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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TJ Maglio is a tournament angler and outdoor writer based in Minnesota . He has a degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has also worked professionally as a wildlife biologist and environmental consultant .
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C limate change is one of the hottest ( no pun intended ) issues our country faces on a daily basis . Since 2020 has already been filled with plenty of controversy , now would be a good time for an honest , apolitical look at the science behind how climate change may ( or may not ) impact bass fishing .
To have that conversation , though , it ’ s important to clarify the purpose of the discussion . This isn ’ t about standing on one side of the aisle or the other . In reality , the climate change debate is about how much ability and responsibility the human race has to address it .
The fact is , thousands of scientists agree our climate is
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changing on a global scale . It ’ s getting warmer in some places , wetter in others , and severe weather events are becoming more frequent .
As a magazine dedicated to helping anglers catch more and bigger bass , it seems appropriate to take a deeper look at what the science indicates , and discuss how those changes may impact us ( as well as future generations of bass anglers ) in the coming years .
Winners or losers
One of the most important steps to de-coupling politics from the idea of climate change is to refrain from placing a value judgement on the process . Climate change is not
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inherently good or bad – it just is . What that means is that depending on your perspective and worldview , the same climate impact could be seen as negative or positive .
A good bass-centric example is the spread of hydrilla throughout the southeastern U . S . during the 1980s and 1990s . For bass fishermen , it was heaven . Largemouth thrive in hydrilla , and spectacular fishing spread right along with it – a clear benefit to the bass fishing community . On the flip side , hydrilla clogs power generating turbines , negatively impacts recreational boating , and reduces tourism from nonanglers – a definite negative for many non-anglers .
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