Effects of Displacement on the Seasonal Movements and Home Range Characteristics of Smallmouth Bass in Lake Opeongo

We displaced a subset of adult smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu implanted with sonic tags to determine if they returned to home ranges held before their displacement. We also compared their home range characteristics and seasonal movements with those of undisturbed smallmouth bass. Fifteen of the 18 displaced fish returned to the home ranges they held before removal. One fish died soon after release, and two fish remained in the area of release. Displaced smallmouth bass remained at the release site for an average of 1 week (range, 0.5–30 d) and returned to their home ranges in approximately 4 d (range, 1–9 d). On average, displaced fish were away from their home ranges for 11 d. Displaced and control smallmouth bass did not significantly differ with respect to home range area, percent overlap between early and late summer shifts in home ranges, or day of the year when fish left their home ranges for overwintering sites. These results indicate that smallmouth bass displaced by tournament anglers will return to their home ranges after spending approximately 1 week at the release site and will use their home range in a manner similar to that of undisturbed fish.