Abstract
Traditional live‐release tournament practices can influence habitat selection and cause displacement, stockpiling, and mortality. Tournaments are held in multiple seasons in a variety of environmental conditions, yet the seasonal influence on post‐release behavior has rarely been studied. To quantify dispersal, habitat selection, and mortality of largemouth bass ( Micropterus nigricans ) caught in live‐release tournaments in multiple seasons, movements of tournament‐caught largemouth bass and non‐angled controls implanted with acoustic telemetry tags were monitored from April–September for 2 months. Short‐term stockpiling at the release point averaged 5–7 days and differed minimally among seasons. Mortality rates varied among seasons, in contrast, with nearly 12‐fold higher mortality in late‐season tournaments at higher water temperatures. If tournament pressure is intense enough, populations could be negatively impacted, thereby necessitating management actions to reduce tournament impacts over the longer term.