Biases and Utility of Angler Catch Data for Assessing Size Structure and Density of Largemouth Bass

Abstract

Sizes and numbers of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) caught by anglers from impoundments in Kansas reflected angler intention and depended upon fishing technique. Tournament bass anglers, non-tournament bass anglers, and non-bass anglers each caught different sizes of largemouth bass in different proportions and at different rates (fish/angler.h). Biases related to fishing technique, to seasonal changes in fish population dynamics and vulnerability, and to the influences of repeated catch of the same fish, all had to be interpreted before angler catch data could be used to reliably portray largemouth bass size structure and index density.