Hooking and delayed mortality rates are poorly documented for capture of alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) with standard sampling gears and fishing tackle. A recent study documented over 81% hooking mortality for alligator gar captured from Lake Texoma, Oklahoma, using overnight jugline sets with treble hooks. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission uses active-set juglines rigged with 3-prong treble hooks to conduct alligator gar population assessments. We evaluated hooking and delayed capture mortality of alligator gar by using juglines set with either treble or circle hooks. Twenty-nine alligator gar were captured from a 16-km segment of the Red River, Arkansas. Twenty-two individuals were caught using treble hooks and seven were caught using circle hooks. Two fish expired prior to translocation from hooking-related injuries. Surviving fish were translocated and held in a nearby 3.2-ha observation pond for 18 to 24 days post-capture. Of fish caught using treble hooks, 64% were internally hooked, compared to 29% of those caught using circle hooks. Hooking mortality was 7% regardless of anatomical hooking location or hook type. Mortality of fish caught with treble and circle hooks was 5% and 14%, respectively. Of the 27 successful alligator gar translocations, one died during the observation period, presumably from handling procedures as the necropsy revealed no hooking-related injuries. However, delayed mortality due to hooking was not observed. Three fish died during this study because of either hooking or handling factors, resulting in a 10% total mortality rate. Although this is reasonably low, long-lived species with periodic life-history strategies are extremely sensitive to mortality. Alligator gar managers need to consider the impact mortality may have on populations when abundance is uncertain or low and select a sampling gear within those mortality thresholds. Based on our results, utilizing internal hooking methods should only be used when abundance is great enough to sustain some level for sampling mortality.
