Hook Wound Longevity and Use as an Indicator of Largemouth Bass Catch‐and‐Release Angling Pressure

Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides (hereafter, “bass”) is a popular sport fish primarily targeted for catch‐and‐release angling. Hook wounds obtained during angling may provide a short‐term mark that could provide an estimate of angling pressure. However, assessments of hook wound detection and longevity and the relationship between the proportion of bass with hook wounds and angler catches are needed before this mark can be validated. We conducted an experimental evaluation to determine the detectability and longevity of hook wounds in bass angled with two different lure types (single hook and crankbait) during May and July, 2015. Next, we evaluated the proportion of bass displaying hook wounds and the frequency of hook wounds in five mouth locations for 369 bass captured during 16 tournaments. Finally, we evaluated the relationship between the number of bass captured at tournaments and the proportion of bass with hook wounds captured by means of electrofishing to demonstrate the application of this technique in the assessment of angling pressure. Hook wounds were detected in 100% of experimentally angled bass on the day of capture. The lowest detection (73%) occurred on day 3, and wounds were detected in 91% of the bass on day 7. In May, 27% of hook wounds were healed (i.e., not detected for the remainder of the observation period) by day 6, whereas 12% of hook wounds were healed by day 6 in July. Hook wounds were detected in 84% of bass captured in tournaments and were evenly distributed among five mouth locations. Finally, the proportion of bass exhibiting hook wounds and captured by means of electrofishing between April and October ranged between 5% and 46% and was positively related to the number of bass weighed at the tournaments. Combined, our results indicate that hook wounds could represent a useful short‐term method of marking for estimating angling pressure.