Prevent Hook Wounding

Prevent Hook Wounds

Recently, the growing popularity of the fishery has resulted in an increase in the rate of hook wounding on landlocked salmon. Hook wounds can occur when salmon are repeatedly caught and released. While anglers are allowed to harvest 2 fish per day in most salmon lakes between April 1 and September 30, catch and release rates are more difficult to manage through regulation. Accidental capture by ice fisherman, increased pressure from guided fishing trips, and poor year class survival can all contribute to an increase in the rate of hook wounding among the landlocked salmon population. As hook wounds heal they can result in deformities of the jaw, which may limit the ability of the salmon to feed. Fish with hook wounds show a significant decrease in growth compared to healthy fish of the same year class. The Salmon Pledge is an effort to promote responsible angling practices that will help reduce the rate of hook wounding and catch and release mortality. Catch and release rates, harvest rates, the forage base, and growth rates are some of the many factors that must be considered while managing the landlocked salmon fishery.