Assessing the Role of Angling-Induced Evolution in Shaping Connecticut Largemouth Bass Populations

Examples of “fisheries-induced evolution” (FIE) in commercially exploited fish stocks are numerous, but relatively little effort has been devoted to assessing recreational angling as a strong selective agent. Recent research on largemouth bass has shown that individual largemouth bass vary in their vulnerability to angling, and that physiological and behavioral traits relevant to vulnerability are heritable.  In Connecticut, we have a unique opportunity to test the hypothesis that FIE has altered largemouth bass populations because a) we have small bass populations that experience high fishing pressure (i.e. there is potential for strong selection), and b) we have numerous unexploited bass populations. Previous research by the DEEP Inland Fisheries Division (IFD) demonstrated that unexploited largemouth bass were much more vulnerable to angling than bass from public lakes; we now believe this dynamic may be partially attributable to evolutionary selection against high vulnerability in public lakes. IFD, in cooperation with the UConn Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, has embarked on a multi-faceted research project to investigate the potential for angling-induced evolution in Connecticut largemouth bass populations, and to assess the potential for remediation of undesirable evolutionary change via re-introduction of desirable genes from unexploited reservoir bass populations.