Thirty-five years ago, B.A.S.S. introduced the catch-and-release concept to tournament bass fishing. Post-tournament survival of released bass has increased significantly since then as technology has improved and angler knowledge has increased. B.A.S.S. has played a key role in publicizing the development and use of state-of-the-art fish-care techniques. The first edition of Keeping Bass Alive was a milestone publication that became the standard that anglers and tournament directors looked to for information.
In this second edition, our objective remains the same – to provide anglers with information to maximize the survival of bass that are caught and released during tournaments. We have created a guidebook that can do just that. This version of KBA hits the highlights. Anglers and tournament organizers can find more detail in the web version on www.bassmaster.com in Nation > Conservation > Keeping Bass Alive.
THE ANGLER’S ROLE IN IMPROVING SURVIVAL OF RELEASED BASS
Black bass can be “recycled.” They can be caught in tournaments, weighed-in, released, and caught again another day. Occasionally, however, fish die during a tournament. Biologists understand these consequences but studies have shown that tournaments generally have negligible impact on bass populations.
However, it is without a doubt, in tournament anglers’ best interests to do everything they can to maximize the survival of released fish – both to protect the resource and to project a positive image that will ensure the future of the sport.
KEEPING BASS ALIVE: A Guidebook For Tournament Anglers & Organizers