R. GLENN THOMAS, CLAUDE BOUDREAUX, JULIA LIGHTNER, ELAINE LEAR, AND VIVIAN HEBERT, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Lyle St. Amant Marine Laboratory, P.O. Box 37, Grand Isle, Louisiana 70358, USA

Post-hooking mortality of red drum and spotted seatrout is being assessed to determine overall mortality rates and differences due to fishing methods. Flow-through tank systems are employed for transportation and holding. Seatrout (1,512 captures)and red drum under 680 mm (743) were studied in Trial 1. Overall survival was 82.5% in seatrout and 97.3% in red drum. Highly significant differences (P<0.001)in seatrout survival occurred between methods: 97% (treble hook artificial lure; THA), 91% (single hook lure; SHA), 83% (treble hook with live bait; THB), and 74% (single hook, live bait; SHB). Significant variation (P=0.058) occurred between red drum method groups: 99% (SHA), 97% (THA), 96% (SHB), and 94% (THB). Trial 1 results demonstrate that popular assumptions of high post-release mortality and excessive mortality from use of treble hooks are incorrect. Survival of red drum smaller than the minimum size limit in Louisiana (406 mm; five fish bag) was similar to that of legal-sized fish (98 vs 96%). Seatrout under the 305 mm limit were more likely to live (87%) than were larger fish (81%, P=0.010). Since Louisiana anglers are granted a 25-fish bag limit on seatrout, most released fish are probably undersized. Relatively low mortality in these fish tends to support a minimum-size regulation. In Trial 2 hook-release mortality will be assessed for red drum over 686 mm (limit one) caught with standard and circle-style hooks. Preliminary results indicate negligible mortality from circle hooks, but about 15% mortality from conventional hooks.