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IGFA Clarifies Stance on Legal Circle Hooks Rigs on Sportfishermen.com



IGFA clarifies stance on hooks preceding bait and lure bait combination on http://sportfishermen.com.



The new NMFS ruling mandating that all HMS permitted vessels must use non-offset circle hooks while deploying natural bait or lure/bait combos is now a reality. The IGFA supports the use of circle hooks for billfishing (http://sportfishermen.com) but their rules on approved rigs have come under scrutiny when concerning preferred methods of circle hook use. The commonly accepted theory is that for a circle hook to properly work, it must be completely exposed from the bait or bait lure/combo. But the IGFA rules state that a hook must be firmly embedded in or securely attached to the bait. Furthermore when considering the lure hook, the IGFA rules state that the trailing hook may not extend more then a hook's length beyond the skirt of the lure.



A number of questions have been brought up many times in tournaments, as well as magazines and other online message forums concerning the IGFA interpretation of a legal circle hook rig. A member of the Sportfishermen.com community invited the IGFA to the Circle Hook and Billfishing Forum hosted by http://www.sportfishermen.com to discuss and help clarify the IGFA approved methods of rigging circle hooks.



Sportfishermen.com member Bill Pino emailed a number of pictures concerning the use of IGFA approved methods of rigging circle hooks including the pictured example.


    


Mr. Pino also polled the Sportfisherman.com community for related questions with the IGFA interpretation of legal approved circle hook rigs. The main concern was if the use of circle hooks (http://sportfishermen.com) were taken into consideration when the rules were originally written and have they be revised or interpreted differently in consideration of the new NMFS circle hook law.


Mr. Schratwieser agreed to pose the question to the entire rules committee and upon further discussion the committee agreed that: "It is acceptable for hooks to precede baits in lures (as in bridling and in the rigging pictures shown on this forum) as long as the hook does not precede the bait by more than a hook's length." In addition Mr. Schratwieser volunteered to log onto the Circle Hook and Billfishing Forum and answer over 30 questions asked by the membership.



Sportfishermen.com would like to thank both Mr. Pino and Mr. Schtrawieser for their participation on the Circle Hook and Billfishing Forum and in helping anglers get clarification on a ruling that will impact tournament anglers today and in the future.



To view the entire conversation between the membership and Mr. Schratwieser, and many more circle hook rigging tips. Please log on to http://sportfishermen.com and click on to the Circle Hook and Billfishing Forum.



Forum Information


The Circle Hook and Billfishing Forum (http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f210/) is a no nonsense discussion platform created for and by sportfishermen. The focus of this forum will be on implementing circle hooks in billfishing worldwide. This young forum is quickly becoming the go-to internet location for billfishermen worldwide. It is not uncommon to log onto the site and have a conversation with a world renowned billfisherman or tackle manufacturer.


On this forum anglers will find billfishing reports from around the world, angling tips from top tournament anglers, captains and mates, along with rigging tips and videos on the latest methods that circle hook fishermen are using worldwide. Also the forum will conduct on-line interviews with some of the top captains, mates, anglers, conservation agencies and tournament directors throughout the billfishing community.



The following links are a few examples of the great content that the Circle Hook and Billfishing Forum was created for.


* http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f210/blue-marlin-circle-hook-rig-34296.html


* http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f210/pitch-bait-crank-flat-line-33912.html


* http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/f210/circle-hooks-palm-beach-florida-32033.html


When asked to comment on the Circle Hook and Billifshing Forum, Mr. Pino replied. "I would like to thank Jason Schratwieser for taking the time to come onto the Circle Hook and Billfishing Forum to answer questions and clarify the rules pertaining to IGFA legal circle hook rigs. Discussion forums have received some bad press for being fruitless and full of keyboard fishermen. This couldn't be further from the truth on the Circle Hook and Billfishing Forum. Some of the industry's top captains, mates, anglers and tournament directors are realizing that this forum is serious about taking the lead on billfishing, circle hooks and most of all conservation."



To become part of the circle hook revolution, got to http://www/sportfishermen.com/board/ and log into the Circle Hook and Billfishing forum.



Capt John Eppehimer


SportFishermen.com


856 415 7711






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