Effects of Recreational Fishing Gear Type on Reflex Impairment and Post‐Release Swimming Activity of Smallmouth Bass

ABSTRACT Recreational anglers have access to a diverse range of rod and line strengths that enable them to choose equipment that can enhance their ability to effectively target and capture specific fish of a given body size. However, anglers may not always select the appropriate gear type for the targeted species. Here, we assessed the effect of gear setup on immediate reflex impairment and short‐term post‐release swimming behavior of Smallmouth Bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ) for 10‐min. Smallmouth Bass were caught by angling in water temperatures of 22.7°C–26.2°C using ultralight or medium spinning gear. Fight times were longer for fish captured on ultralight gear than medium gear, and fight times were longer for larger fish. Generally, fight times > 18 s resulted in one or more immediate reflex impairments, while fish with fight times < 18 s had no immediate reflex impairments. Post‐release swimming activity was only influenced by gear type used. Upon release, Smallmouth Bass captured using ultralight gear spent more time sustained swimming than those caught using medium gear type that spent more time resting. Given that fight times were longer for Smallmouth Bass captured using ultralight gear, they were conceivably more exhausted. This increased post‐release swimming activity indicates that fish may need to engage in sustained swimming to facilitate physiological recovery. Our findings suggest that anglers should select gear types that minimize fight times to avoid reflex impairments and extended periods of post‐release sustained swimming needed for recovery.