Quantifying individual contribution to largemouth bass reproduction: Exploring the effects of spring fishing, habitat and reproductive behavior

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) are among the most popular game fish in North America. Bass are also recognized as a keystone species because of their ecological impact on the systems they inhabit. Angling during the spring reproductive period of largemouth bass is controversial because of fears of potential negative population level impacts. However the relative influence of angling versus natural features on male reproductive success and recruitment are not fully understood. Relevant ecological questions about largemouth bass mating behavior such as the number of individuals that contribute to recruitment, and patterns of YOY dispersal also remain, and are important for management because they could mediate angling effects on bass reproduction. We integrated field observations, experimental angling and genetic techniques to assess the relative effects of angling and natural features on male success, document mating behavior and explore YOY dispersal. Analysis revealed that natural features of male nests were more important than angling to a males contribution to recruitment, however nests receiving experimental angling produced roughly 3x fewer YOY than control nests. On average 3.4 females contributed to individual nests in Warner Lake, and 51% of nests had evidence of cuckoldry. Less than 10% of the adult population contributed to recruitment in any one year in either lake. YOY bass dispersed on average 300 m from their nest of origin, and related YOY were no closer together on average than randomly selected YOY bass. Ultimately habitat features may be more important than angling for YOY recruitment and substantial inter-population differences in mating behavior may exist.