This STUDY Reveals Our BIGGEST Fishing FEAR

This bass fishing study may change the way you think about fishing!
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Video Credit
‪@SteveRogersOutdoors‬
‪@MajorLeagueFishing‬
‪@thenatureoffishing7591‬
Study 1 - repository.lib.ncsu.edu/bitst...
Study 2 - www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
Study 3 -www.researchgate.net/publicat...
Study 4 - seafwa.org/sites/default/file...
Study 5 - seafwa.org/sites/default/file...
I have heard anglers say that fishing is being ruined..that technology, charters, tournaments and simply fishing pressure is negatively impacting the sport of fishing for generations to come.
I mean what if you went to go fishing one day…and there was no fish to be caught? What if our fish populations were gone? One might say this is the greatest fear a fisherman could have… but what does science say?
This 1 study may completely change the way you think about fishing and the impact it is having on our fisheries.
Since I started competitively bass fishing nearly 20 years ago…I have heard that same sentiment time and time again. “You’re killing our lakes”...and when you look into studies that have been done on Bass Tournament Mortality you’d be shocked to find that it has been documented that delayed mortality can be as high as 68%,! Now, while that was an extreme outlier, many other studies have shown that about 25-30% of tournament retained bass die shortly after being released.
Now this obviously makes a lot of recreational anglers mad at tournament anglers….BUT..…you also go to the lake and occasionally see recreational anglers intentionally harvesting bass for the dinner table, in which case 100% die. ANNNDD if you are simply a catch, weigh, release angler..you are NOT off the hook. Another study conducted in Texas specifically on catch and release bass showed 22% of the bas s caught and released died within 72 Hours due to a number of factors like being hooked deeply and mishandling of the fish. Mix in social media and you now have a brotherhood of fisherman that are simply divided…
But at the end of the day…no matter what side of the fence you think you’re on…nobody wants to see our fisheries go to trash…so as anglers we should be asking the question….are we actually killing our lakes?
That's the question I was asking myself…so…a few weeks ago I decided to do a deep dive, I started scouring internet databases for scientific papers, I talked to different fisheries biologist to hear their input, and I found 4 different studies that were done in Minnesota, Connecticut and TEXAS that spoke about the impact anglers had on a bass population.
BassFishingHQ is dedicated to teaching people how to catch more and bigger bass. I will go over different bass fishing tips & techniques that will put more fish in the boat or on the shore. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned tournament angler, my goal is to help you catch more bass.
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!

[@BassFishingHQ]

Get 15% off Bass Hats - finnfishing.com/products/bass-hat

[@johnpollard744]

A lake is way more complicated than studies of a single species. However, it is my experience that people care less about the natural aquatic environment if there is a lack of sport species in that environment. Fishing for sport and recreation vastly improve our waterways, lakes, and ponds.

[@shperax]

Here in Canada, your daily limit is also your possession limit. You cannot go out and keep more fish without consuming the fish from your freezer.

[@Swamplemur]

Cops these days will shoot or give your DUI + jail time due to this hat on the claim of 'I smelled alcohol'

[@jameslawrence3669]

The biggest issue I see in my area are foreigners that don't understand that there are limits set on the size and number of fish you can keep. They take home everything they catch.

[@opinionatedviewer7730]

You from metro Detroit area?

[@bradleyrussell1973]

Report game law violations!!! It’s up to YOU!

[@PaintballShyguy]

Happens alot..

[@S2pidMedia]

​@@bradleyrussell1973fish and game doesn't like to bother foreigners. They don't want any discrimination suits.

[@IAmTheOriginalDan]

Here in nor cal it's the Asians and the Mexicans

[@hokep61]

Talked to a local (NE Oklahoma) fisheries biologists a while back about Crappie. He mentioned that holding a larger Crappie by the jaw and then trying to crank it up level....without supporting the body with other hand, normally will break its jaw or at least dislocate it. Fish can no longer feed properly and probably die. Same was basically true for Bass. If you wanted that photo op....hold it hanging straight down or support with both hands.

[@expomm]

True, in Switzerland is forbidden to grab the fish by jaw or mandíbula, if u do, that fish will die after release, more education is needed. Also grabbing the fish with wet bare hands is enforced, this preserves the slime on the skin that protects the fish from infections.

[@AscheOfTheLake]

I feel like I'm in the minority of people who don't feel a need to take a picture of a fish I'm not keeping.

[@WeAllLaughDownHere-ne2ou]

One solid way to reduce bass mortality it to use circle hooks. Not popular at ALL. And I've probably lost some fish due to it, but not a single gill hook, swallowed hook or snag. I don't even need to use pliers to remove them. Secondly, stop holding big bass by just their bottom jaw. Any fish over five pounds is getting injured that way.

[@over1498]

How well does that work for bass, would you say it’s 75% as effective? 90%? I hadn’t fished inshore for bass since I was a kid, exclusively used circle hooks while fishing jetty’s and inlets for years. But now I’m living on a lake and doing a lot of small bass fishing. I didn’t know circle was an option, wondering how it works!

[@WeAllLaughDownHere-ne2ou]

@over1498 I think it's about 80% as effective but I might be using the wrong size circle hooks for fish in my area. Or it's a skill issue on my part. Idk.

[@sd0753]

Circle hooks are pretty ineffective when used with lures. A circle hooks works when the fish swallows the bait, turns, and swims. The hook gets pulled out and gets caught in the corner of the mouth. Especially with hard baits, bass realize the lure isn't food and split the lure out before they turn and swim away. Then you also have to consider most bass are caught in areas with a ton of weeds. You can't rig a circle hook to be weedless

[@VAFSH4LIF]

Mosquito lake and Portage are both a testament to properly managed lakes. Those two lakes get a LOT of pressure and even an average angler can have a decent day catching a limit. Great video as usual.

[@genemoorman3065]

Why doesn't Ohio DNR stock Largemouth or Smallmouth bass in lakes. They will stock saugeye, which dont reproduce, as well as Muskie but I have yet to hear of them stocking Largemouth or Smallmouth in lakes. There are tournaments on our lakes targeting these every weekend but you never hear of Saugeye, Muskie, Crappie or other species being targeted in tournaments. It would seem to me that if the mortality of LMB is as bad as you say then they should be stocking to replenish the stock. I think they should also limit tournaments during the spawn. Portage and Mosquito might be properly managed but Caeser's Creek lake in my area of Ohio is also known as "The Dead Sea".

[@gregc7314]

One issue not addressed and has been studied is that of bass catchability. Some bass are just not suspectable to being caught. And these traits are passed down to their offspring. By killing catchable bass in one way or another, uncatchable bass populations increase. One of these studies was done with two ponds. All the fish caught were tagged. They drained the ponds, put all the bass that had been caught in one and the bass that were never caught in another. Guess which one pond was impossible to catch bass in? Here in Souther California, our lakes have been subjected tremendous pressure for decades. There are some organized tournaments (not clubs) with some very good fisherman where the entire field blanks. That never happened 20 years ago.

[@jefflemieux8834]

Totally agree. Castaic lake is hardly producing large bass like back in the day. Pyramid also.

[@fishwhistler758]

The bass probably migrated out of califiornia like human residents. 😂

[@purplejakman]

​@@fishwhistler758well the only human residents that left California are the undesirables so if the bass could do that also that would be great. California has a way with letting the trash take itself out

[@smittyINC]

The humans brought their bass with them to the other two more friendly states.

[@dennisradtke8939]

Really, do those Bass go to school to learn that trait? Bass and all fish have a pea brain, they do not think, reason, or make decisions until they bite my hook.

[@JustJoshua73]

I’m a catch and release bank angler only guy. Appreciate you sharing videos like this. I learn a lot from them.

[@Urmothasmothasmotha]

Just say you can’t afford a boat😅

[@JustJoshua73]

I’m too old to care for a boat. And I actually enjoy bank angling. Never been on any boat and at my age why start now? Not really anything to do with money. But believe whatever you want. Cheers!

[@ykonratev]

@@Urmothasmothasmotha bro literally anyone can afford a boat. The issue is the work dealing with the boat....

[@Urmothasmothasmotha]

@@ykonratev time is money bud

[@Urmothasmothasmotha]

@@JustJoshua73 you’ve never been on ANY boat? Age don’t really got anything to do with that. sounds more like you’re afraid of being on the water.

[@mr.goodbass9445]

Socal is already ruined. All of our major lakes are so highly pressured it's always a skunk fest. The bass won't hit anything artificial. They are smart. Also, the fish are gone! Certain groups or types of people keep and eat everything they catch, regardless of size or species.

[@giantchasers]

Same in Georgia. Too many catch n cooks

[@andrewdevlin8756]

The fish are not gone. Bass aren’t even native to socal lol. And I highly doubt they’ll be extirpated. If anything it’s good they’re not responding to lures. Like you’re complaining about not being able to do the same thing that you hate others doing. Does that not strike you as being incredibly selfish?

[@Daveeeeeeyhowyoudoing]

I have not been skunked in 8 years😂 I go fishing about once or twice a month at a bunch of lakes in Socal... You must just suck, I don't even use a live scope 💀

[@andrewdevlin8756]

@@giantchasers no there clearly isn’t lmao. Georgia has a ridiculous amount of bass. You’re clearly just as much to blame for them being harder to catch than everyone else.

[@giantchasers]

@@andrewdevlin8756 these Ga boys like to eat. Sucks

[@heyjim52]

Personally I like to see a tournament where no electronics is allowed , go out there and fish blind just your wits and your tackle no other aids other than your boat.

[@user-pq6jf4hl2o]

I mean this isn't uncommon most guys look for there spot visually

[@FTsingos]

watching this video. As a catch and release recreational fisherman, I try my hardest to ensure a survival.

[@no_regerts5176]

That’s awesome. I’m kind of a converted salmon/steelhead guy and have found certain things we do to prevent wild fish kill also translate well to bass. I started pinching barbs (required in my state for salmon/steelhead) and started using hooks with a different gap to help keep fish hooked rather than barbs.

[@no_regerts5176]

Another thing, which might sound stupid, is I avoid certain lures that fish tend to hit aggressively and swallow. Football jigs and Carolina rigs are examples.

[@burberryducks6481]

What hooks do you use?

[@WeAllLaughDownHere-ne2ou]

Circle hooks ensure a good lip hook!

[@AscheOfTheLake]

​@@WeAllLaughDownHere-ne2ou been switching to them since I learned that a couple years ago.

[@mitchc5538]

Thanks for doing this to illustrate the decline that I’ve experienced as well. I think theprocess of stuffing 4-5 trophy smallies in a box and all the stress that goes with that is too harmful for those old beasts. I think catch and release is the only hope we have. MLF does it right

[@codybertram6122]

The ned rig is the worst and I’ve caught so many “helmet head” small largemouth that have had their jaw reconstructed from a 5/0 flipping hook. the slack line hookset some of these guys throw with braid they dam near rip the head off of little guys. They feel a nibble and they load up for the strongest hook set they can. Requiring barbless hooks would somewhat help.

[@justinchaffin8887]

Great video. It takes time to fully dive into a paper and understand them as well as you do, and then to make a high quality video. Good job and thanks

[@fastmattmattmatt]

The launches by us have 100’s of trophy size bass floating after tournaments because they were bounced around in a livewell all day. Tournaments need to all be catch and immediate release if they want to see the lakes thrive and true trophy sizes become available.

[@rayhollingsworth2588]

That was very interesting and informative. Thank you for taking the time to educate us.👍

[@Lsmoe]

Thanks BFHQ for videos like this. This 62yr old OG has learned so much from this channel. Thanks for all you hard work. God bless

[@JackcatsandbassYT]

This is actually awesome! I love listening to studies like this.

[@chungpham4592]

Thank you for this collaboration. Considering the compounded effect over time, bass would be highly concentrated at their release sites, potentially leading to their entire population being caught within a few years, especially if one-third were caught in just a single year.

[@mikelembke5121]

Bass migrate back to where they were caught in a couple weeks, a conservation study proved this, only thing that slows them down is bait fish or crawfish

[@theman4884]

I take it just the opposite. 38% of all fish in the lake being caught over the course of the year seems huge.

[@jamesjohnson6841]

Thanks for posting this Tyler, it definitely makes me rethink my stance on Alum Creek being destroyed by all the fishing pressure.

[@formerIWUcoachDDD]

I love your very, very informative videos Tyler. Bass studies, line strength studies, knot studies, etc. Keep up the great work!

[@bradleyrussell1973]

When everybody wises up and uses the layout we use in kayak tournaments, mortality will be NEAR ZERO PERCENT!!! We use Tourney X (as do several pro circuits like MLF) to record the gps location of the photo taken with the fish on a certified, official rule board, time and date of photo, and best of all, the photo MUST BE ACCEPTED by non-competitor judges who cerify the fish was measured correctly, that the identification number for the event is correct, and most importantly, that the fish appears 100% alive. They may even ask for extra photos if there is any question, so we take three or four of each fish, and release them IMMEDIATELY where they were caught! Not removed from their beds and hauled 80 miles down the lake in a small box with four other terrified bass, bumping and banging in the ride of their life, literally. Wise up people!!!!! We are beyond having to have weigh-ins! We should at LEAST consider only bringing our largest fish in, because TourneyX automatically tallies our 5 longest for the day.

[@charlesmoore9970]

Guess you missed that part of the study! Even catch and release is 22%

[@kota1148]

i believe he is forgoing the inherent stress deaths that happen with fishing that can be seen in catch and release. I think thats less of a factor in alot of cases than what he was saying with fish being stuffed in a livewell for inperson weigh ins, fish experience a lot more stress in that than just a quick picture and off into the water.@@charlesmoore9970

[@whitedragon153]

@@charlesmoore9970 Also, missed the part were was it 2 of the studies said that it was only causing a loss of 1% to 3% a year and was considered negligible. Where as the ones who catch and eat the limit would have a higher impact on the lakes fish. Especially when they go for a weekend with their family and relatives and 5+ kids and pull in limits for every person and kid they have each day they are there. And you see 20 other "families" doing the same thing that weekend. This weekend is any weekend you personally finally get time time to get to the lake, thus for them it is every weekend because they are always there doing this...

[@kutsrichard]

😅i😅o😅 I’m😊f

[@camdenfurry5187]

Alot of it is due to mishandling. In kayak tournaments the fish is released almost immediately.​@charlesmoore9970

[@comfortablynumb9342]

Unfortunately I think if you want bass to catch in the future it's going to take a lot more hatcheries and stocking. It doesn't seem like the population can stand up to the pressure. But the economy is dependent on the fish, and fish are important to the ecosystem. So the only solution I can think of is stocking fish.

[@Dlezman_fishing]

Very interesting information. I appreciate you documenting this. Thanks

[@mikeelder6298]

Decades ago Arkansas Game and Fish came to a local slough to do a fish count. I've been told by an old timer that before the AGFC did their fish count that the slough was a really good place to fish, needless to say after the fish count it became a place where catching a fish was rare. It still to this day hasn't recovered.

[@joearceneaux9854]

No population recovery after decades? Something else is wrong, if what you say is true. My creds? Retired fishery biologist.

[@digitaldevilry8525]

As a Texan I am happy our fisheries are so well managed. Great video! I wonder if you could follow up with a few additional stats taking into consideration the juvenile population of bass as well. While a 38% figure may sound high, it's hard to judge without at least an estimation of the TOTAL population of fish. Legal in this case would be a 14 inch plus fish. As long as the juvenile population can sustain fishing, there is hope in deed that my kids and grandkids will enjoy fishing for many years to come!

[@haroldrogers6566]

Went fishing Saturday on Tennessee River. Couldn’t buy a fish on the bank or normal spots. Threw out IN the middle of the river and caught a 4.3 Smallmouth. Sometimes the fish ain’t where we are casting. They’re somewhere else I found out. Just saying 🤔😁

[@damiandebenedetto6068]

Nice job . . . excellent research and presentation. Videos like these set your channel above others. Keep up the good work!

[@josephmoore9992]

Awesome video can't wait to see what else you have in store 👍

[@brianathern9154]

It's always good to have data from the fisheries biologist surveys. I had the opportunity to speak with a Wisconsin DNR person about 6 weeks ago. He let me know that the day prior catch of a trophy walleye was actually surveyed the previous year. It had a pec fin clipped. I had several pics on my phone and didn't notice that

[@austinmannigel8611]

Hey Brian, I’m not sure if you are aware or not but there is a website with the spring fisheries survey data from the Wisconsin DNR.

[@brianathern9154]

@@austinmannigel8611 I was not. Thanks Austin. I'll look into this for the lake we were on

[@sicariofishing]

Although this has nothing to do with my fisheries, I truly love watching informative videos like this. See im in Mexico, anglers out here would say its useless but to me all this information allows me to better understand my opponent and work as a team if that makes any sense 😅

[@Oldbasshole]

Very interesting video ! Great stuff here . Thanks for doing this

[@burdettehoeppner1062]

Great informative video. Thanks for this great information.

[@Oscar11060]

Dude the quality of this video is fantastic!

[@BassFishingHQ]

I appreciate that. Spent a lot of time on it

[@Scout166]

Nice to see this video got posted! I've been waiting for another study video to happen, it brings light to important topics and addresses myths in fishing (Also first comment)

[@christophershelton1735]

Awesome video. I appreciate you doing the homework for us.

[@kenneth0795]

I enjoy your videos on Bass and Bass studies. Thanks for sharing

[@maxcole3930]

Very interesting! Obviously every lake, habitat, species, populations are different. I'm sure the smaller the lake the harder it is on it. I've found a small lake that has some amazing largmouth in it, & it doesn't have a ton of pressure at all. It's full 4-8lb bass. I've caught a 8.6 a 9.3 & my current PB an 11.4 this summer. I've also seen a guy with a 13 lber which was the biggest largmouth I've ever seen in person. It fishes very tough though. Spend lots of days getting only a couple bites to getting skunked. But I finally think I started figuring out how to key in on the bigs there. They are big smart bass for sure, not easy to catch

[@ShardsOfNarsil]

You in Florida?

[@dustinwalker8152]

The scientific videos are my hands down favorite. I don't care if it is about fish populations, angler impact, bass phisiology, etc. They're all my favorite and, Tyler, you do a solid job presenting them.

[@IndianaSmallmouth]

Don't mistake this for science.

[@explosivemallard8038]

@@IndianaSmallmouth As far as KZbin bass fishing videos go, this is one of the most scientific. Reading studies is absolutely more scientific.

[@larrystolzman9337]

Awesome information. Thank you!

[@BenEaddy]

Just got back from Sam Rayburn a few days ago. This is an eye opening video! Thanks for the info and keep 'em coming Ty!

[@approachingtarget.4503]

Whi the hell keeps bass?

[@timmontano8792]

I'd like to see a video along these same lines but having to do with the chemical contamination of the bass in a given lake. I ask because here in Arizona, some of our fisheries are so contaminated with mercury that our Arizona Game and Fish department has a dedicated webpage they call their, "Fish Consumption Advisory." That page lists the bodies of water and the types of fish and the amounts of those fish that one should or shouldn't consume. I'm sure Arizona isn't the only state with this kind of pollution in the water that affects the fish themselves, it also affects those who consume them. Other states must have similar problems.

[@neilwraske7163]

California delta does. Those consumption warning signs are on every pier and boat launch area

[@RedJerk5]

CT has warnings too for certain bodies of water. Some fisheries advise no consumption of the fish due to heavy metals

[@noahfyan9617]

Yup New York has that for our major rivers and some lakes

[@ykonratev]

its not just Arizona its the whole country

[@Hugh_Jassle]

The mercury in many Arizona lakes are natural. The high concentration is caused by the total volume of water decreasing drastically. I would not call it "pollution" but it certainly is a human issue.

[@davelips]

One factor not considered is the loss of natural habitat due to overdevelopment on these lakes. Commercial and residential properties with trucked in sand, rocks or concrete blocks disturb the natural environment and can have huge impacts around spawning habits along the shorline. Weeding machines, agriculture, excess sediment and fertilizers also negatively impact the water columns that feed these bodies of water as well. When I was younger, many of the small to medium size lakes throughout Wisconsin were minimally developed and you could fish from the bank almost anywhere you wanted. Now it's all developed with vacation homes, and if you don't have a boat your only option is the boat ramp.

[@todddickinson3262]

Fascinating video!!Very well done man!!

[@secretbassrigs]

In California there is a lot of poaching happening, and it's getting worse with the open borders.

[@explosivemallard8038]

bUt tHE ImMIGraNTs!!1!1!

[@electrickflame353]

The Snakehead fish and the Chinese Carp are killing our lakes!

[@NarleyAdventures]

Idiots releasing their "pets" when they get too big.

[@smittyINC]

Your fault.

[@AscheOfTheLake]

And zebra mussels.

[@AscheOfTheLake]

​@@smittyINChow do you figure? Snakehead ended up in the lakes due to aquarium releases (same as introducing goldfish into the lakes). The Asian carp were initially used to control pests in places where fish are farmed for commerical sales, and ended up in the wild. So unless someone he has dumped their domestic fish into the wild waters, or contribute to farmed fish consumption, they are not at fault.

[@smittyINC]

@@AscheOfTheLake It was a joke. Over here in Florida, aquarium released fish is about the only kind of fish we catch 🎣.

[@georgetollefsen994]

Great info, thanks for sharing

[@artblackwood7936]

38% caught is a huge number.

[@TKLewis904]

That’s what I was thinking. That seems extremely high to me and will only increase.

[@Urmothasmothasmotha]

It’s not that the foreigners ‘don’t know’, it’s that they don’t care. If they get in trouble, they aren’t worried ab the fish, they’re worried ab being caught as an illegal.

[@peterparsons7141]

Good work. Education and knowledge is the key to everything!

[@jefferylorance7988]

Interesting study ..great information. Fishing is a great hobby and is relaxing for our mind and body.. With more people fishing all over the world..off course there are major impacts..studies let’s us know of the pressures we are creating .

[@johntix9414]

Bass have bold/shy personalities that are passed down to generations. You’ll most likely never catch the shy fish and over time fish will become more shy/harder to catch. Also 38% in ONE year is a ton

[@efxanim8tor]

That is total crap. Fish don't have personalities - they have instincts that make them fish. Understanding those instincts will help you to catch them dummy.

[@dtffishingmi]

EDIT: The error was corrected 😀 Is the grammatical error in the title intentional? Not being a jerk - just commenting early in case you wanted to correct it. If it's just to generate comments like the one I'm typing now, carry on I guess lol

[@BassFishingHQ]

No I am just an idiot

[@dtffishingmi]

@@BassFishingHQ 😂 I would want people to inform me for my videos so I’m glad we caught it early!

[@BassFishingHQ]

@@dtffishingmi definitely. It’s not the first time. You’d think I would review stuff like that

[@SystemLost]

Using non-clickbait headlines would make it easier not to make typos.

[@gravitystorm61158]

Back in the 60’s our family camped at Gardner Lake in Conn. I remember catching a lot of Yellow Perch, using the smaller perch for bass.

[@gameguy21]

This video really opened up my eyes. I usually never eat fish, it is my sport and escape from the world. I will def make small changes to help the sport live on forever.

[@Crankinstien]

It’s all about the money like everything else in this country

[@drinkthekoolaidkids]

Have closed fishing seasons , deer hunting season doesn’t last year round , limit bass tournaments to one fish weigh ins , it can be fixed but like everything else fixing something is going to cost someone money and we know how that works out .

[@Amishboy12TTV]

Brother, great work on this video. Keep up the great work!

[@jacobchesnut3977]

Great info. Thanks!

[@bradleyrussell1973]

There’s a whole lot of bass being caught these days that were never recieving any pressure before, thanks to FFS!

[@michaelcollier6390]

So wait, they shocked and stabbed 6031 bass, and we are the problem?

[@eflixx2459]

Yes, because shocking them with electricity is actually better for them than a hook. It doesn’t sound right but its true. And this data is important anyway.

[@Amare24]

Thanks for sharing this information with us

[@DHW448]

As a pond owner, I was shocked by some of the statistics. This year, on a 4-5 acre pond(depends on rain amounts). I've taken out over 180 predators, mostly bass. I've been doing that for over 5 years & my relative weights have continued to go up. Im growing footballs now. Comparing my bass population to Sam Rayburns(my pond is about 90 miles away) is at least triple that of Rayburn's? That doesn't make sense to me? Maybe there is a study on that? Also we rotetononed a acre pond back in the 1970's. It brought back memories when you mentioned it. Thanks for the information.

[@roycopeland9009]

I dont bed fish during the spawn..and i have seen immigrants spear fishing big largemouths!! In NC

[@armwrestlinginthe6ix]

Makes no sense, some tournament anglers will pre fish and they catch the exact same fish that they prefished for none of those are dying . I would say the only thing killing fish is the boat slamming them around the livewell during runs. No kidding, fish are gonna die when theyre being sloshed around. Ever bought a pet fish from the store and it died the first night you got ir because you were rough with the waterbag going home in the car. Its like if someone took one of us humans, and put us inside a shaker machine that just grabs us and shakes us violently as hard as we can handle and then just expects us to be okay... Guts are being churned

[@andrewdevlin8756]

Except they literally are dying. Just because fish have been caught multiple times doesn’t mean that’s wrong. You’re making the mistake of using personal anecdotes to try to argue against a scientific study. Nobody ever said every bass dies that is caught and retained. Just that some of them do. Also, is it really that hard for your brain to understand that stuffing a fish into a box with no ability to move and being hooked up to a clamp for 8 hours, only to be stuffed in a bag and held out of water for multiple minutes- can kill them? Like seriously? You gotta use your head and just accept the fact that you kill fish when you catch them sometimes, instead of denying even the possibility that it happens. You’re seriously gonna argue with a scientific study because you can’t bear to admit that you’ve killed fish?

[@shootincoyotes]

Love the study videos.

[@jacksonmunro9501]

First things first. Ban ffs and live scope, ppl using them target big bass out deep that were out there for a reason, and that’s gotta stop

[@mistertwister1816]

So much better than science-free Blaukat

[@jeffyoung6231]

Great video. A lot of information. Makes a person think.

[@chriscrampton2482]

These are my favorite videos you put out. Muchas gracias.

[@darksidemachining]

Good Video. Have got an issue with the categories particularly the Recreational and Catch and Release. There are many recreational fishermen who catch and release, particularly trout/salmon/steelhead fly fishermen. So to lump them into a 100% kill recreational category is inaccurate at best. Would highly recommend having a specific category of “Subsistence” fishermen as 100% kill.

[@sprinter144]

Great video. Was there an estimated die off on Sam Rayburn from tournament anglers and catch and release anglers? I guess if you use the same rate as the northern lakes 400,500 x 32% x 3% = 3,844 which is very small especially compared to harvesting.

[@thabood]

In any subject, always refreshing to hear someone actually referring to facts, statistics and studies, instead of just coming up with their own conclusions based on concepts in their head.

[@Jefflowe16]

You can certainly do better than 22% survival rate for catch and release further north, anywhere honestly but warmer water is rough on them.

[@jcdawg8363]

I think it was 22% mortality rate.

[@damienschmersal5105]

Great video!! I’d be interested to see the number of fish caught now that FFS is so big. I would venture to guess that % of caught has went up some. Also I’d be interested to see if the mortality is higher in the southern states compared to the northern states just because of the extended period of higher temps they get in the south. Great info though!!

[@FaithNFishin]

I fish Sam Rayburn all the time. It’s my home lake. I can confidently say that the bass population is sustainable if not growing. Having fished tournaments that have the lake looking like a city i can also say that most of the bass we catch are keeper size! Very exciting stuff. More on Sam Rayburn please!

[@Totrch29]

Our Tuesday night league has about 30-40 boats every Tuesday night. They only use two lakes in the rotation. Both lakes have become terrible to fish. Both lakes use to be amazing bass lakes. I love to fish and love the Tuesday nighters but I worry we are killing the fish off. Both of these lakes are significantly smaller then the lakes in your video. Love your videos Tyler! Best on the internet! Thanks for your work!

[@tonytheg6612]

2 lake rotation for a 30-40 boat weekly club? The hell lol

[@robfunke909]

This was extremely intriguing my only question would be I’d like an updated study after livescope has some time

[@guitarhiker4449]

Those numbers of bass caught by tournament anglers will now sky rocket with FFS (Forward Facing Sonar). I may be wrong but the more readily available this technology becomes the more it will effect fish populations that never ever see a lure. I also agree areas with weigh in stations do hold many of those fish let go for quite awhile and in my fishing experience a portion of those fish get caught afterwards by folks that keep them. Although this has cause some bass leagues to bring those fish back out into the lake away from the boat ramps where they are safer. Still as the saying goes their is plenty of fish in the sea/lake! Lol... You did your homework! Very interesting and eye opening video!! Fish on!!

[@Hillhouse_Fishing]

I grew up on Rayburn and that lake just keeps fishing better year after year hopefully this low spell it’s having will refresh the lake and give it another “boom” like it did back in 2011 I think that was the really low year

[@Fishingwithfaithoutdoors23]

That’s a awesome study. Well I know for a fact that a PFA ( public Fishing Area) have plenty of bass even with very heavy pressure, that there is plenty of fish in them because you can’t catch them! 😅. The people that run the PFAs over stock the fisheries with bait fish and the bass look at your lure and turn the other way😂.

[@j.s.3297]

Good video👍...those 30 -40% catch rates are much higher than I expected and it's a significant amount. The problem where I live where lakes can be 30 acres to several hundred acres is poaching and illegal harvest..many good lakes have been diminished because of it.

[@ChrisB-bg3jp]

As far as the Connecticut study. We don’t have large lakes and even less big enough to hold tournaments. That said the lakes mentioned receive heavy fishing pressure all season long.

[@MrSlayerkid117]

In the south you should also consider that the higher temperatures likely add to stress. Warmer water has less disolved oxygen typically and that will add to the stress. On top of that pollution in lakes plays a role as well in terms of stress. (I'm a fresh water ecologist and tournament angler for catfish)

[@whitedragon153]

So, we have 2 of the studies say that tournament fishing and catch and release fishing was only causing a loss of 1% to 3% a year and was considered negligible. Where as the ones who catch and eat the limit would have a higher impact on the lakes fish. Especially when they go for a weekend with their family and relatives and 5+ kids and pull in limits for every person and kid they have there, each day they are there. And you see 20 other "families" doing the same thing that weekend. This seems to be almost every weekend fishing is possible.

[@Scxjunkie]

I grew up on a small pond and fished small fisheries my whole life, pay attention during bed season, you will almost always see the same fish on the same spot year for year. Some fish will die from catch stress but I’ve only seen it after a drawn out fight where the fish swallowed the hook, and even then I’ve caught bass poopin out old jerry rigs which were removed properly and disposed into my panfish bag

[@tommyrq180]

Where I fish in Lake Michigan I am convinced that a significant percentage game fish of various types are born and die naturally without seeing a lure or bait (mainly talking smallmouth, northern pike, walleye, and lake trout). Since the decline of gill netting that threat has diminished, too-that was seriously destructive and remains so for, say Pacific steelhead and salmon. For example, nobody used to fish for smallmouth. Now they are under intense pressure. Where I fish, certain types of smallmouth with shallow water habits have come under noticeable pressure that definitely affected their numbers and behavior. Lake Michigan is very clear so fisherman can sight fish for these shallow water smallmouth. But meanwhile, smallmouth who mainly suspend and follow deep water gobies or alewives or other baitfish (or only feed at night) can do that without seeing a lure. Smallmouth have also been known to spawn in deeper water on reefs that elude visual bed fishermen. In my view, it is the pressure on particularly easy game fish that I think you are seeing. In smaller rivers or lakes fisherman can definitely “fish them out” or significantly affect fishing, often driving the game fish to feed at night, another habit that avoids pressure. But in larger lakes and rivers the fish have a lot of choices and can avoid fishing pressure and still thrive. It’s just harder to find them-and harder for fisheries biologists to find them too. These are just my theories as I’ve spend a lot of time pursuing these “other” fish groups and I think we have a lot to learn about them. Pro fishermen tend to be on the leading edge and have proven that many fish even in very hard-fished lakes and river systems were simply never pressured by local fishermen. But they found them, mostly in so-called “offshore” areas. Do you realize how many offshore areas exist in a body of water like Lake Michigan? Too many to fish. Modern electronics are allowing some of us to find these fish with open water feeding habits and catch them. But in my view they are much harder to catch and find, and should do fine as long as forage remains adequate and relatively safe spawning habitat can be found. Again, just my two cents. 😊

[@user-gw9jk2sp2t]

Tyler these videos are awesome. They break down true facts not just guesses and estimates. These are the types of videos we need.

[@emmettfitzhume7424]

Again, this is another excellent video. It's the best fishing youtube channel.

[@user-sc2xr3vm7y]

All great information.! I do find it interesting how often natural mortality is not discussed along with tounament post relaese mortality. It is to complicated of a math problem for me, but what percentage of the fish that die were going to die anyway from natual causes? 15 % could be debated but as with everything it depends on alot of factors!

[@nolebucnaround8350]

A big problem is that many anglers use too light of line especially those who use monofilament and when that big one bites they break off and that fish has a high mortality rate. This takes a lot of trophy type bass right out the fishery.

[@jasonhinson3812]

We need to stock them really well. We may need to limit the amount of tournaments on some bodies of lakes.

[@Myotis05]

Good stuff - Thanks!

[@bradsillasen1972]

So many variables to control for in those studies that caution in interpretation is warranted.

[@StonerDeer]

Lmao.. the scream after you say suffocate. Caught me off guard. It's terrible but that made me laugh

[@kissmybass4345]

Great video thanks for the info.

[@tonyvieson9194]

As important as this information is. I think there are some other things to consider as well. I can't speak for these lakes, but the lakes in my area deal with somethings that I'm sure also effect the numbers. One of the largest is flood control lakes and lake turn over. We had a major one here on a lake that's minutes from my home. There was barely an inch of bank that didn't have dead fish of all species on it. We also have lakes that aren't very deep and are sprayed every so often to kill grass off for a lot of reasons. That is forge and hiding habitat for a lot of species which BASS need for growth and survival. Some BASS may die shortly after being caught or release due to being weak from mal nourishment. The old, final nail in the coffin if you will. Another consideration is lake stocking. BASS aren't always at the top of the food chain and some species that are added will eat BASS and BASS are cannibals' and will eat each other as well. I think BASS death and survival is more connected to the body of water versus specific human intervention. We have lakes around here that get a lot of pressure and still produce very good BASS fishing. While others get a lot of attention, regular stocking, even very water specific slot limits. Yet despite that has some of the worst BASS fishing despite stricter harvest rules and less pressure.

[@buffyjosmom]

I'd like to see something like this study done on Blue, Flathead & Channel catfish. They are my main target when I go fishing and are the most targetted when it comes to people fishing for fish fries and they also hold catfish tournaments as well as well as pay lakes paying commercial fisherman to come and catch cats to stock their pay lakes.

[@Basssteeler]

Here in NJ... One of the biggest lakes in the Southern portion of the state is only 865 Acres. Almost Half of what is considered a "small body of water" The amount of local clubs here. These places get heavily pressured. They have tournaments all summer then tournaments in the winter until the lakes freeze. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if the amount of tournaments and fishing on these lakes have an impact. I've literally seen some of the best places become almost unfishable with the amount of pressure these lakes get.

[@BeetleBuns]

there are some REALLY good lakes in nj, you just need to find the ones that don't allow powered boats. I caught my biggest bass ever in one of them

[@WolfricLupus]

As a environmental and marine scientist, and also a keen angler, this is all very interesting to me! Great video, thank you.