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Put‐and‐Take Fisheries: Investigating Catch and Retention Assumptions
Author(s) -
Ross Michael R.,
Loomis David K.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(2001)026<0013:pficar>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - fishery , fishing , micropterus , trout , bass (fish) , catch and release , fish <actinopterygii> , business , recreational fishing , biology
Abstract Several studies have shown that anglers fishing in put‐and‐take trout fisheries requiring payment of daily fishing fees or purchase of special seasonal permits consider catch/harvest elements of the angling experience to be very important. Less is known about motives and attitudes of anglers who participate in statewide put‐and‐take trout fisheries that do not require special permits. Our study used a mail questionnaire to compare motives and attitudes of Massachusetts freshwater anglers who: (1) fish most often for trout to those who fish most often for largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) and/or smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieui ); and (2) fish most often in a put‐and‐take trout fishery to those who fish most often for wild trout. Motives and attitudes of angling subgroups differed little. Although participating in a fishery offering the opportunity for high rates of catch and harvest, put‐and‐take anglers did not indicate that catch/harvest‐related factors were more important to the quality of an angling experience than did other angling subgroups. Generally, responses did not clearly separate trout anglers from bass anglers, nor put‐and‐take trout anglers from those who fish for wild trout.