Hooking mortality of bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, caught on artificial flies, worms, and spinning lures

This study was designed to investigate the effect that three types of terminal gear and anatomical hooking location have on the mortality rate of bluegill. Worm-baited hooks, artificial flies, single-hook spinning lures, and seines were used to catch bluegill.All groups of fish were placed in aerated holding tanks and observed for 10 days. Results from this research indicate that fish angled with worms had a significantly greater (P<0.001) mortality rate than control group bluegill. However, there was no significant difference between mortalities of the control group and the mortalities of bluegill caught with flies and lures. Worm-hooked bluegill experienced significantly higher mortalities than fish angled with lures (P<0.01) and flies (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in mortalities between fly-hooked and lure-hooked fish.An examination of mortality rates based upon anatomical hooking location reveals that bluegill hooked in the esophagus, gill, tongue, and eye had a mortality rate of 100 percent.Jaw-hooked and lip-hooked bluegill had mortalities of 37.5 percent and 13 percent respectively. Fish hooked in the lip displayed a significantly lower rate of mortality than fish hooked in the esophagus (P<0.001), gill (P-0.001), tongue (P-0.001), and eye (P<0.01). In comparisons among bluegill hooked in the esophagus, gill, tongue, eye, and jaw, no significant level of probability existed.There was a significant difference (P