BFHP Bass Articles
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BFHP Bass Articles |
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Fishing Tournament Release Areas? No comment on the ethics question, but I will remark on the biology involved. As noted by DanS on the "Other Topics" pages, studies show bass will try to go home, IF THE KNOW WHERE IT IS. Without such knowledge, bass apparently either wander aimlessly or try to set up new home ranges. But, only very large and aggressive bass seem able to establish residence in other bass' territories. The home-owner (so to speak) usually has the edge in biological confrontations. Thus, many bass that can't find their way home are likely doomed to becoming wanderers, a behavior that isn't usually as efficient as home-range behavior. In most waters, school bass are thinner (lower Wr) than territorial bass. After all, bass set up territories because they find the habitat there beneficial. The condition of bass at release has a great deal to do with how they respond to release. Heavily traumatized bass may stay nearby, or run 100 to 1000 yards and then rest, for a day to a week (until they recover) before trying to reach home. Given the recent data from Oklahoman tournaments (see my Bits & Pieces item in this months In-Fisherman or earlier remarks by myself and Gene Gilliland on livewell treatments on the "Other Topics" pages) showing high mortality and incidence of illness among released bass in summer. I suspect coves around release sites have sick bass lying all over the bottom. Some are likely hungry (after all, they struck a lure to eat when first caught, but didn't get any food for the effort). These may strike again, and a second catch experience likely further traumatizes them and further increases likelihood of post-release mortality. Bass in rivers apparently have a tendency to move up-current. Release down-stream from a capture site likely allows bass to return home by natural navigation. But release upstream, unless the bass recognizes the release site and knows its way home, likely creates a wanderer. In small reservoirs, any bass that moves is likely to eventually find its way home, and many more bass have previously seen much of the lake as they wandered looking for a home range. But in the large reservoirs typically selected for major tournament events, I suggest many bass are moved too far away to have previously experienced the release area. These bass are the ones most likely to stay near the release site if they can, and to be quickly caught again due to hunger. Home range bass are likely to feed successfully most of the time and often aren't biting due to digestive inactivity. Migrant bass, in contrast, may be hungry for days at a time, because the don't know from experience where the best feeding sites are, or are run out of good sites by local, home range bass. Fishing is inherently harmful to bass. There is no doubt that they would be better off if we totally left them alone. But I'm no PETA fanatic. I think a few lost or harmed bass are worth the benefits of fishing, even tournament fishing. But, let's acknowledge that what we do is harmful and minimize this harm. Some of the things we can do to reduce harm to bass are: (1) Immediately release caught bass. This means fish paper or "for-inches" in all contests with friends (people you should be able to trust).
(2) If bass must be weighed-in, Use optimum livewell procedures. Full-time aeration, icing, chemicals, water changes, and concern) (See my In-Fisherman report).
(3) Use barbless hooks whenever possible to reduce unhooking tissue damage.
(4) Only fish for deep water bass (below 15 feet in summer, 20 feet in winter) when you are willing to either keep and eat the fish or to release them immediately using an optimum release technique (See fizzing and use of a sinker discussions on recent "Other Topics" pages.)
(5)Instead of running for home after a weigh-in, take your bass back to where you caught them for release.
(6) Remove hooks as carefully as possible. Place, don't toss, the bass back in the water. Don't swish it back and forth to aerate it -- gills are designed for one-way water flow only.
(When I fish Fork and other special limit lakes that require C&R of larger fish, I too often see hook damage where anglers have jerked hooks out in their haste to caste again , often taking away part of the jaw bone. This is not good for bass!
Regarding ethics -- this behavior is unethical in my value system, by pros or amateurs, competitive or not.)
(7) Use a slime-protective net (made of thick rubber) when allowed. Lip-land bass if nets are not allowed. Never, imitate the B.A.S.S. pros and "bounce" or swing bass into the boat to land on and flop about on the carpet. This is harmful and increases post -release mortality. (INHO, the possibility of greater monetary gain in a contest is not sufficient to cancel this ethical requirement for long-term concern for the bass and the sport.)
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