Striper Fishermen Request Circle Hook Exemption for Tube and Worm Rigs
Fishermen are seeking a circle hook exemption when fishing for striped bass with tube-and-worm rigs and leadhead jigs.
Above: An angler holds a striped bass caught on a tube-and-worm rig.
A coalition of charter fishing boat associations and recreational fishing groups has asked the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission for an exemption from new regulations requiring the use of in-line circle hooks when fishing for striped bass with natural bait. Specifically, they are seeking an exemption from the requirement for the trolling of tube-and-worm rigs and leadhead jigs.
The striped bass circle hook regulation was enacted in 2021 as part of Amendment VI to the Striped Bass Management Plan, which was developed in response to a stock assessment that determined striped bass were overfished. The use of in-line circle hooks when fishing with natural bait has been shown to reduce the post-release mortality of s
Vaccines rely on horseshoe crabs
By Tim Prudente
The Baltimore Sun/TNS
BALTIMORE - Far from the medical labs and test tubes, a fisherman in old rubber boots walks across the docks of West Ocean City to inspect his catch.
He peers in a crate of spiny tails and grasping claws, hundreds of a common yet precious creature, among the oldest species on Earth: horseshoe crabs.
The scene on the docks is a glimpse into a strange and guarded Maryland fishery, one supporting a multimillion-dollar industry as surprising as the catch itself - a seemingly alien creature with 10 eyes, 12 legs and magical, milky blue blood.
How the coronavirus vaccine relies on Maryland s strangest fishery: horseshoe crabs | Nation/World gazettextra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazettextra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.