Lcosta02:
The buoy gear that has its own reporting column for NMFS is another method of commercial fishing. The description is oversimplified as a big bobber.
Because of the restrictions (prohibition) to commercial fish with Long line gear in the NMFS closed zones, buoy gear is an alternative method to fish commercially with unattached gear in theses zones or elsewhere.
Commercial fishermen with the appropriate licenses, can fish buoy gear, up to 35 buoys used, with up to 2 separate hook lines attached. These buoys are free floating from the vessel. Some guys will double up on the buoys to create and indicator status of "fish on", thus they can run 18 sets or less. These setups must also be retrieve by hand methods, no winches.
This method is deemed more effective for reduced by-catch than PLL when they are attended frequently. The other aspects can be debated both ways as per efficiency, overall effectiveness, cost per hook, profitibility, etc. (Well maybe not profitibility.)
Balloons, jugs or even buoys are big floating bobbers that your lines hang off of from a recreational vantage point, but they must be attached to your boat and not free floating.