TYLER — Biologists from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have completed an innovative study that tracked the movement and behaviors of largemouth bass at Toledo Bend Reservoir and Lake Fork. The goal of the multi-year initiative, which launched in 2020, was to learn more about fish behavior and help anglers be more effective when they target largemouth bass.
In 2018, anglers began reporting a decline in catch rates, and many assumed that these declines were attributed to decreased fish populations. Despite reduced catch rates reported in surveys of anglers during 2018-20, the electrofishing data that biologists gathered on fish populations remained consistent. Biologists wanted to explore if increased fishing activity on the lakes had altered the behavior of the fish, which in turn led to a decrease in angler catch rates.
The study at Toledo Bend and Lake Fork focused on seasonal habitat use, the movement and home range of largemouth bass and how it correlated with angling activity. It also explored the effects of boat motor noise and angling activity on fish behavior.
