Angling-Induced Impacts on Recruitment and Contributions to Reproduction in Florida Bass

Black basses Micropterus spp. are the focus of extensive management efforts throughout North America, where they support a multibillion-dollar recreational sport fishery. Harvest rates in many bass fisheries have declined in recent decades, yet a growing number of studies have proposed that catch-and-release angling practices, such as bed-fishing in which anglers intentionally target bass while the fish are defending their nests, can decrease individual reproductive success. In response, management agencies have restricted fishing during the spawning period in some regions. We evaluated the impacts of catch-and-release bed-fishing on Florida Bass M. salmoides floridanus nest success, reproductive success, production of fall recruits, and the number of parents that contributed to reproduction. Eighteen replicate populations simulating natural Florida lakes were established, and ponds were assigned either a bed-fishing (n = 10) or a control treatment (n = 8). Snorkel surveys were conducted throughou...