Longer catch-and-release time leaves largemouth bass nests more vulnerable to predators
Monday, April 7, 2014 - 11:30
in Biology & Nature
During spawning season, a largemouth bass male attentively guards its nest. Recent research at the University of Illinois found that catch-and-release angling could give bass predators the perfect opportunity to consume the young. In fact, the time spent away from the nest during a catch-and-release event and the subsequent exhaustion it creates for the male are critical to the survival of the embryos, particularly in lakes with high densities of brood predators.