How Many Hooks Can You Have on a Line in Florida?

The primary method of recreational fishing in Florida involves a rod, line, and hook which is categorized under “Hook and Line Gear” by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC). According to the FWCC's Division of Marine Fisheries, “Hook and line gear means any handline, rod, reel, or pole to which line and ten or fewer hooks are attached”. Another method of recreational fishing in Florida uses a trotline and is associated with freshwater fishing. FWCC's Freshwater Fish and Wildlife Division states “Persons operating more than 25 bush hooks or set lines or a trotline using more than 25 hooks are considered to be fishing commercially and shall be licensed as provided in Section 379.363, F.S.” With that, it can be stated that the number of hooks that you can have on a line in Florida is 10 for hook and line and 25 for trotline.

Why Use Multiple Hooks on a Line

I am always looking to increase my odds of catching fish when surf fishing in Florida. An obvious statistical advantage to catching more fish is to have more hooks in the water at any given time. Most of my fishing is done using a top/bottom rig (like this one by Gamakatsu) which includes a sinker, a main leader line, and two drop lines with hook (usually circle or kahle) on each of the drop line. Most tutorials for fishing rigs as well as the majority of pre-assembled rigs included 2 hooks per rig. One common exception to this is the sabiki rig that normally has 6 small hooks and is used to catch baitfish. I started to question why more rigs didn't include more hooks than just the two? Why not 3 or 4 per line? That would 50% to 100% more hooks in the water at any given time. I assumed there must be a regulations somewhere in Florida that would be causing the manufactures to limit their rigs to only 2 hooks per line. It turns out, it is less about regulations and more about feasibility of managing multiple hooks on a line.

Is Having Multiple Hooks on a line Legal in Florida

The simple answer here is yes, it is legal to have multiple hooks on a line at a time. There are many rigs you can purchase off the shelf with many hooks. An example of this is the sabiki rig which is used to catch baitfish. The sabiki rig usually has about 6 hooks on a stringer between the mainline and sinker. After a quick search around the internet I found that the legalities of how many hooks can be on a line is not clear, consistent, or adequately sourced. With that I decided to do a little deeper digging to get some answers by reading through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulations and eventually calling the FWCCs Marine Fisheries Division office.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) Regulations

Using the advanced search feature of the FWCC's website I was able to run across several rules that could apply to the number of hooks that are permitted on a single line. Most prominently is the rule defining Hook and Line gear which is the most common gear that is used when fishing.

“Hook and line gear” means any handline, rod, reel, or pole to which line and ten or fewer hooks are attached. Hook and line gear includes a bob, float, weight, lure, plug, spoon, or bait that is attached to the gear described in the previous sentence.

68B-4.002: Gear Definitions

When then looking at a majority of species specific regulations for common saltwater fish, there are rules specifically prohibiting harvesting of fish using any method other than “hook and line gear”. For example, rule chapter 68B-35: Pompano, African Pompano, and Permit states for each species that

The harvest or attempted harvest of any (pompano or permit) in or from state waters by or with the use of any gear other than hook and line gear is prohibited.”

68B-35: Pompano, African Pompano, and Permit

This language is common among many other species including snook, redfish, speckled trout, and spanish mackerel. To look up a specific species not covered here please refer to the full list of regulated species here.

Another hit on the query on the number of hooks permitted on a line is a reference to longline fishing.

“Longline gear” means any single line or series of connected lines to which more than ten hooks are attached and which is used to harvest fish.

68B-4.002: Gear Definitions

Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique that uses a long main line with many hooks attached at some interval from separate branch lines called snoods. Sometimes these longlines can have thousands of hooks distributed across the waters. This method of fishing is not permitted for recreational fishing so is excluded from my research.

Looking at the freshwater regulations, the same rules apply when it comes to definition of “Hook and Line gear”. Furthermore, according to Rule Chapter 68A-23.002 of the Freshwater Fish and Wildlife Division

(2) Freshwater game fish may be taken only by hook and line or rod and reel unless otherwise provided. (3) Nongame fish may be taken by hook and line, rod and reel or by trotlines, set lines or bush hooks (as specified in Rule 68A-23.004, F.A.C.).

68A-23.002 General Methods of Taking Freshwater Fish.

and according to Rule 68A-23.004.

(6) A trotline limited to 25 hooks may be used for taking non-game fish for personal use. Persons operating more than 25 bush hooks or set lines or a trotline using more than 25 hooks are considered to be fishing commercially and shall be licensed as provided in Section 379.363, F.S. All game fish taken by trotlines, bush hooks or set lines shall be immediately returned unharmed to the water and it is unlawful to possess any game fish while operating trotlines, bush hooks or set lines.

Rule: 68A-23.004 Lawful Methods of Using Trotlines and Bush Hooks or Set Lines

With this we can see that, for recreational fishing, the maximum number of hooks that can occupy a single line is 10 on hook and line or 25 on trotline.

To further confirm my research I decided to call and ask a real person from the Marine Fisheries division for clarification. After calling, a nice man picked up the phone and asked how he could help. I told him “I am looking for clarification on how many hooks I could have on a line at a time when I am out fishing”. He responded by stating “it depends on what you are using for bait” where I replied “mostly cut bait or Fishbites”. He then sited a rule that states you are not permitted to use a multi-hook when fishing with live bait in Florida. He was referring to the multi-hook rule, which applies to hooks like treble hooks, which states

(9) “Multiple hook” means two or more fishhooks bound together to comprise a single unit or any hook with a single shank and eye and two or more pointed ends, used to impale fish.

68B-4.002: Gear Definitions

To clarify my questions I told him I was more interested in knowing how non treble hooks, such as a circle or kahle hook, I could have on a line. After a brief hold the nice man came back and confirmed my finding provided above. Confirmation was great, but the interesting comment was his question of “how many do you think you can cast?”.

Casting Multiple Hooks on a Line

So, now that we know we are allowed to have up to 10 hooks on a line when fishing in Florida using hook and line gear, the next question is how many can you physically throw. If we are talking casting out something like a small sabiki rig, perhaps that isn't so daunting. Even so, most sabiki rigs only contain 6 tiny hooks, not 10.

If we consider a typical top bottom rig, that has hooks spacing on average of about 6 inches apart, with 8 additional hooks we would have a leader line close to 5.5ft long. With that size of a rig, you would need to make sure you have a very long rod and are clear of any obstacles. I also regularly am hooking my two hooks on each other during the cast or on the rod when handling my line. I can only imagine how careful I would need to be if I doubled or even quadrupled the amount of hooks I am managing. Also, when it comes to increasing your chances at catching fish one must consider a point of diminishing returns and even a deterrent for some fish. Perhaps 1 hook is better than two but is 10 hooks really better than 9?

So, before you strap on the max amount of hooks, consider the benefits and ability to cast as well as the application. More isn't always better and always be sure to follow the rules. Don't forget to also check out our YouTube channel. Tight Lines y'all!