An Evaluation of Angler Preferences for Stocking Public Fishing Lakes in Tennessee

Public fishing areas are important resources for anglers interested in fishing and related activities. In Tennessee, The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) stocks fish in many small and large fishing lakes as well as rivers and streams across the state to provide fishing opportunities for residents and non-resident anglers. Understanding the characteristics of diverse angler population and their preference for certain fish is vital to the fishery managers. This study conducted a mixed-mode survey of licensed anglers from Tennessee in 2020 to assess their motivation and preference for fishes. The first study in this thesis employed hierarchical cluster analysis to segment the angler population based on the importance they placed on six catch-related aspects of fishing and identified four distinct segments that varied in terms of their catching aspects: Trophy anglers (30%), Native fish consumers (45%), Non-specific consumers (17%), and Non-consumptive anglers (8%). Statistically significant differences were observed across the identified segments in terms of demographic characteristics, fishing behavior, and preference for various fish. Results from this study revealed how the segments differ from each other in terms of their unique characteristics, fishing behavior, and species preference for stocking at public fishing areas. The second study used rank ordered logit model to evaluate relative preference for the seven fishes namely, Bluegill, Catfish, Crappie, Largemouth bass, Redear sunfish, Trout and Walleye. Angler relative preferences for various fishes were significantly influenced by catch-related aspects of fishing and fishing behavior. Results from this study showed that the catch-related aspects of fishing, fishing behavior and demographics has a role in determining angler preferences for certain fish.