Theses and Dissertations

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Allen, Peter J.

Committee Member

Schramm, Harold L., Jr

Committee Member

Colvin, Michael E.

Date of Degree

12-8-2017

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Forest Resources

Department

Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture

Abstract

Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides is the most sought after species by recreational anglers in the United States. Survival of angled and tournament-handled Largemouth Bass is related to numerous factors; however, the independent effects of water temperature, angling time, and live well dissolved oxygen concentration on survival have not been measured. Survival was evaluated in simulated catch and release and tournament trials over the range of temperatures encountered by Largemouth Bass anglers (17-33°C) while also testing independent effects of angling time, live well temperature, and live well dissolved oxygen treatments. Caught-and-released Largemouth Bass experienced 100% survival at temperatures ≤33°C after 1 minute of angling, but survival decreased with additional angling time. Survival declined in tournament-handled fish at 33°C; however, high survival was shown to be possible at ≤29°C after 1-minute angling time, confinement in live wells containing less than ambient temperatures and dissolved oxygen ≥5.5 mg/L, and organized in-water weigh-in procedures.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/19466

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