sucker rig study

[Guest Mr merc]

Hi guys I was just reading an interesting artical on a study prformed by wisconsin DNR. The study was on the use of single hook sucker rigs the study began in 2001 when 40 muskie ranging 31.5 - 42.5 were collected and released in a 1 acre hatcherey pond.The pond had a maximum depth of 6 feet the fish were given several weeks to adjust after this the DNRcaught 38 of the 40 muskie using 10/0 sucker hook ang bobber. The fish were only played for aroud one minute landed in a cradel and only handeld for five minutes while remaining in the water. All the fish that swallowed the hook the leader was cut and all of them were released and all swam away in good aparent condition but within 24 hours 22% of the muskies that swallowed the hook were dead. The rest were moitored for for a year at the end of this year 83% of the fish that were hooked were dead from hook realated

injury. they also did some diesections of these fish and found 1.5 -4.5 inch rips in there stomachs, also from the fish that lived longer badly corroaded hooks that had caused bad infections. if any one wants to check this out for them selves I found it in oct/nov 2004 muskey hunter mag.

[Guest bigfish1965]

There has been several studies done lately that indicate gut hooked fish are really done for.