The Importance of Live‐Well Transport in the Physiological Disturbance Experienced by Smallmouth Bass in Tournaments on Large Water Bodies

Abstract

Competitive fishing has become an important element of recreational fisheries for black bass Micropterus spp. in North America. The vast majority of competitive events involve a “live‐release” format, where fish are held in a boat's live well after being angled and are then released following the weigh‐in. We examined the frequency and importance of physical impacts between Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu and the walls of the live well when tournaments are held on large water bodies. Using an experimental live well that included a video recorder, we determined the number of collisions between Smallmouth Bass and the walls of the live well when a 5.6‐m boat was driven on Lake Ontario. During these experiments, 10 of 28 Smallmouth Bass lost equilibrium and became inverted. Live‐well transport also resulted in elevations of intracellular enzymes in blood plasma that were used as indicators of cell damage. The results of these experiments indicate that physical impacts with the walls of the live well may be an important factor contributing to the physiological disturbance experienced by Smallmouth Bass in tournaments on large water bodies. Our results also show that this disturbance can be reduced by simply padding the live well. These findings have important implications for fisheries managers, as well as the competitive angling community.