Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède) catch rates decline with sustained fishing effort, even without harvest. It is unclear why declines in catch rate occur, and little research has been directed at how to improve catch rate. Learning has been proposed as a reason for declining catch rate, but has never been tested on largemouth bass. If catch rate declines because fish learn to avoid lures, periods of no fishing could be a management tool for increasing catch rate. In this study, six small impoundments with established fish populations were fished for two May to October fishing seasons to evaluate the effect of fishing effort on catch rate. Closed seasons were implemented to test whether a 2-month period of no fishing improved catch rates and to determine whether conditioning from factors other than being captured reduced catch rate. Mixed-model analysis indicated catch rate and catchability declined throughout the fishing season. Catch rate and catchability increased after a 2-month closure but soon declined to the lowest levels of the fishing season. These changes in catch rate and catchability support the conclusion of learned angler avoidance, but sustained catchability of fish not previously caught does not support that associative or social learning affected catchability. K E Y W O R D Scatch rate, fish behaviour, fish learning, fish management, largemouth bass, small impoundments

Growing appreciation of biodiversity and the role of apex predators, along with the increasing popularity of multispecies and trophy‐oriented angling, has elevated the status of gars—in particular, the Alligator Gar Atractosteus spatula—among anglers and biologists alike. As a result, considerable effort has been spent in recent years to gain a working knowledge of the biology and ecology of the species in order to advance science‐based management. In January 2019, the Alligator Gar Technical Committee of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society hosted a symposium entitled “Advances in the Conservation and Management of North American Gars” to showcase the results of research and management efforts conducted throughout the species’ range. Fishery researchers and managers presented a diversity of works, furthering our understanding of population dynamics, stock assessment, genetics, hatchery practices and stocking, habitat use, and angler desires associated with Alligator Gar fisheries. In our introduction to this special section, we introduce these works and provide a synthesis of the current state of scientific knowledge regarding the Alligator Gar. We hope that this will provide context to the works presented in the symposium and will serve to guide the development of future research that addresses the remaining knowledge gaps concerning the species and its growing fishery.

In Florida, the population status of the Alligator Gar Atractosteus spatula is unknown, and harvest of this species was prohibited in 2006. Although abundance estimates are needed, first information about its habitat use and life history is required. We examined movement, habitat use, and home range of Alligator Gars in the Escambia River, an unregulated coastal river in Florida. Twenty‐two fish (TL range = 92–193 cm) were captured by using large‐mesh gill nets and were tagged with external transmitters. Detachment of tags resulted in 16 fish being tracked for the study (tag retention time = 2–19 months). Seasonal movements of fish were monitored by active daytime tracking and via fixed‐station receivers to determine home and core ranges. Results suggested that Alligator Gar movement was seasonal and related to water temperature. Mean linear home ranges and core ranges were each approximately five times smaller during the cold season (water temperature ≤ 15°C) than during the warm season (>15°C). Diel movement and habitat information was collected (N = 8 Alligator Gars per season) from arrays of fixed‐station receivers that recorded data continuously for 24 h during deployment. Individuals moved little and at a lower travel rate during 24‐h periods in the cold season, whereas they became highly mobile during the warm season, moving at a higher travel rate. Alligator Gars spent proportionally more time in main‐channel habitat (62.5%) during the warm season and in off‐channel habitat (84.2%) during the cold season, but no difference in diel use of these habitats was evident between seasons. An understanding of movement patterns and habitat use could lead to increased catch, thereby improving the accuracy of abundance estimates and the reliability of population assessments. Comprehensive knowledge of these behaviors should help to guide conservation and management efforts in regulated and unregulated rivers throughout the Alligator Gar's range. Received January 24, 2017; accepted June 9, 2017Published online August 10, 2017

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