A Simple Model for Predicting Survival of Angler‐Caught and Released Largemouth Bass

Abstract

We conducted a controlled experiment in the laboratory to assess the influence of anatomical hooking location and water temperature on survival of angler‐caught and released largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides. Survival was 98% (58 of 59 fish) among fish that were hand‐hooked within the oral cavity (including the gills), whereas survival was 66% (33 of 50 fish) among fish that were hand‐hooked in the esophagus. Survival of hooked fish was not significantly influenced by water temperature (7‐27°C) or the hooking location × water temperature interaction. We combined our results with prior research to develop a predictive model of largemouth bass survival, which was 98.3% (SD = 1.87%) for fish hooked in the oral cavity and 55.0% (SD = 9.70%) for fish hooked in the esophagus. The model is valid for water temperatures ranging from 7°C to 27°C and allows one to estimate, with known precision, the survival of angler‐caught and released largemouth bass without the need for controlled studies or for holding fish in pens or cages to assess delayed mortality.

Survival of Foul-Hooked Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)

“…Survival of foul-hooked sand flathead (Platycephalus bassensis) was loo%, which was similar to survival rate of sand flathead hooked in the mouth (99.6%) and greater than the survival rate of sand flathead hooked in the esophagus and stomach (64%, Lyle et al 2007). We found that survival of foul-hooked largemouth bass was 100% (this study), which was similar to the survival rate of largemouth bass hooked in the mouth (98.3%, Wilde and Pope 2008; loo%, this study) and greater than the survival rate of esophagus-hooked largemouth bass (55%, Wilde and Pope 2008). Thus, results from the limited number of studies suggest that survival rates for foul-hooked fish vary among species and that survival associated with hooking fish external to the oral cavity is greater than survival of fish hooked in the esophagus and stomach.…”

“…Survival of captured largemouth bass was expected to exceed 90% (Pelzman, 1978, Wilde andPope, 2008). Thus, we chose a target sample size of 25 largemouth bass 2200-mm total length (TL) for each treatment.…”

“…Holding pens were checked daily over three days, a common observation period for survival studies pelson 1998, DunmaH et al 200 1, Edwards et al 2004, Stunz andMcKee 2006) and a period that is appropriate for largemouth bass (Wilde and Pope 2008). After three days, surviving largemouth bass were released back into the impoundment.…”

“…Eariier, we investigated the relationships between water temperature and anatomical site of hooking with survival of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) to develop a predictive model (Wilde and Pope 2008). We found that survival was unrelated to water temperature, from 7 to 27 "C, and that survival was 98.3% for fish hooked in the mouth and 55.0% for fish hooked in the esophagus.…”

Does lure colour influence catch per unit effort, fish capture size and hooking injury in angled largemouth bass?

“…Catch-and-release mortality can be acute, generally associated with injury or stress, or come in the form of delayed mortality, which often includes a disease component (Arlinghaus et al, 2007). Of all the potential factors that influence hooking mortality, location of hooking injury is the best determinant of mortality (Bartholomew and Bohnsack, 2005;Muoneke and Childress, 1994), including for largemouth bass (Wilde and Pope, 2008). Shallow hooking locations such as the jaw region tend to have comparatively lower levels of mortality than deeper locations such as the gill or gullet.…”