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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Downrigger" data-source="post: 301234" data-attributes="member: 201">Stole this from another site.  In-fisherman magazine had a good post since there has been more than one discussion on fish mortality/lindy rig hooking mortality. I am quoting this from OCT/NOV 2009 In-Fisherman, article by Steve Quinn, p. 9.[Field Science-Minnesota Department of Natural Resources biologists at Rainy Lake, where many walleyes are caught from 30 to 50 feet of water in late summer and fall, gathered data to gauge fishing mortality.*From July through September, volunteer anglers that landed a walleye from deep water called a chase boat to transport it to holding cages that extended from the surface as deep as 56 feet. Fish were measured and dropped in at the surface, simulating anglers releasing walleyes within the protected slot limit. Anglers reported fishing depth and method, handling time and other factors. Cages were monitored for 120 hours.In total, 31 percent of the 319 experimaental walleyes died. Walleyes caught in 30 feet of water had about an 8 percent chance of perishing–fish from 40 feet 18 percent mortality, and fish from 50 feet 35 percent mortality. For each additional 10 feet of depth, mortality roughly doubled. Experimental handling time was an additional factor, with linger handling increasing the likelihood of mortality.</blockquote>