NOAA Fisheries has become aware that one unclassified gear type, referred to as the "green stick rig", may be being used by fishermen to target Atlantic HMS with increasing frequency and success. Green stick fishing gear has been used in other parts of the world for many years. The green stick technology made its U.S. debut in Hawaii during the 1980's but was originally developed in Japan. The term green stick refers to a certain brand of gear developed in Japan that used an olive green pole. Other brands have marketed gears with poles in orange, black, and blue, but regardless of the brand or color, the generic "green stick" nickname is still used. The green stick fishing rig is a gear that is used primarily to target tunas (Wescott, 1996).

Winter 2002

Wanchese Green Stick Draws Renewed Interest
Wayne Wescott was not surprised when he received a call from a Costa Rican angler. The man asked what he knows about the Wanchese Green Stick Tuna Rig.

He came to the right person. Wescott, Sea Grant fisheries specialist, replied, "At $6,000 a rig, commercial fishers tell me it's a worthwhile investment."

And for good reason. In a good year, sushi-quality blue fin tuna could bring top market price of $60 to $90 a pound. In 2000, combined tuna landings in North Carolina amounted to $3.4 million – more than double the five-year averag. The appearance of the prized blue fin off the coast before the coastwide quota was reached contributed to the success.

The 2001 season won't match that, says Capt. Fred Fox of Wanchese since the season was cut off Nov. 30 before "the big blues" ever arrived. Nonetheless, Fox is sticking with the green stick tuna rig to reel in bigeye and yellowfin tunas, which bring better than average market prices.

Fox, like most North Carolina commercial fishers, got started with the green stick tuna rig thanks to Chuck Midgett of Wanchese.

Back in the mid-1980s, Midgett asked Sea Grant to help him find information about the green stick rig he had seen in Hawaii. The term green stick refers to a commercial brand of gear developed in Japan – still the only source for the novel gear regardless of color or brand.

Midgett installed the rig on his son's commercial fishing boat and the pair began experimenting to compare the green stick and conventional gear when the yellowfin tuna began running in 1995. His catch averaged three times greater with the green stick rig. Surprisingly, the tuna struck the artificial squid lures and ignored the bait being trolled on his rods and reels.

Midgett and Wescott conducted workshops to spread the word among local watermen. Since then, about 150 commercial fishers have followed Midgett's lead. Each one puts his or her own spin on the rig. Wescott says the basic configuration may vary, but the approach is the same:

A 35-foot fiberglass pole is mounted inside the boat. A 500-foot line originating from a spool at the stern is hoisted by a tether rope at the top of the pole. A cotton breakaway connects the tether rope to the main line.

A floating decoy called a "bird" is attached to the end of the main line. When the boat moves forward, the top of the mainline is stretched taut. Several baited strands hang from the mainline and dangle just above the water, causing the attached lures and bait to skip across the surface.

Meanwhile, the bird jumps, bobs and splashes. The tuna leaps to take the bait when they are not "feeding" on traditional gear in the same vicintiy, Wescott says.

For detailed information and diagrams on using the green stick, order "The Wanchese Green Stick Tuna Rig" from Sea Grant. Ask for UNC-SG-96-04. Call 919/515-2454.