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Chicagoland Smallmouth Bass Movement
Project Title
Smallmouth Bass Post-Tournament Movement in the Chicagoland Area including the Chicago Area Waterway System and Lake Michigan
Project Code
CBASS
Project Duration
April 2024 - June 2027
Project Description
Smallmouth bass are a common sportfish targeted by anglers across the Great Lakes region, and they are important predators on both native and invasive fish and invertebrates. In the Chicagoland area (including southern Lake Michigan and parts of the Chicago Area Waterway System – CAWS), smallmouth bass habitat has been drastically altered by shipping, infrastructure projects, and invasive species. Many fishing tournaments held in the Chicago area focus on both smallmouth and largemouth bass, yet little is known about smallmouth bass habitat use in this area or the impact of tournaments on the population. After fishermen catch these prize bass, the fish are typically brought back to a central weigh-in location, weighed, and returned to the water alive. Many fish are not released in locations where they were angled, and may have been moved across barriers (e.g., dams and locks), habitat types (e.g., river vs. lake), and political/ management unit boundaries (i.e., state lines). This project aims to study the post-release movement of tournament caught smallmouth bass in Lake Michigan and the Chicago Area Waterway to understand post-tournament movement. Furthermore, acoustic telemetry will provide insight into seasonal movement and habitat use by smallmouth bass, as tags are expected to last well beyond post-tournament recovery of fish.
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