Balancing Fisheries Management and Water Uses for Impounded River Systems

<em>Abstract</em>.—Rates of voluntary release of legally harvestable largemouth bass <em>Micropterus salmoides </em>have increased over the past few decades, causing managers concern that this behavior is reducing the effectiveness of harvest restriction regulations. We conducted an angler survey to assess the degree to which Texas anglers practice voluntary release, their attitudes towards harvest and slot-length regulations, and factors that influence these attitudes and actions. Our sampling frame consisted of a random sample of general fishing license holders and anglers intercepted by creel surveys on reservoirs managed with a slot-length limit for largemouth bass. Seventy-one percent of largemouth bass anglers reported that they rarely or never harvest fish smaller than the slot. Concerns with contaminants, value of fish as food, or the influence of peers were not reported to be strong factors in their decision to release fish. Increases to the minimum size of the protected slot range or an increase in the daily bag were not effective incentives for harvest of small largemouth bass. Anglers intercepted on slot lakes appeared to have a better understanding of the rationale for slot-length limits and are more likely to harvest fish smaller than the slot. The propensity for general fishing license holders to release small largemouth bass appears to be motivated by a perceived conservation ethic. More anglers rely on friends, magazines, television, and Web sites than other informational sources. We believe these results can be used to enhance effectiveness of educational efforts to encourage angler harvest of largemouth bass smaller than protected slot-length ranges.