Experimental Population Reduction of Largemouth Bass from an Overpopulated Tropical Reservoir: Impacts on Predators and Prey
Behavioral shifts by bass (Micropterus spp.) anglers toward catch and release practices has severely decreased the ability of managers to control predator-prey dynamics and reduced effectiveness of harvest as a management tool. Lack of harvest reduces managers’ ability to use harvest regulations to influence bass growth and can result in slower growth and poor condition due to excessive predator abundance and reduced prey availability. This scenario appears to have developed in a tropical reservoir where angler harvest has been limited. Largemouth bass (M. nigricans) were...