Learned Behavior As a Potential Factor in Reduced Catchability

Catchability of sportfish can be negatively affected by repeated capture with catch-and-release angling, which is potentially a result of learned hook avoidance. The opening of two new reservoirs in Eastern Nebraska to angling provided a unique opportunity to assess this relationship. The reservoirs were stocked and allowed to develop without angling for several years prior to opening. Thus, we assumed that fish were naïve to angling. We hypothesized that learned hook avoidance would be more prevalent in release-oriented than harvest-oriented fish, resulting in a more rapid decline of angler catch per unit effort (CPUE) for release-oriented species. Creel surveys were employed through the first 30 days of angling at each location, and were used to estimate angler catch, harvest, and effort. We observed a marked decrease in the CPUE of release-oriented species, but we did not observe declines in CPUE for harvest-oriented fish. This may suggest that individuals developed learned behavior to avoid recapture and has strong implications for efficacy of management regulations and angler satisfaction.