In Louisiana, the yo-yo fishing method has been a controversial fishing method. The yo-yo is an automatic spring loaded device equipped with a hook and when triggered by a fish will automatically set the hook and play the fish. During this project, 9,203 yo-yos were fished. The average success was 0.161 fish per effort. Approximately 21% of the yo-yos fished were tripped but caught no fish. There was little difference between day and night fishing successes. The devices were fished most efficiently during February and March. Best depths for fishing were between three and four feet. The use of sinkers greatly reduces the effectiveness of yo-yos. Based upon data gathered during this project, the yo-yo is not so efficient as popularly imagined to be and, there is no evidence that it should not be a legal fishing device.
