04-17-2009, 04:31 PM
[quote smallmouthman]If the limits are waived only for the event, the fish are kept in livewells, and then returned to the water, I don't see what problems could arise?
.[/quote]
The problem is simple--the DWR has a slot limit to protect certain sizes/age classes of fish. Most fishermen think that fish released from livewells will automatically live and survive another day. Research, however, has shown that summer bass fishing tournaments often result in high delayed mortality of fish released from livewells and that smallmouth bass have significantly higher delayed mortality rates than largemouth bass after being released. IN fact, one study has shown that even the livewells with the most optimal livewells have higher delayed mortality rates than simple catch and release.
So, why give an exemption to tournament anglers and allow them to keep bass in livewells? Because, by doing so, fishermen are having an adverse effect on the very fish the DWR is trying to protect.
www.state.tn.us/twra/fish/Reservoir/blackbass/livebass2.pdf
http://www.texs.com/bass_mortality_study/study.htm
http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/resource...elease.htm
A sample paragraph from the third link:
"The bass taken by electrofishing and held for comparison with hook-caught fish suffered a 3.7% mortality rate. Those caught and released immediately had 1.3% mortality, bass caught, held and culled had 14.9% mortality, and fish brought to weigh-in had 39.1% mortality. The researcher in charge stated that bass mortality due to tournaments can be much higher than many fishermen believe."
Sorry, but such increases in mortality of released fish from livewells is unacceptable for fish outside of slots....
[signature]
.[/quote]
The problem is simple--the DWR has a slot limit to protect certain sizes/age classes of fish. Most fishermen think that fish released from livewells will automatically live and survive another day. Research, however, has shown that summer bass fishing tournaments often result in high delayed mortality of fish released from livewells and that smallmouth bass have significantly higher delayed mortality rates than largemouth bass after being released. IN fact, one study has shown that even the livewells with the most optimal livewells have higher delayed mortality rates than simple catch and release.
So, why give an exemption to tournament anglers and allow them to keep bass in livewells? Because, by doing so, fishermen are having an adverse effect on the very fish the DWR is trying to protect.
www.state.tn.us/twra/fish/Reservoir/blackbass/livebass2.pdf
http://www.texs.com/bass_mortality_study/study.htm
http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/resource...elease.htm
A sample paragraph from the third link:
"The bass taken by electrofishing and held for comparison with hook-caught fish suffered a 3.7% mortality rate. Those caught and released immediately had 1.3% mortality, bass caught, held and culled had 14.9% mortality, and fish brought to weigh-in had 39.1% mortality. The researcher in charge stated that bass mortality due to tournaments can be much higher than many fishermen believe."
Sorry, but such increases in mortality of released fish from livewells is unacceptable for fish outside of slots....
[signature]