M. Bennett Wynne

Evaluation of a Protected Slot Regulation for Largemouth Bass on Lake Sutton, North Carolina

A 305-406 mm protective slot and 4 fish daily creel limit, allowing harvest of 2 fish <305 mm, was placed on largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Lake Sutton during July 1989. The purpose of the regulation was to protect slot length bass and increase the angler catch rate for bass >400 mm. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the regulation's effectiveness by comparing size distributions, PSD and RSD40 of fish captured by electrofishing and anglers, as well as angler catch rates of bass >400 mm, before and after the regulation change. Daytime spring shoreline...