Man this great! I dont know who dun it but if it's Deep then thanks.
I want to say for sure the way to regulate kill is to regulate long liners and nets. Not only LOCAL but WORLD WIDE. These fisheries kill far more fish than any angler, tourny or not!!!!
For me they rendered my biggest class of lure product being Combo style effectively useless, and ran me effectively out of business and cost four good guys their jobs... They can't be used effectively with circles. The BS and hype that was presented about how much better circles are for fish were spelled out in real numbers during one meeting we had. Not this big margin better. Infact almost identicle to J hooks.
.49 incedents of damaging injury per hook up versus .47 for circle... That was their own real numbers based on interface with 2000 billfish versus the lopsided bunny hugger one using 20 fish...
What did a circle hook ever do "for" you...
I guess my preconceived assumptions were wrong. Just from my personal standpoint the circle hook ruling did not affect my purchasing of any type of lures. I figured that most people fishing billfish tournaments fun-fished and meat-fished more than the average "Joe" anyway, therefore they would still by ample amount of lures for bait combos. I guess I am wrong. The circle hook ruling actually made me go out and purchase a wealth of resin head marlin lures that I would have never bought before. No these lures are not for combos, but they are lures. The majority of the people I know that professionally tournament billfish, fish naked dink baits anyway, naked mackerel, and of course the Hawaiin Eye, so I guess I can't see how it affected your business that greatly, but If you say it did so, I respect it and I am truly sorry.
From my standpoint I feel that circle hooks are better for the fish that we all supposedly love so much, therefore i will fish circle hooks every chance I get.
I still want to make it clear that I don't necessarily agree with the ruling in the first place and dont see how they would enforce it. I don't like people telling me what to do anymore than the next man.
It is clear to me that Sportfisherman.com's majority is against circle hooks, I don't to make anyone mad here, I just want people to here the other side of the story also. Just My .02 cents!
Hawaiian eye (ilander) has taken hits to nearl a half million in sales to this point. Me I took 100k or so so far. My marlin lure orders have only crept upmaybe 1 or 2%. Its not just tiournaments that are affected. Yes thats where the rule is but these guys aren't gonna practice or fun fish with stuff they can't use tourney time.
The circle is fine for a dink. Yes a lot of guys use them. Same goes for naked macks. Yes a lot of guys and good guys use them too. Still I know what the money winners at OC and MA500 are pulling for money fish (Not numbers) and it aint naked...
Perhaps this will add a little convenience to sending ya'lls comments:
Subject (re):
Request for Comments: Proposed Rulemaking on Circle Hook Requirements For Anglers Participating in Atlantic Billfish Tournaments (FR-58058)
Send mail or email to:
Mr. Alan Risenhoover
Highly Migratory Species Mgmt. Division
1315 East-West Hwy
Silver Spring, Md 20910
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