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How Well Does a Closed Season Protect Spawning Bass in Ontario?
Mark Kubacki, Frank Phelan, Julie Claussen and David Philipp
American Fisheries Society Symposium (2002)
Chris Carman
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Spawning OverviewLargemouth and smallmouth bass
Temperatures near 15° C.Males guard nests and fry
Are extremely aggressive
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Self-sustaining populationsClosed fishing periodsCatch and release regulationsLength/harvest limit combinations
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Ontario RegulationsClosed season from Oct. 15/Nov. 30 – last Saturday in June
Eliminate harvest of male bassMaximize reproductive success
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Major QuestionsHow well does the closed season coincide with the full reproductive period?
What percent of angling effort targets nesting bass during the closed season?
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Ontario Study AreasLake OpiniconCharleston LakeMississippi River (tributary of the Ottawa River)
St. Lawrence River
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MethodsMonitored reproductive effort
Twice on weekdays, once on weekends1990 - 2001
Assessed angling effortTwice on weekdays, once on weekends1990 - 1992
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Major Findings• Smallmouths guard broods
longer than largemouths– SMB 18 ~ 31 days– LMB 12 ~ 23 days
• Fry develop and become independent quicker in waters that warm quickly
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Figure 1. Annual Variation
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Table 1. Successful Completion
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Table 2. Angler Effort
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Recommendations30-40 percent of littoral area designated as a seasonal sanctuary
Duration determined by spawning schedules of resident bassRemainder of lake catch-and-release
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As a result…Cleaner definitions of legal/illegal angling activitiesEasier and more effective enforcementDecreased interaction between anglers and lakeshore property owners
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Further StudiesRelationships between numbers of adults and size of year classMeasuring if/how angling for nesting bass impacts recruitment
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Questions
