TOURNAMENT-ASSOCIATED MORTALITY IN BLACK BASS

I compiled estimates of tournament-associated mortality in black basse s (Micropterus spp.) for 130 tournaments held between 1972 and 1996. I nitial mortality decreased significantly (P < 0.0001) between the 1970 s (19.5%), and the 1980s (6.6%) and 1990s (6.5%). I found no differenc e in initial mortality (P = 0.9885) between the 1980s and 1990s. Delay ed mortality was 10.4% in the 1970s based on limited data. Estimates o f delayed and total mortality for the 1980s (20.9% and 26.2%, respecti vely) and 1990s (23.3% and 28.3%, respectively) were not significantly different (P greater than or equal to 0.7222). Thus, no evidence exis ts of a decline in initial, delayed, or total mortality since at least the mid-1980s. This suggests that recommendations made by previous re searchers for reducing tournament-associated mortality were disregarde d or ineffective. Meta-analysis of correlations shows a strong positiv e relationship between water temperature, and initial ((r) over bar = 0.51 +/- 0.00) and delayed mortality (r = 0.36 +/- 0.000). There was a strong negative relationship between tournament size and initial mort ality ((r) over bar = -0.54 +/- 0.000), and a moderately strong positi ve relationship with delayed mortality ((r) over bar = 0.30 +/- 0.000) . I also found a moderately strong but nonsignificant positive relatio nship between fish size and initial mortality ((r) over bar = 0.31 +/- 0.197), and a moderately weak negative relationship with delayed mort ality ((r) over bar = -0.13 +/- 0.056). Nonlinear regression of initia l, delayed, and total mortality on water temperature for tournaments c onducted during 1980-1996 explained 20%-30% of the variation in mortal ity. Initial mortality appears to be compensatory in its effect on tot al mortality. Estimates of initial mortality alone provide no informat ion on the magnitude of total tournament-associated mortality; therefo re, both initial and delayed mortality must be measured. These results also suggest that a substantial portion of tournament-associated mort ality is the result of injuries sustained during hooking, playing, and landing of fish.