How Well Does a Closed Season Protect Spawning Bass in Ontario?Spawning OverviewSelf-sustaining populationsOntario RegulationsMajor QuestionsOntario Study AreasMethodsMajor FindingsFigure 1. Annual VariationTable 1. Successful CompletionTable 2. Angler EffortRecommendationsAs a result…Further StudiesQuestions1How Well Does a Closed Season Protect Spawning Bass in Ontario?Mark Kubacki, Frank Phelan, Julie Claussen and David PhilippAmerican Fisheries Society Symposium (2002)Chris Carman2Spawning OverviewLargemouth and smallmouth bassTemperatures near 15° C.Males guard nests and fryAre extremely aggressive3Self-sustaining populationsClosed fishing periodsCatch and release regulationsLength/harvest limit combinations4Ontario RegulationsClosed season from Oct. 15/Nov. 30 – last Saturday in JuneEliminate harvest of male bassMaximize reproductive success5Major QuestionsHow well does the closed season coincide with the full reproductive period?What percent of angling effort targets nesting bass during the closed season?6Ontario Study AreasLake OpiniconCharleston LakeMississippi River (tributary of the Ottawa River)St. Lawrence River7MethodsMonitored reproductive effortTwice on weekdays, once on weekends1990 - 2001Assessed angling effortTwice on weekdays, once on weekends1990 - 19928Major Findings•Smallmouths guard broods longer than largemouths–SMB 18 ~ 31 days–LMB 12 ~ 23 days •Fry develop and become independent quicker in waters that warm quickly9Figure 1. Annual Variation10Table 1. Successful Completion11Table 2. Angler Effort12Recommendations30-40 percent of littoral area designated as a seasonal sanctuaryDuration determined by spawning schedules of resident bassRemainder of lake catch-and-release13As a result…Cleaner definitions of legal/illegal angling activitiesEasier and more effective enforcementDecreased interaction between anglers and lakeshore property owners14Further StudiesRelationships between numbers of adults and size of year classMeasuring if/how angling for nesting bass impacts