Effect of Circle Hook Size On Reef Fish Catch Rate, Composition, and Selectivity in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Traditional management strategies often result in high reef fish discards rates, especially during closed seasons. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential for hook-size regulations to mitigate high discard rates of undersized reef fishes in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly red snapper. Reef fish communities were sampled with a micro remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with a laser scaler. Sites were then fished with one of five circle hook sizes common to the recreational fishery. Fish size generally increased with increasing hook size but at the cost of reduced catch rates for all reef fishes. Red snapper were captured in greater proportion than their observed abundance, but the difference in median total length between the largest and smallest hook sizes equated to less than one year class (<100 mm). In addition, size at age was significantly different among hook sizes, indicating larger hooks selected for faster growing individuals. Results of this study suggest regulations mandating large circle hook use would decrease catches of other reef fishes without decreasing red snapper discards. This would  likely impact the recreational for-hire sector which relies on multiple species throughout the year to maintain trip frequency during red snapper closed seasons.