Over the last few weeks, we’ve discussed here the potential impacts of targeting bass during their nesting season and how that may affect the overall health of fisheries across the country. Our primary resource has been a series of extensive studies done recently by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Last week, we investigated the results from controlled ecosystems, and this week we’ll finish up with studies conducted in the wild. If you’re joining us for the first time, I recommend reviewing the previous columns in order to get familiar with the conversation.

Looking further into the studies conducted on public waters around central Florida, results were very much as they were for the private, controlled environments. To sum up, when spawning contributions of separate populations of bass were compared, fishing pressure seemed to matter little.

As in the study discussed last week, those bass that were caught on the nest were held for one hour, then released a short distance (100 meters) from their nesting, capture site. Again, researchers used this method to best simulate today’s popular catch-and-release mentality. In the end, the overall nesting success of bass in each lake seemed to matter little whether or not those fish were targeted by fishermen.

Overall, I’d say this is good news. However, as I was quick last week to point out that the studies didn’t correctly represent tournament fishing, and it’s massive relocation of bass, I feel the need to mention that again. Such creates an entirely different set of circumstances.

Also, ponder with me a few ideas when considering all sides of the story.

In one study conducted on the Lake Eustis, it was determined anglers caught roughly 21,000 bass during the spawning period. Of those, an estimated 2,500 were harvested; that 12 percent rate is much higher than often publicized in regard to today’s catch-and-release practices.

We’re often taught that female bass do little work when guarding the nest. Yet renowned bass researcher Glenn Lau found that only nests with female presence were successful while working on his breakthrough documentaries decades ago.

It’s also believed that predominantly aggressive, male bass are caught by anglers targeting spawning fish. How, then, do we account for results when tournaments “hit it right” and huge hauls of females are brought to the scales, only to be released miles form their home range?

Conversely, researchers are finding that bass seem to sense when a fishery is in decline, and spawning efforts are greatly increased when fish populations are low, but held back when populations are high. This better explains the “boom period” of many new waters.

Also, it’s becoming apparent that many bass spawn multiple times, and may succeed after all, once released.

In many national tournament situations, up to 2,500 bass are caught, held for extended periods, then relocated upon release each day of the event, regardless of their role in spawning at the time.

Despite my opinion constantly being swayed back and forth between scientific data and caution, I’m still reminded of stories of the good ol’ days. Just recently, while chatting with a once avid angler of this bygone era, he entertained me with a story. Once, he said, he could count hundreds of bass beds each spring on his little clear lake, now he sees few, if any. Decades of bed fishermen were to blame, he claimed.

I knew his story before he told it and scoffed it off, as science is now instructing. Then he showed me a Polaroid photo of a 17-pounder…

Perhaps there’s nothing to worry about. I readily admit that, in many cases, fishing today is better than it’s ever been. Without question, catch and release is to thank more than anything.

But, I wonder, do we ever go too far?

I think it’s important to briefly point out the reasoning behind my investigation of such issues in this column. While much feedback has come in the form of sarcasm and finger-pointing, my objective is not to sway the vote either way. As usual, it's simply to get us all thinking before making judgment, and allowing science to help pave the way. Remember, many very important issues in bass fishing, from creel limits to the entire catch-and-release movement, were once scoffed at by our community as a whole.

Thankfully, as others have pointed out, many changes in the overall mentality of fishing have taken place in recent times. When I was young, catching a big musky was like slaying a dragon. All legal fish were harvested, their heads later cut off and nailed to a wood shed. Do that today around a world-class musky lake and you’re likely to get in a fist fight.

I also look to other trophy fish and the cultures that surround them, such as tarpon and bonefish, with envy. I wonder if anglers attempt to catch them by shaking lures on their nests.

Is there reason to worry about our bass? Probably not, and science is supporting that. But then again, nature can be fickle, and the constant stresses we put on our waterways don’t help the cause.

Bass, especially big bass – those rarest members of the community – need to be protected. I guess it’s up to each one of us, individually, to decide how we intend to go about it.

(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)