water level reductions in Lake Perris, Riverside County, California

Do Angler Handling Practices Influence the Short-Term Post-Release Behaviour of Black Bass?

“…With little knowledge about how this valued species responds to angling stressors in the winter, it is difficult to determine which best practices should be encouraged when handling LMB in both jurisdictions that allow anglers to target LMB in the winter or where they are encountered incidentally. Although the biological basis for regulations that limit fishing for LMB in the winter is unclear, it is presumably to reduce stress prior to reproduction (i.e., spring spawning), to reduce potential for overharvesting while LMB are aggregated in the winter, and/or to protect LMB when they are primarily in deep water and at risk of barotrauma (Gustaveson et al 1991b, Morrissey et al 2005, Granfors 2013). While there is limited information available associated with the impacts of air exposure of LMB during sub-freezing temperatures, Bieber et al (2019) found that swimming performance of Bluegill (Lepomis macrohirus) was significantly reduced when exposed to sub-freezing temperatures for 5 minutes.…”