and let them run to swallow the spot. However, once I have my limit, I try to hold the rod and NOT let them run. We set the hook quickly. You miss a few, but they don't get hooked deeply.

If we find that the fish are so aggressive that we do deep hook a fish or two, we call it quits and give the rest of our spot away to another boat who doesn't have any:D

I hate to see any of the stock wasted; but not ready to pass another law forcing circles on us (we have enough laws and regulations already).
5th

Welcome to the board "wiggle".

It wouldn't bother me to see a law passed on circle hooks. Fishing in the keys all you can use by law on the gulf side is circle hooks. I use circle hooks on the atlantic side as well simply because I don't feel like keep retting hooks and when on a drift fishing the bridges from east to west once you drift under bridge and have a I hook on you are in violation. When fishing offshore tournament if the lure has meat on it the lure must be rigged with a circle hook. Believe me once you learn what hook to use in a particular situation they will grow on you.

Mike,
That's what I would have to learn, not how to use them, but what size hook for livelinning. I have used them for cut bait and they work OK, but I miss "setting the hook" and either snapping the rod on the roof or smacking someone in the face:roll eyes:

It just seems like every time someone new is elected to office, they feel that they have to pass some legislation of their own so they have a bill on it with their name (or co-sponsor a bill). Enough regulations:mad:
5th

I'd like to see non-offset circle hooks be mandated for any kind of bait fishing. I've used circle hooks for years. I started out using them when bank fishing for catfish. No need to worry about holding the pole or setting the hook. I would hope the DNR would establish some educational materials on them especially in sizing and how to use them (no more Bill Dance hook sets).

Used circle hooks for a couple days last week while in Florida fishing for snook. It takes a while to get used to how to "set the hook" for any type of fish. I am not opposed to using them but have to agree with Marty.

I and all my fishing friends combined will never put as many fish on board as the guys using illegal nets or other ways to game the system. That along with the fact that each state along the eastern seaboard has its own laws really takes away the effectiveness of one state trying get to use less lethal equipment. Instead of focusing on how to restrict recreational fishermen yet again, I think the energy should be spent on larger multi state efforts.

I know you have to start somewhere but it just seems unfair to always pick on the recs in MD when the majority are good, honest folks that want to see the fishery survive.

"unfair to always pick on the recs"
Mike, this is what bothers me the most. We are our own worst enemies (recs).
More than half the time, we are the ones coming up with the ideas. We don't have to sit back and wait for liberties to be taken away from us, we go running to the gov't suggesting ways.

5th

I like the idea of circle hooks for bait fishing but am "pro-choice", let the angler decide what he chooses to use, not 'The Man' telling him. That said, I don't fish with cut bait or live line but see myself using circles if/when I try live lining. There will NEVER be chum on my boat!!!
Personally, if you were only allowed to use treble hooks, I would find another hobby. I always seem to end up with at least one hook in my finger when dealing with those damn things!!

Why is Marty's boat in my signature??