1. FW 479: Tournament Lit Review - 5
2/22/2019
Mobility of Riverine Smallmouth Bass Related to Tournament Displacement and Seasonal Habitat Use
Christopher M. Bunt, Steven J. Cooke and David P. Philipp
2002
American Fisheries Society Smposium 31:

2. Introduction
Most smallmouth bass are mostly sedentary, meaning home range is small and movement is limited
Tournaments coincide during times when bass are sedentary, usually midsummer
Most release of bass after tournaments occur in areas far from original habitat

3. Study Design
Hypothesis: Displaced smallmouth bass are not likely to disperse more than bass released at original capture locations
Use radiotelemetry and tagging to study the dispersal and movement of displaced bass and bass released at original capture locations

4. Study Area and Methods Grand River, Ontario
Location of capture and weight were recorded for bass caught in tournaments, then tagged and released in 1996, 1997 and 1998
In the final year fish were radio tagged and movement was tracked
Recapture locations of tagged fish were recorded to measure movement and displacement

5. Results All bass remained within 1 km of release site for 1-11 months
Past studies have shown that some displaced bass will travel to original capture sight, but occurrences are uncommon
Season and age may determine movement
Some displaced fish moved more than nondisplaced fish, however most bass did not show significant movement from release sites during the first weeks of release

6. Discussion
By concentrating large smallmouth bass in areas with easy access (tournament release sites) the availability of fish to anglers increased
Behavior of bass after tournament release may increase vulnerability to angling following tournaments
Suggestions: tournament-released bass should not be released in areas with high access to anglers

7. Thank you and have a nice day
??Questions??
Thank you and have a nice day