Temporal Trends in Voluntary Release of Largemouth Bass

Abstract

AbstractWe used creel survey data collected from 1975 to 2006 to evaluate temporal changes in the voluntary release of legally harvestable largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides at four Texas reservoirs and two Florida lakes noted for providing high‐quality largemouth bass fisheries. The voluntary release rate increased substantially over time at all six water bodies and reached asymptotic levels exceeding 0.90 in two Texas reservoirs in the early 2000s. Year explained from 68% to 96% of the variability in voluntary release rates. The level of voluntary release ranged from 0.53 to 0.99 among Texas reservoirs in the early 2000s. The increase in voluntary release over time was similar at the two Florida lakes, which had identical largemouth bass harvest regulations, but the levels differed. Catch and release of legally harvestable largemouth bass was more prevalent than harvest at five of the six water bodies included in this study but also varied across small spatial scales. Fishery managers should measure the level of voluntary release and be mindful of the potential effects of high voluntary release when considering the use of harvest restrictions to restructure largemouth bass populations.