Ohio’s black bass anglers support regulation simplification

Objective The Ohio Department of Natural Resources–Division of Wildlife uses regulations on black bass Micropterus spp. populations to create diverse bass fishing opportunities. However, the growing adoption of catch and release among bass anglers has limited the ability of harvest regulations to meaningfully shape populations, meaning that such regulations may not be necessary. To inform potential regulation changes, we sought to understand the preferences of Ohio’s bass anglers. Methods We conducted an online survey with a random sample of anglers who had an active 2024 Ohio fishing license. Anglers who indicated that they primarily targeted bass in the past 12 months (n = 814) were asked to report their demographics (gender and age), fishing behavior (days fished and tournament participation), harvest orientation, and angler specialization. These variables served as a basis for comparing regulation preferences. Results Ohio’s bass anglers generally supported fishing regulations. Anglers opposed removing daily limits and size limits altogether, were neutral towards enacting stricter limits, and supported simplifying regulations. Some regulation preferences differed by harvest orientation and specialization, but support for simplifying regulations was consistent across angler types. Conclusions Ohio’s bass anglers value fishing regulations even when the biological impact of such regulations is minimal. Therefore, removing bass regulations altogether would likely draw complaints, but simplifying Ohio’s bass regulations may be an acceptable management decision for bass anglers. This study illustrates the importance of considering angler preferences for fishing regulations alongside the biological impacts.