Effects of Recreational Fishing Gear Type on Reflex Impairment and Post‐Release Swimming Activity of Smallmouth Bass

Abstract

Recreational anglers have access to a diverse range of rod and line strengths that enable them to choose equipment that can enhance their ability to effectively target and capture specific fish of a given body size. However, anglers may not always select the appropriate gear type for the targeted species. Here, we assessed the effect of gear setup on immediate reflex impairment and short‐term post‐release swimming behavior of Smallmouth Bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ) for 10‐min. Smallmouth Bass were caught by angling in water temperatures of 22.7°C–26.2°C using ultralight or medium spinning gear. Fight times were longer for fish captured on ultralight gear than medium gear, and fight times were longer for larger fish. Generally, fight times > 18 s resulted in one or more immediate reflex impairments, while fish with fight times

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