Ice-fishing handling practices and their effects on the short-term post-release behaviour of Largemouth bass

LaRochelle, Luc; Chhor, Auston D.; Brownscombe, Jacob W.; Zolderdo, Aaron J.; Danylchuk, Andy J.; Cooke, Steven J.

doi:10.1016/j.fishres.2021.106084

Cited by 18 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Surface temperature of the midbody of yellow perch decreased to below 0°C during the 3‐min air‐ and ice‐exposure. Therefore, fish were losing body heat during the initial handling and exposure periods, a result that is also consistent with a previous study on ice fishing (LaRochelle et al, 2021). A potential outcome of this cooling is the slowing of key physiological processes (e.g., enzyme activity, metabolism, hormone production).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…No statistically significant differences were found amongst any groups which was assessed using two-way ANOVAs shown that metabolic and stress responses (e.g., glucose, lactate, cortisol) are either absent or lower in caught fish in comparison to fish sampled following fishing in warmer time periods, which has been attributed to a slowing of the enzymatic processes needed for the physiological stress response (Grausgruber et al, 2021;Logan et al, 2019;Louison, Hasler, Fenske, et al, 2017;Louison, Hasler, Raby, et al, 2017). The cooling may also contribute to behavioural and locomotory impairment that has also been noted following ice fishing (Bieber et al, 2019;LaRochelle et al, 2021;Logan et al, 2019;Louison et al, 2017a;Louison, Hasler, Raby, et al, 2017), as neuronal activity and forced swimming performance slow at cooler temperatures (Ward et al, 2002;Van den Burg et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One possible effect of ice fishing not well characterized in fish is the potential for exposed tissues (e.g., gills, fins, eye, epidermis) to freeze because of sub‐zero ice and air temperatures (LaRochelle et al, 2021). During capture and holding, fish may experience sub‐zero temperatures when being air exposed, when held in water‐filled buckets, or when placed on the ice for photos and measurements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An examination of freezing in yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ) following ice fishing using a histological approach

et al. 2022

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An examination of freezing in yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ) following ice fishing using a histological approach

et al. 2022

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“…Once the 10‐min postrelease period was finished, the bail of the reel was closed and a firm tug was given on the braided fishing line, dislodging the Velcro strap and the biologger from the fish; the strap and biologger were then retrieved by reeling them back to the boat. The same approach was used to study the behavior of LMB that were captured and released during ice fishing (LaRochelle et al 2021).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Different Tournament Weigh‐In Formats on the Short‐Term Postrelease Behavior of Black Bass Assessed with Biologgers

LaRochelle

Trahan

Brownscombe

et al. 2022

N American J Fish Manag

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Black bass Micropterus spp. live‐release tournaments are a popular activity in North America. Efforts continue to further increase survival and enhance welfare of fish released from competitive angling events. Recently, some tournaments have adopted a new weigh‐in format in which black bass are weighed immediately (hanging from a scale in air) and released at the capture location. More conventional tournaments involve retaining black bass in a live well and delivering them to a central location to be weighed (wet or dry weigh‐in). We used biologgers that measured swimming activity, depth selection, and water temperature selection to examine how different weigh‐in formats alter postrelease behavior of Smallmouth Bass M. dolomieu and Largemouth Bass M. salmoides. All fish showed a significant decrease in swimming activity as time progressed during the 10‐min monitoring period, regardless of the weigh‐in format. Swimming activity remained elevated (i.e., hyperactivity) for a longer period of time for black bass that were retained in live wells compared to those that were subjected to the catch, weigh, and release weigh‐in format and the control (fish that were caught and immediately released without air exposure). Swimming activity of black bass tended to decrease as they achieved greater depths with cooler water temperatures. For both species, the water temperature selected postrelease was influenced by the weigh‐in format. Black bass that were dry weighed and wet weighed spent more time in warmer water temperatures than fish in the control group or fish that were caught, weighed, and released. This study suggests that to reduce behavioral alterations associated with wet or dry weigh‐ins, tournament organizations need to carefully select the weigh‐in location, allowing easy access to refuge (i.e., habitat complexity similar to that of the capture location) having the cooler water temperatures commonly associated with deeper water. These results also suggest that catch, weigh, and release formats could be beneficial for black bass during periods of the year with elevated water temperature.

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“…Tissue freezing during landing has been documented to occur in ice-angled Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush (Rowe and Esseltine 2001;Card et al, in press). Furthermore, the skin temperatures of iceangled Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides were positively correlated with the windchill temperature, suggesting that air exposure presents a significant threat to winter-caught fish (LaRochelle et al 2021). This risk of damage can also be enhanced by handling practices that are unique to ice angling-particularly the tendency for anglers to place fish directly on the ice or snow as the angler removes the hook, takes photos, and decides whether or not to release the fish (Louison et al 2017a;Twardek et al 2018;Logan et al 2019).…”

Section: Physiological Responses From the Effects Of Capture And Air ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Catch‐and‐Release Ice Fishing: Status, Issues, and Research Needs

et al. 2022

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Catch-and-release (C&R) ice fishing is a popular form of recreational angling. At present, there is a considerable deficiency in our understanding of how ice angling affects the physiology, behavior, and survival of fish. Thus, the purpose of this review was to summarize our current knowledge of the consequences of winter C&R fishing on fish biology and to identify key knowledge gaps. Our synthesis revealed that in addition to the typical stressors encountered from C&R fishing during the open-water season, fish that are caught through the ice are subject to several unique challenges, including exposure to subzero air temperatures upon landing as well as unique gear types that are not commonly used in the summer (i.e., passive angling techniques). We currently understand that while C&R angling causes a generalized stress response, cold environments may mute or delay these effects and may also come with additional deleterious consequences, such as tissue freezing. Interestingly, reported mortality can be low following release but can be influenced by gear type, barotrauma, and hooking location. Postrelease behaviors and the spatial ecology of ice-angled fish are poorly understood, but technologies such as telemetry and biologgers and an intensification of research on the topic are starting to produce new insights in this area. As it stands, research on the consequences of winter C&R angling is largely restricted to a handful of popular sport fish species, and these consequences are likely

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Ice-fishing handling practices and their effects on the short-term post-release behaviour of Largemouth bass

Cited by 18 publications

References 55 publications

An examination of freezing in yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ) following ice fishing using a histological approach

An examination of freezing in yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ) following ice fishing using a histological approach

A Comparison of Different Tournament Weigh‐In Formats on the Short‐Term Postrelease Behavior of Black Bass Assessed with Biologgers

Catch‐and‐Release Ice Fishing: Status, Issues, and Research Needs

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