Fishing techniques

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Major fishing techniques. Fishing-methods.png
Major fishing techniques.
Wild fish catch by gear type, World. Among the major fishing techniques bottom trawling is a destructive one. Wild-fish-catch-gear-type.svg
Wild fish catch by gear type, World. Among the major fishing techniques bottom trawling is a destructive one.

Fishing techniques are methods for catching fish. The term may also be applied to methods for catching other aquatic animals such as molluscs (shellfish, squid, octopus) and edible marine invertebrates.

Contents

Fishing techniques include hand-gathering, spearfishing, netting, angling and trapping. Recreational, commercial and artisanal fishers use different techniques, and also, sometimes, the same techniques. Recreational fishers fish for pleasure or sport, while commercial fishers fish for profit. Artisanal fishers use traditional, low-tech methods, for survival in developing countries, and as a cultural heritage in other countries. Mostly, recreational fishers use angling methods and commercial fishers use netting methods.

There is an intricate link between various fishing techniques and knowledge about the fish and their behaviour including migration, foraging and habitat. The effective use of fishing techniques often depends on this additional knowledge. [1] Which techniques are appropriate is dictated mainly by the target species and by its habitat. [2]

Fishing techniques can be contrasted with fishing tackle. Fishing tackle refers to the physical equipment that is used when fishing, whereas fishing techniques refers to the manner in which the tackle is used when fishing.

Hand-gathering

Ama diver in Japan Ama2.jpg
Ama diver in Japan
Noodling for catfish in southern USA Noodling champ.jpg
Noodling for catfish in southern USA

It is possible to harvest many sea foods with minimal equipment by using the hands. Gathering seafood by hand can be as easy as picking shellfish or kelp up off the beach, or doing some digging for clams or crabs. The earliest evidence for shellfish gathering dates back to a 300,000-year-old site in France called Terra Amata. This is a hominid site as modern Homo sapiens did not appear in Europe until around 50,000 years ago. [3] [4]

Spearfishing

Spearfishing is an ancient method of fishing conducted with an ordinary spear or a specialized variant such as a harpoon, trident, arrow or eel spear. [9] [10] Some fishing spears use slings (or rubber loops) to propel the spear.

A Hupa man with his spear A smoky day at the Sugar Bowl--Hupa.jpg
A Hupa man with his spear

Netting

Fishing nets are meshes usually formed by knotting a relatively thin thread. About 180 AD the Greek author Oppian wrote the Halieutica, a didactic poem about fishing. He described various means of fishing including the use of nets cast from boats, scoop nets held open by a hoop, and various traps "which work while their masters sleep".

Netting is the principal method of commercial fishing, though longlining, trolling, dredging and traps are also used.

A fisherman casting a net in Kerala, India Kerala fisherman.jpg
A fisherman casting a net in Kerala, India
Oil painting of gillnetting, The salmon fisher by Eilif Peterssen Eilif Peterssen-Laksefiskeren (1889).jpg
Oil painting of gillnetting, The salmon fisher by Eilif Peterssen
Pesca con el Sarambao (1847), a painting of salambaw fishermen in the Philippines Filipino Painting Letras y Figuras 0.jpg
Pesca con el Sarambao (1847), a painting of salambáw fishermen in the Philippines

Angling

"Trolling for blue fish" lithograph by Currier & Ives, 1866 Trolling for bluefish2.jpg
"Trolling for blue fish" lithograph by Currier & Ives, 1866
Fishermen using jiggerpoles for jigging from the Queenscliff pier Jigging off Queenscliff Pier, Vic, jjron 5.12.2009.jpg
Fishermen using jiggerpoles for jigging from the Queenscliff pier

Angling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" (fish hook). The hook is attached to a line, and is sometimes weighed down by a sinker so it sinks deeper in the water. This is the classic "hook, line and sinker" arrangement, used in angling since prehistoric times. The hook is usually dressed with lures or baits such as earthworm, doughball and bait fish.

Additional arrangements include the use of a fishing rod, which can be fitted with a reel, and functions as a delivery mechanism for casting the line. Other delivery methods for projecting the line include fishing kites and cannons, kontiki rafts and remote controlled devices. Floats can also be used to help set the line or function as bite indicators. The hook can be dressed with lures or bait. Angling is the principal method of sport fishing, but commercial fisheries also use angling methods involving multiple hooks, such as longlining or commercial trolling.

Line fishing

Line fishing is fishing with a fishing line, but not using rods. A fishing line is any cord made for fishing. Important parameters of a fishing line are its length, material, and weight (thicker, sturdier lines are more visible to fish). Factors that may determine what line an angler chooses for a given fishing environment include breaking strength, knot strength, UV resistance, castability, limpness, stretch, abrasion resistance, and visibility.

Modern fishing lines are usually made from artificial substances. The most common type is monofilament , made of a single strand. There are also braided fishing lines and thermally fused superlines.

Slab Slabbing jig fishing lure.jpg
Slab
External images
Searchtool.svg Pelagic longline
Searchtool.svg Dropline
Searchtool.svg Trotline for catfish

Rod fishing

Angling with a rod. Fishing off pier.jpg
Angling with a rod.
Extreme rock fishing off Muriwai Beach, New Zealand MuriwaiExtremeFishing3b.jpg
Extreme rock fishing off Muriwai Beach, New Zealand
An angler in his float tube plays a hooked pike. Float-tube-pikeangler.jpg
An angler in his float tube plays a hooked pike.

Angling with fishing rods give more control of the fishing line, and allows the bait/lure to be launched much farther than hand-throwing can reach. The rod is usually fitted with a fishing reel which functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. Floats may also be used, and can function as bite indicators. The hook can be dressed with lures or baits.

Other angling

Trapping

Fishermen with traditional fish traps, Ha Tay, Vietnam Do.jpg
Fishermen with traditional fish traps, Hà Tây, Vietnam
A typical wooden fish wheel Wooden Fish Wheel.jpg
A typical wooden fish wheel
Lobster pots on the beach at Beer, Devon Lobster pots at Beer, Devon.JPG
Lobster pots on the beach at Beer, Devon

Traps are culturally almost universal and seem to have been independently invented many times. There are essentially two types of trap, a permanent or semi-permanent structure placed in a river or tidal area and pot-traps that are baited to attract prey and periodically lifted.

Animals

Chinese man with fishing cormorant. Man with cormorant.jpg
Chinese man with fishing cormorant.

Other techniques

Scientists carrying out a population and species survey using electrofishing equipment Jensens Crossing fish survey Dec07 012.jpg
Scientists carrying out a population and species survey using electrofishing equipment
A laksegiljer in Osterfjord, Norway A laksegiljer, Osterfjord, Norway.jpg
A laksegiljer in Osterfjord, Norway

Destructive techniques

Destructive fishing practices are practices that easily result in irreversible damage to aquatic habitats and ecosystems. Many fishing techniques can be destructive if used inappropriately, but some practices are particularly likely to result in irreversible damage. These practices are mostly, though not always, illegal. Where they are illegal, they are often inadequately enforced. Some examples are:

Blast fishing

Dynamite or blast fishing is done easily and cheaply with dynamite or homemade bombs made from locally available materials. Fish are killed by the shock from the blast and are then skimmed from the surface or collected from the bottom. The explosions indiscriminately kill large numbers of fish and other marine organisms in the vicinity and can damage or destroy the physical environment. Explosions are particularly harmful to coral reefs. [39] Blast fishing is also illegal in many waterways around the world.

Bottom trawling

Bottom trawling is trawling (towing a trawl, which is a fishing net) along the sea floor. It is also referred to as "dragging". The scientific community divides bottom trawling into benthic trawling and demersal trawling. Benthic trawling is towing a net at the very bottom of the ocean and demersal trawling is towing a net just above the benthic zone. Bottom trawling targets both bottom-living fish (groundfish) and semi-pelagic species such as cod, squid, shrimp, and rockfish.

Bottom fishing has operated for over a century on heavily fished grounds such as the North Sea and Grand Banks. While overfishing has long been recognised as causing major ecological changes to the fish community on the Grand Banks, concern has been raised more recently about the damage which benthic trawling inflicts upon seabed communities. [40] A species of particular concern is the slow growing, deep water coral Lophelia pertusa . This species is home to a diverse community of deep sea organisms, but is easily damaged by fishing gear. On 17 November 2004, the United Nations General Assembly urged nations to consider temporary bans on high seas bottom trawling. [41]

Cyanide fishing

Cyanide fishing is a method of collecting live fish mainly for use in aquariums, which involves spraying a sodium cyanide mixture into the desired fish's habitat in order to stun the fish. The practice hurts not only the target population, but also many other marine organisms, including coral and thus coral reefs.

Recent studies have shown that the combination of cyanide use and stress of post capture handling results in mortality of up to 75% of the organisms within less than 48 hours of capture. With such high mortality numbers, a greater number of fish must be caught in order to offset post-catch death.

Muro-ami

Muro-ami is a destructive artisan fishing method employed on coral reefs in Southeast Asia. An encircling net is used with pounding devices, such as large stones fitted on ropes that are pounded onto the coral reefs. They can also consist of large heavy blocks of cement suspended above the sea by a crane fitted to the vessel. The pounding devices are repeatedly lowered into the area encircled by the net, smashing the coral into small fragments in order to scare the fish out of their coral refuges. The "crushing" effect on the coral heads has been described as having long-lasting and practically totally destructive effects. [42]

History

Ancient remains of spears, hooks and fish net have been found in ruins of the Stone Age. The people of the early civilization drew pictures of nets and fishing lines in their arts (Parker 2002). Early hooks were made from the upper bills of eagles and from bones, shells, horns and plant thorns. Spears were tipped with the same materials, or sometimes with flints. Lines and nets were made from leaves, plant stalk and cocoon silk. Literature on the indigenous fishing practices is very scanty. Baines (1992) documented traditional fisheries in the Solomon Islands. Use of the herbal fish poisons in catching fishes from fresh water and sea documented from New Caledonia (Dahl 1985). John (1998) documented fishing techniques and overall life style of the Mukkuvar fishing Community of Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu, India. Tribal people using various plants for medicinal and various purposes (Rai et al. 2000; Singh et al. 1997; Lin 2005) extends the use notion for herbal fish stupefying plants. Use of the fish poisons is very old practice in the history of human kind. In 1212, King Frederick II prohibited the use of certain plant piscicides, and by the 15th century similar laws had been decreed in other European countries as well (Wilhelm 1974). All over the globe, indigenous people use various fish poisons to kill the fishes, documented in America (Jeremy 2002) and among Tarahumara Indian (Gajdusek 1954).

Notes

  1. Keegan, William F (1986) The Optimal Foraging Analysis of Horticultural Production American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 88, No. 1., pp. 92-107.
  2. F.T.D. Website (2013) Fishing Tips and Techniques - Retrieved on 2013-24-07
  3. Szabo
  4. Szabo, Katherine Prehistoric Shellfish gathering.
  5. Snopes Urban Legend Website on Noodling
  6. Catelle, W. R. (1457). "Methods of Fishing". The Pearl: Its Story, Its Charm, and Its Value. Philadelphia & London: J. B. Lippincott Company. p. 171.
  7. Trout binning in The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. 12, Issue 328, August 23, 1828, Project Gutenberg.
  8. "Trout Tickling: Catching a Fish with Bare Hands" . Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  9. Image of an eel spear Archived 2023-04-09 at the Wayback Machine .
  10. Spear fishing for eels Archived 2009-08-13 at the Wayback Machine .
  11. Guthrie, Dale Guthrie (2005) The Nature of Paleolithic Art. Page 298. University of Chicago Press. ISBN   0-226-31126-0
  12. Dunbar, Jeffery A (2001) Casting net Archived 2021-02-27 at the Wayback Machine NC Coastal fishing. Retrieved 25 August 2008.
  13. Fishing Tools - Landing Nets Archived 2008-09-15 at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Lift Nets". Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  15. "Shore operated stationary lift nets". Archived from the original on 2006-06-13. Retrieved 2008-07-08.
  16. Vicente C. Aldaba (1932). "Fishing methods in Manila Bay". The Philippine Journal of Science. 47 (3): 405–424.
  17. Selective Fishing Methods Archived 2018-02-14 at the Wayback Machine Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  18. Umali, Agustin F. (1948). "Guide to the Classification of Fishing Gear in the Philippines". Fish and Wildlife Service Research Report (17).
  19. "Super Effective Technique for Beach Fishing! Quick catch using Improvised Miniature boat!". Youtube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  20. Kawamura, Gunzo; Bagarinao, Teodora (1980). "Fishing Methods and Gears in Panay Island,Philippines" (PDF). Memoirs of Faculty of Fisheries Kagoshima University. 29: 81–121.
  21. "Allowed Angling Methods - Inland Fisheries Service". www.ifs.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
  22. C. Boyd Pfeiffer (1999). Fly Fishing Saltwater Basics: Saltwater Basics. Stackpole Books. ISBN   0-8117-2763-7.
  23. J. Walker Network (2013). "pitch fishing". www.theoutdooractivity.com. Retrieved 2014-04-21.
  24. KiteLines Fall 1977 (Vol. 1 No. 3) Articles on Kite Fishing Archived 2006-06-13 at the Wayback Machine .
  25. Big Dropper Rigs
  26. Musselman, Abe (26 May 2022). "Drone Fishers Are in the Hot Seat". Hakai Magazine . Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  27. Dam Fishing Archived 2012-07-20 at the Wayback Machine [ failed verification ] Fishing techniques of the Baka.
  28. Shooting and Fishing the Trent Archived 2007-01-25 at the Wayback Machine , ancient fish traps.
  29. The Text of Magna Carta, see paragraph 33.
  30. M.B. Santos, R. Fernández, A. López, J.A. Martínez and G.J. Pierce (2007), Variability in the diet of bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, in Galician waters, north-western Spain, 1990 – 2005 (.pdf), article retrieved April 3, 2007.
  31. Dr. Moti Nissani. "The Dolphins of Laguna".
  32. The Telegraph (2006), Brazil's sexiest secret, article retrieved March 11, 2007.
  33. Dr. Moti Nissani (2007) Bottlenose Dolphins in Laguna Requesting a Throw Net (video). Supporting material for Dr. Nissani's presentation at the 2007 International Ethological Conference. Video retrieved February 13, 2008.
  34. Simões-Lopes, Paulo C.; Fabián, Marta E.; Menegheti, João O. (1998). "Dolphin interactions with the mullet artisanal fishing on southern Brazil: a qualitative and quantitative approach". Revista Brasileira de Zoologia. 15 (3): 709–726. doi: 10.1590/s0101-81751998000300016 . hdl: 10183/87930 .{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. Cormorant fishing: history and technique Archived 2007-04-28 at the Wayback Machine .
  36. De Orbe Novo, Volume 1, The Eight Decades of Peter Martyr D'Anghera, Project Gutenberg.
  37. "Snagged". Fishbio. 28 November 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  38. Waldman, John (2004). "Snagging or Snatching: Subtle It's Not". 100 Weird Ways to Catch Fish. Stackpole Books. p. 152. ISBN   9780811731799 . Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  39. Explosions In The Cretan Sea: The scourge of illegal fishing -- fishing with explosives.
  40. "Beam trawling on the North Sea". Greenpeace. Archived from the original on 2008-12-10. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  41. United Nations General Assembly Session 59 Verbatim Report56. A/59/PV.56 page 4. Ms. Kimball International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources 17 November 2004. Retrieved 2009-05-09.
  42. FAO: Destructive fishing practices

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing</span> Activity of trying to catch fish

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques include hand-gathering, spearing, netting, angling, shooting and trapping, as well as more destructive and often illegal techniques such as electrocution, blasting and poisoning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trolling (fishing)</span> The practice of fishing by drawing a baited line or lure behind a boat

Trolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines, baited with lures or bait fish, are drawn through the water at a consistent, low speed. This may be behind a moving boat, or by slowly winding the line in when fishing from a static position, or even sweeping the line from side-to-side, e.g. when fishing from a jetty. Trolling is used to catch pelagic fish such as salmon, mackerel and kingfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing line</span> String or line intended for angling

A fishing line is any flexible, high-tensile cord used in angling to tether and pull in fish, in conjunction with at least one hook. Fishing lines are usually pulled by and stored in a reel, but can also be retrieved by hand, with a fixed attachment to the end of a rod, or via a motorized trolling outrigger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angling</span> Fishing technique

Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniques such as handlining also exist. Modern angling rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a cranking device for storing, retrieving and releasing out the line, although Tenkara fishing and traditional cane pole fishing are two rod-angling methods that do not use any reel. The fish hook itself can be additionally weighted with a denser tackle called a sinker, and is typically dressed with an appetizing bait to attract and entice the fish into swallowing the hook, but sometimes an inedible fake/imitation bait with multiple attached hooks is used instead of a single hook with edible bait. Some type of bite indicator, such as a float, a bell or a quiver tip, is often used to relay underwater status of the hook to the surface and alert the angler of a fish's presence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big-game fishing</span> Offshore sportfishing targeting large fish such as tuna or marlin

Big-game fishing, also known as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing or blue-water fishing, is a form of recreational fishing targeting large game fish, usually on a large body of water such as a sea or ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recreational fishing</span> Fishing as a hobby

Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival and livelihood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing lure</span> Artificial fishing bait

A fishing lure is any one of a broad category of artificial angling baits that are inedible replicas designed to mimic prey animals that attract the attention of predatory fish, typically via appearances, flashy colors, bright reflections, movements, vibrations and/or loud noises which appeal to the fish's predation instinct and entice it into gulping the lure. Angling activities using lures are known as lure fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handline fishing</span> Fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands

Handline fishing, or handlining, is a fishing technique where a single fishing line is held in the hands, rather than with a fishing rod like the usual angling, of which handlining is a subtype. Handlining is not to be confused with handfishing, which is catching fish by hand. When handlining, one or more fishing lures or baited hooks are attached to the line, and a fishing lure and often a weight and/or a fishing float can also be attached to the line. Handlining is among the oldest forms of fishing and is still practiced throughout the world today.

Bottom fishing, also called legering in the United Kingdom, is fishing of the bottom of a deep body of water such as lake or ocean, targeting groundfish such as sucker fish, bream, catfish and crappie. It is contrasted with conventional angling in that no float is used with the fishing line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing tackle</span> Equipment used for fishing

Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/feeders, nets, spears, gaffs and traps, as well as wires, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners, clevises and tools that make it easy to tie knots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coarse fishing</span> Type of freshwater angling in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Coarse fishing is a phrase commonly used in Britain and Ireland. It refers to the angling for rough fish, which are fish species considered undesirable as food or game fish. Freshwater game fish are all salmonids, particularly salmon, trout and char. Generally, coarse fish are freshwater fish that are not salmonids, though there is often disagreement over whether grayling should be classified as a game fish or a coarse fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bank fishing</span> Angling from land edge along a waterbody

Bank fishing is fishing from banks or shores, typically very near but still above the water's edge. Bank fishing from rocky outcrops that protrude into the water is usually called rock fishing. Bank fishing is typically done by angling, casting a tethered hook dressed with bait or lure into the water, and is usually performed by a rod often equipped with a reel, but handlines, nets, traps, bows, spears and snag hooks can also be used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing vessel</span> Boat or ship used to catch fish

A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of fishing</span>

Fishing is a prehistoric practice dating back at least 70,000 years. Since the 16th century, fishing vessels have been able to cross oceans in pursuit of fish, and since the 19th century it has been possible to use larger vessels and in some cases process the fish on board. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing bait</span> Substance or device used to attract fish

Fishing bait is any luring substance used specifically to attract and catch fish, typically when angling with a hook and line. There are generally two types of baits used in angling: hookbaits, which are directly mounted onto fish hooks and are what the term "fishing bait" typically refers to; and groundbaits, which are scattered separately into the water as an "appetizer" to attract the fish nearer to the hook. Despite the bait's sole importance is to provoke a feeding response out of the target fish, the way how fish react to different baits is quite poorly understood.

This page is a list of fishing topics.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to fishing:

This is a glossary of terms used in fisheries, fisheries management and fisheries science.

Kite fishing is a fishing technique. It involves a kite from which a drop line hangs, attached to a lure or bait. The kite is flown over the surface of a body of water, and the bait floats near the waterline until taken by a fish. The kite then drops immediately, signaling to the fisherman that the bait has been taken, and the fish can then be hauled in. Kites can provide boatless fishermen access to waters that would otherwise be available only to boats. Similarly, for boat owners, kites provide a way to fish in areas where it is not safe to navigate - such as shallows or coral reef.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishing gear and methods used in Uganda</span> Caught with plank canoes and fiberglass boats

Fishing gear and methods used in Uganda are both modern and traditional. Fish in Uganda are caught mostly with plank canoes and to a lesser extent, fiberglass boats. Some dugout canoes are also still being used. The plank canoes are generally 4–12 m (13.12–39.37 ft) in length and dugout canoes average 3.5 m (11.48 ft). The total number of vessels is about 17,000 and about 20% of these are motorized. Artisanal fishermen use various gear including gillnets, seines and hook and line. In a number of localities, traditional methods including baskets, traps and mosquito nets continue to be used. The gear commonly used includes gillnets, lift nets, scoop-nets used in light fishing; hook and line gear and fish traps.

References

Further reading