I have been watching this forum with interest, and thought I would put in my two cents!

I'm no fisheries biologist, but I have caught a lot of stripers over the years!

I agree that the mortality rate of "catch and released" stripers is very high!  However, I think there are many factors that influence survival. 

Here are my thoughts for your to consideration: 

1.  Fishing with live or cut bait usually involves only one hook, which minimizes injuries to the fish's mouth and gills, therefore, increasing the potential survival rate.

2.  Fishing with artificial lures with multiple hooks (treble & trailer hooks) reduces the potential survival rate, but increases the fisherman's catch ratio.

3.  Fish caught while casting from a stationary point have a higher survival rate, because the fight (stress) is limited to the length of line to be retrieved, and the time necessary to land the fish. (i.e. live bait fishing) 

4.  Fish caught trolling with long lines increase the stress proportionately, plus increases the potential to drown.  (Forcing water into its stomach it can not expel)

5.  Fish caught from deep water and forced to the surface under stress, frequently are unable to adjust to changes in pressure, temperature and oxygen levels.

6.  Any use of a net or other device, removes the protective slime from its body, and only contributes to the stress.

    7.  A spring loaded hook remover (Bill Dance) reduces handling when holding a striper by its lower jaw.

    8.  Fishing for stripers has a higher impact on the mortality on its population versus other game fish, hence the lower legal limit.

9.  Mortality should be a consideration of the stocking program on the lake, as there is an increase in the striper fishing pressure.

  10.  Commercial (guided) fisherman provide increased fishing pressure on stripers and therefore increase the population's mortality.
 
  11.  Considering the amount of bass tournaments, the striper mortality is increased by wanton killing of stripers by bass fisherman.

The subject of striped bass mortality is not unique to Lake Martin, nor is the survival rate of catch and released fish. 

From my perspective, I would like to see the daily posession and size limits for striped bass caught from Lake Martin to be changed to five in posession, with a minimum length of eighteen inches, by artificial lure only.  No striped bass over eighteen inches in length may be returned to the waters of Lake Martin. 

My experience is that stripers engulf the lure and its hooks into their throat and gills, the removal of which becomes a mortal wound.  My best lure for stripers is a downrigger trolled one ounce white bucktail leadhead jig, with a twister tail grub on a trailer hook.  That pretty well negates the "barbless hook" scenario!

In summary, I think successful striper fishing is a lot like deer hunting .... "If you don't want to kill it, take a camera!"

thisldo