KEVIN M. HUNT, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2258, USA

Competitive fishing for black basses Micropterus spp. has become an increasingly popular form of recreational fishing. In 1995, over 21% of black bass anglers in Texas indicated they participated previously in a bass fishing tournament, up from 15% in 1992. With an increasing number of tournaments and tournament anglers, it appears management agencies have accepted competitive fishing as one of several specific fishing products demanded by the public. As a result, managers need to know more about tournament participants and their attitudes and preferences as well as those who do not participate to make informed management decisions. This paper presents results from the 1995 Texas Black Bass Angler Survey. Anglers who participated in tournaments in the previous 12 months and those who did not were compared on a variety of human dimensions variables. Specifically, anglers were compared on demographic variables, days and years of participation, attitudes toward competitive fishing and efforts to regulate it, and support for current and proposed black bass management tools. Similarities and differences between these two groups can help managers learn more about the tournament angler constituency, and quantify anecdotal information they receive on-site.