Wildlife Management
Should You Fish for Spawning Bass? Conflicting Philosophies and Research
There’s no easy way around it, the ethics of angling for spawning fish are murky and widely debated, especially when it comes to bass. We would all like to definitively settle the debate around fishing for spawning bass, particularly those on beds. Anglers want a clear-cut, “Yes, it’s okay to fish for them” or a definitive, “No, it’s not good practice to target them.” But as with so many worthy topics, it’s not that simple—morally or biologically...