Influence of Largemouth Bass Behaviors, Angler Behaviors, and Environmental Conditions on Fishing Tournament Capture Success

Abstract

Tournament anglers typically possess extensive knowledge of the habitat and seasonal movement of their targeted species. While fish-angler behavioral relationships are critical to understanding fish catchability, few studies have assessed how fish behavior influences their vulnerability to capture by tournament anglers. Our objectives were to determine if Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides behavior, angler behavior, and environmental conditions affect tournament angler catch rate (CPUE) and Largemouth Bass capture probability at fishing tournaments. Forty-nine Largemouth Bass were tracked weekly using radiotelemetry during a 4-month period. Five tournament anglers were also selected at weekly tournament events and tracked continuously using a handheld GPS unit. We quantified individual Largemouth Bass behaviors (home range, weekly movement rate, depth use, and spatial overlap with anglers), angler behaviors (depth use, angler movement rate), and environmental conditions (air and water temperature) and used these estimates as covariates in a multiple regression model to assess their effects on tournament CPUE and then used a multistate mark-recapture model to estimate Largemouth Bass capture probability at tournaments. Our results indicate that Largemouth Bass movement rate, angler fishing depth, and air temperature were highly correlated to tournament angler CPUE. Mark-recapture models also indicated that air temperature and angler-fish overlap were positively associated with Largemouth Bass capture probability while fish total length, home range, movement rate, and depth use were not successful in characterizing individual variation in capture probability. Our results indicate that Largemouth Bass that are encountered by anglers are more likely to be captured, whereas mismatches between angler and Largemouth Bass behavioral factors, including depth use and movement rates, may result in decreased tournament capture rates. Consideration and continued evaluation of the relationships between Largemouth Bass and angler behaviors and environmental variables is critical to fisheries management as tournament pressure paired with high capture probabilities and selective angling can have large-scale population-level impacts.

Tournament and non-tournament anglers have little effect on a largemouth bass population compared to natural mortality

“…Daily capture rates of non-tournament angled largemouth bass were relatively low but varied within and among years because of environmental effects that may have affected largemouth bass feeding habits and behavior (Sylvia et al 2020). Increasing air temperature was an important factor resulting in higher non-tournament angling capture rates, whereas water temperature was less important in describing variability in capture rates.…”

“…Low capture rates, despite high angling effort in systems, may occur for many reasons, including angler practices (Wilde et al 2003), behavioral patterns of black bass (Philipp et al 2009;Sylvia et al 2020), or influences of tournament angling (Hackney and Linkous 1978). For example, non-tournament anglers using smaller lure sizes may have selected for and captured smaller largemouth bass (<381 mm) that were not included in this assessment.…”

“…Survival in Brushy Creek Lake represents fish that died and those that left the study area due to permanent emigration; however, emigration of largemouth bass from Brushy Creek Lake is minimal, as only two largemouth bass during the study period were found to have emigrated over the spillway; indicated through spillway electrofishing (<0.001% across the entire study period; A. Sylvia, unpublished data). Further, we assumed temporary emigration (i.e., increased water depth leading to decreased vulnerability of capture during electrofishing) was negligible as largemouth bass remained in relatively shallow water (mean depth use = 2.2 m) and were vulnerable to angling across all depths (Sylvia et al 2020). Although post capture refractory periods for largemouth bass may exist for short periods following angling (Cline et al, 2012;Sass et al, 2018), black bass resume feeding within 16…”

Using Bioenergetics to Estimate Consumption of Stocked Age‐0 Walleye by a Suite of Piscivores

“…Due to constraints common to field evaluations, it was not possible to determine if the assumption of closed predator populations was met due to possible death, immigration, and emigration from the sampling region. Sampling occurred during fall when water temperatures are cool and natural mortality rates of Largemouth Bass and Walleye are low (Sylvia et al 2020; Weber 2020). Second, few anglers were observed on the lakes during this time, suggesting that harvest mortality was low.…”

Effects of Harvest, Natural Mortality, and Escapement on Reservoir Walleye Populations

“…During spring, Walleye spawn in shallow water over rocky substrate (Eschmeyer 1950; Johnson 1961; Priegel 1970; Kerr et al 1997; Raabe and Bozek 2012), and that behavior may attract them to reservoir dams and spillways (Martin et al 2012). These reservoir Walleye behaviors could affect fish harvest or escapement, as mobile fish may be more likely to encounter anglers (Palmer et al 2011; Parsons et al 2011; Monk and Arlinghaus 2017; Sylvia et al 2020) or spillway areas. However, the potential effects of reservoir Walleye behaviors on harvest or escapement are unknown.…”