Hooking Mortality of Lure-Caught Cutthroat Trout (Salmo clarki) in Relation to Water Temperature, Fatigue, and Reproductive Maturity of Released Fish

Abstract

Abstract Experiments were conducted at Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming during the summers of 1967 and 1968 to assess the significance of water temperature, fatigue, and reproductive maturity of fish as factors contributing to hooking mortality of adult cutthroat trout (Salmo clarki) released after capture with treble-hook lures. Fish caught by casting from shore and from anchored boats were held for observation in floating liveboxes from 10 to 30 days. Control groups obtained by non-angling methods were confined simultaneously. Trout survival was not measurably affected by water temperatures in the range of 37 to 62 F. Tiring induced by anglers deliberately “playing” fish for up to 10 minutes did not increase mortality. There was no indication that reproductively mature trout were less resistant to the effects of hooking and handling than adult fish not in prespawning condition. Trout losses in all experiments were within the expected range of mortality attributable to treble-hook lures.