Catch-and-Release Influences on Inland Recreational Fisheries

Catch-and-release (CR) has become a pervasive practice and social norm with anglers for some inland recreational fisheries. This practice has been promoted for fish conservation and to meet angler and manager desires of greater fish abundances, angler catch rates, and trophy growth potential. Catch-and-release in north-temperate inland recreational fisheries was reviewed over time and documented the subsequent responses of fish populations to the practice in catch rates, recruitment, abundance, size structure, growth, and trophy potential primarily focusing on black bass Micropterus spp., muskellunge Esox masquinongy, walleye Sander vitreus, and panfish (sunfishes Lepomis spp., crappies Pomoxis spp., yellow perch Perca flavescens). This review suggested that angler and manager desires may not be met when fisheries are almost exclusively CR, CR may create situations where managers are unable to structure fish communities to meet such desires, and CR can cause imbalances in fisheries managed for multiple species. Because CR may be one of the biggest challenges facing inland recreational fisheries management in the 21(st) century and beyond, recommendations and future research considerations are provided and aimed to alleviate concerns identified from this review to better balance fisheries, meet angler and manager desires, and to keep fisheries within a safe operating space.