[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Oct-06-05 AT 05:23PM (EST)[/font][p]
Please read the following. You can find the entire document at the address below. I hope this will increase your knowledge on the subject.
I know B.A.S.S. had a good article, but you must remember that this organization is a special interest group with a focus on tournament related issues. They are bias with the slant being toward bass tournaments.
I would encourage you to read some studies performed by qualified fisheries biologist.
http://cc.msnscache.com/cache.aspx?q...-US&FORM=CVRE4
Summer tournament mortality has been cited as a significant cause of largemouth bass mortality in several studies (Plumb et al. 1988; Taylor 1990; Schramm et al. 1991) . Weathers and Newman (1997) found that the use of several organizational procedures during summer bass tournaments significantly reduced mortality during and after weigh-ins in Alabama. Most important of these
procedures was adequate water quality in boat livewells and recovery tanks, sufficiently low air temperature during weigh in (< 90 degrees F), low numbers of anglers weighed in during 30 minute intervals (< 50), and expedience of weigh-in (shorter holding times are better).Flowthrough boat livewells containing greater than 6 ppm oxygen have also been found to
significantly reduce tournament post-release mortality (Gilliland 1997a).
A recent study found that delayed and total mortality rates reported for tournament caught bass during the 1990s were not significantly different from those observed during the 1980s (Wilde 1998). This finding suggests that recommendations made by fisheries researchers have not been heeded or utilized by tournament organizers. The same study indicated that tournament-related mortality caused most delayed mortality and could be reduced by practices such as: 1) restricting or prohibiting fishing gears that can be swallowed deeply or otherwise injure fish during hooking, playing, and landing; 2) restricting numbers and types of tournaments held during warmer months; 3) reducing stress on larger fish by encouraging early weigh-in and release;
4)adopting alternatives to traditional weigh-in procedures (i.e. fish are caught, photographed or measured, and immediately released). Although the TWRA has not established criteria or regulations requiring any of these procedures, bass tournament administrators are strongly encouraged to incorporate them when organizing bass fishing events.
1. Post-release mortality - Most organized bass fishing events endorse catch and release. However, recent studies indicate that overall tournament mortality rates range from very low to as high as 60% for released fish, and mortality is especially high during the summer months (Shramm et al. 1991a). Fishing tournament participants must abide by TWRA’s daily catch limits which are designed to prevent depletion of quality sized bass. Most tournament organizers are committed to live release of bass, but must continue refining their techniques to promote survival.
2. Displacement of fish - Tournament weigh-ins are generally held at boat ramps where fish are weighed and held in recovery tanks prior to release. Largemouth bass have a tendency to remain close to where they were released, which may impact densities in other parts of the reservoir and cause higher potential for competition near the release site (Stang et al. 1996; Healey 1990 ).
3. Conflict with other user groups - Approximately 10% of anglers interviewed in the TWRA’s annual phone survey complained of interference with tournament anglers (Fly et al. 1997). Tournament anglers can greatly reduce ramp and parking space at departure points, making it difficult for other users to access the reservoir. Many of these problems are compounded by increasing numbers of reservoir users competing for inadequate numbers of access facilities with insuffient funding for maintenance and expansion (National Recreation Lakes Study Commission 1999).
You can find another good article at:
http://www.bassresource.com/fish_bio...ummer_bass.htm