DISPERSAL OF TOURNAMENT CAUGHT BASS

 By Steve Magnelia
TPWD Fisheries Biologist
San Marcos, Texas
01/17/2006

One of the questions fisheries biologists are routinely questioned about is the dispersal of bass released at tournament weigh-in sites.  Do the bass stay in the area of the release site or migrate back to the area where they were caught?   While there have been many conflicting studies on this subject over the years a synopsis of twelve scientific studies was published in the journal Fisheries in 2003*.   Results indicated that only 14% of tournament caught largemouth bass and 32% of smallmouth bass returned to their sites of capture.  Fifty-one percent of the largemouth bass and 26% of the smallmouth bass dispersed less than 1 mile from their release sites.  On average smallmouth bass dispersed a greater distance (4.5 miles) from their release sites than did largemouth bass (2.2 miles).  There was no difference in the distance the fish dispersed in rivers versus reservoirs.  The results of this comprehensive study are similar to a study published in 1999 on bass released at Lake Thunderbird, Oklahoma**.  In this study 55% of tagged largemouth bass released at a tournament weigh-in site were recaptured within 1 mile of the release site.  While the results of these studies indicate that in general most bass released at tournament weigh-in sites don’t move far conditions at each reservoir probably have a bearing on dispersal distances and time spent in the release area.  If food, cover and water quality near a weigh-in site are adequate released bass don’t have to move far to find favorable conditions.  If food and cover are scarce this may increase dispersal rates and distances traveled.  The effect of concentrating adult bass around release sites on overall bass populations is unknown; however, if harvest oriented angling is high in these areas then benefits of catch-and-release by tournament groups may be reduced.

In recent years many FLW and B.A.S.S. event top finishes were made by contestants fishing near a tournament release site.  Often as a matter of convenience or tradition, on many reservoirs these sites have remained unchanged for decades.  In some cases it may be beneficial for tournament anglers to check these areas for concentrations of bass.  In a recent interview Rick Clunn discussed his approach to locating bass and made the point that many of the seasonal patterns he pioneered have evolved over time.  Locational patterns (i.e. back of the creeks in the fall), which were once only known by a few of the best anglers, are now common knowledge.  Fishing pressure has increased in these areas and anglers need to search for more subtle clues in those areas and/or non-traditional areas when attempting to locate bass.  In addition to greater fishing pressure Clunn commented that in some cases long-term tournament release sites have changed seasonal patterns and how he approaches locating bass on large reservoirs.  

With today’s high powered bass boats almost no distance can’t be traveled in an attempt to minimize the effects of fishing pressure on tournament day.  On a large reservoir like Lake Travis often the question is do I stay close and maximize fishing time or make a long run away from the pressure and find easy to catch and/or bigger bass.  After years of tournament weigh-ins in one location often the biggest concentration of keeper size bass in the reservoir are within a mile of the tournament weigh-in site.  When formulating a plan for your next tournament practice the presence of traditional weigh-in sites and recent tournaments at those sites should definitely be a consideration in your approach for locating bass.

*  Wilde, Gene R.  2003.  Dispersal of tournament caught bass.  Fisheries, Vol. 28, No. 7.

**  Gilliland, Eugene R.  1999.  Dispersal of black bass following tournament release in an Oklahoma Reservoir.  Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 53:144-149.