by Steve Lochmann, posted on November 14, 2021
My rod was bent at a sharp angle. The frenzied tug on the end of my line sent a predictable shot of adrenalin through my body. My fish leapt from the water, flinging droplets reflecting the mid-morning sun in all directions. Less than a minute later, my guide had expertly removed my lure, releasing my fish to be caught again another day. I had two thoughts. That fish felt bigger while I was reeling it in and I wish I could catch a really big one. Many anglers don’t realize that what we had just done, releasing my fish, may be the reason there aren’t more big fish to catch.
Anglers that catch a fish have a choice. Unless keeping the fish is prohibited by a regulation, the angler must decide whether to release or harvest their catch. Anglers generally fall into one of three categories. Those that harvest, those that release, and proponents of both practices depending on the circumstances. Some anglers think you might as well keep fish because a hooked fish will die anyway. This isn’t true. Depending upon conditions and where the fish is hooked, most fish will survive if released (Anon. 2020). Keeping your fish in the water and allowing it to recover (see this short video https://youtu.be/kiYl41_iWGY ) will increase the chances of survival.
Photo by Steve Lochmann
Mike Allen, a fisheries professor at the University of Florida, says that anglers should consider birth rate, death rate, and growth rate of the fish population when deciding whether to release or harvest fish. If fish are growing quickly but most are caught and kept by anglers, fish managers may protect fish with a size limit. If fish are protected by a size limit, anglers should obey the regulations and release fish under the limit. However, Allen explains that lakes with lots of small fish growing slowly could benefit from harvest (Allen 2001).
Bruce Tufts, a tournament bass angler and fisheries science professor at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada says the decision to harvest or release should be based on the size of your catch. Tufts argues that big fish, especially females, make important contributions to a population and should always be released (Pyzer 2018). Catch and release is considered a conservation practice by most anglers. Catch and release of largemouth bass was popularized by the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (better known as B.A.S.S) starting around 1971 (Lamb 2018). In bass fishing tournaments today, there are penalties if your fish die before weigh-in. Some tournaments have implemented immediate weigh and release procedures to protect fish. Catch and release has been adopted by recreational anglers of all types who want to be conscientious conservationists.
The alternative to catch and release is to harvest fish you catch. Wes Neal, an Extension Specialist at Mississippi State University says harvest is important, especially in small lakes and ponds. Neal says harvest is usually required in small lakes for the fishing to be good. Small lakes are often private and don’t get as much fishing pressure as larger public lakes (Neal 2019). Because resources are not infinite, small lakes sustain a limited total weight of fish. You can have many small fish or you can have a few big fish, but you might have the same weight of fish either way. “The key is to remove smaller fish so that medium fish have more food to become big fish. For bass-bream ponds, harvest bass less than 14 inches and let bigger fish grow.”
Think of your lake or river like a momma pig. Sows have litters that average around 7-8 piglets but litters can range up to 12-14 piglets. Research shows there are negative consequences when litters are too large. A sow has to feed all those piglets. There is more competition when it’s time to nurse. If there are more piglets than nipples on the sow, some piglets may not nurse regularly. Some of the piglets may starve. Growth rates are slower for piglets from larger litters.
A lake or river, like a nursing sow, has limited food resources. A group of fish, like a litter of piglets, competes for those limited resources. Like a larger litter of piglets, a larger group of fish will experience more competition for food. Like a larger litter of piglets, growth will be slower if there are too many fish. Ultimately, to have more bigger fish you must have a group of fish that is less numerous. The way to make a group of fish less numerous is to harvest some. Anglers who don’t harvest fish because they want to be conscientious conservationists should realize their actions might have negative consequences for the fish.
Photo by Steve Lochmann
I can understand the desire of most anglers to be good stewards of fisheries resources. However, in some cases, the achievement of a management goal like more bigger fish requires removing some fish. So go ahead, take some of those smaller fish home. Enjoy the thrill of the catch followed by a great meal of fresh fish. Maybe the next time you go fishing, that big one will be waiting for you.
Biography for Steve Lochmann
I think fish are cool. I wanted to study fish when I was a kid. Now I do, so I’m pretty lucky. I take a practical view of learning and teaching about fish and fisheries science. I start my Ichthyology class by saying fish are cool because “their form follows their function”, but “there is an exception to every rule.” I begin my Fish Ecology class with the statement, “a fishes’ job is to live, grow, and reproduce.” In Fish Management, I teach “it’s all about money, politics, and biology, not necessarily in that order.”
My work includes fish that anglers like to catch (bass, crappie, and trout) and fish that aren’t sought by anglers (darters and invasive carps). I use a variety of methods to identify, follow, collect, culture, and understand fishes. I work with students, other professors, and natural resource agency biologists. Much of my time is spent crunching numbers to test hypotheses, so I use all sorts of descriptive, inferential, modeling, and multivariate statistical approaches.
References
Allen, M.S. 2001. Managing bass fisheries with size limits: Past, present, and time for change. Honey Hole: The Trophy Bass Magazine of Texas.
Anonymous. 2020. Catch and release vs harvesting your catch. https://fishanywhere.com/blog/catch-and-release-vs-harvesting-your-catch viewed on 11/12/21
Lamb, C. 2018. B.A.S.S. historical timeline. https://https://www.bassmaster.com/news/bass-historical-timeline-0 viewed on 11/12/21
Neal, J.W. 2019. Why bass harvest is so important for small waters. https://www.pondboss.com/news/inside-pond-boss/why-bass-harvest-is-so-important-for-small-waters viewed on 11/12/21
Pyzer, G. 2018. Why you should always, always, always release big fish. https://www.outdoorcanada.ca/why-you-should-always-always-always-release-big-fish/ viewed on 11/12/21
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