Dispersal of Tournament Caught Black Bass

1
Dispersal of Tournament Caught Black Bass

• Gene R. Wilde
• 2003
• Fisheries
• Presented by Brian Kiely

2
Location of Study

• Review of previous research
• 12 studies of dispersal of tournament caught fish
• Conducted from 1975-1998
• Throughout CONUS

3
Major Questions

• What proportion of fish return to capture sights?
• What is the rate and distance dispersed?
• Does dispersal differ among LM and SM bass?

4
Major Questions

• Does dispersal differ between lake and
  river-caught fish?
• What proportion of dispersing fish are
  recaptured?

5
Major Findings

• Black bass rarely return to the site of capture
• Possible effects of tournament handling?
• Distance dispersed is greater in SM than LM bass

6
Major Findings

• No evidence for different dispersal rates in
  lakes vs. rivers
• Recapture rates were high for both species
• No significant interspecies difference

7
Major Findings

• Some individuals feed immediately after release
• Anglers often exploit concentrations of
  tournament caught black bass

8
Recommendations

• A predictive model of the dispersal process is
  needed
• Studies to predict fishery benefits from better
  holding and handling of tournament caught fish
• Studies of dispersal should be on the same scale
  as those over which fish are dispersed

9
Recommendations

• Studies should population effects of recapture of
  tournament caught fish
• Tournament organizers and participants should
  heed the recommendations of researchers!

10
Questions?