Comparison of Angler Interventions for Smallmouth Bass Experiencing Barotrauma in Catch‐and‐Release Angling Tournaments

Abstract

AbstractBlack bass Micropterus spp. in North America are commonly targeted by recreational anglers who are participating in catch‐and‐release angling tournaments. In deeper water bodies, Smallmouth Bass M. dolomieu are often caught from depths greater than 6 m and held in a boat’s live well until they are weighed in. Smallmouth Bass that are caught from such depths typically display symptoms of barotrauma, where the swim bladder becomes overinflated and the fish cannot maintain proper orientation. We examined the effects of three common practices that are used by tournament anglers who hold fish that exhibit symptoms of barotrauma: no treatment, weighted fin clips (rubber‐coated weighted alligator clips), and fizzing (venting the swim bladder with a hypodermic needle). After receiving a treatment, the Smallmouth Bass were held in experimental live wells for a period of 3 h and their condition was monitored using reflex action mortality predictors. Condition declined for the Smallmouth Bass that received no treatment, whereas both fin clips and fizzing demonstrated improved fish condition. Fizzing was also found to be a more rapid and effective treatment than fin clips. As the weight and capture depth of fish in the control group increased, there was a significant decrease in final condition, as indicated by reflex impairment. For tournaments that hold fish in live wells prior to release, these results demonstrate that interventions shortly after capture can effectively reduce reflex impairment in Smallmouth Bass that experience barotrauma and that fizzing is more effective than fin clips.