Overview
- Researchers tracked 74 experienced anglers in ten three-hour contests on ten Finnish lakes, logging 477 trips and more than 16,000 decisions on where to fish and when to move.
- Participants combined personal catch experience, observations of other competitors, and ecological features such as lakebed structure when choosing locations.
- Reliance on social information increased after unsuccessful periods, producing area-restricted search near recent catches and stronger clustering in crowded areas.
- Simple departure rules emerged as anglers left after long stretches without a catch, while proximity to many competitors tended to prolong stays.
- Consistent differences by age and gender were observed, with women using social cues more than men and older anglers lingering longer, and the high-resolution field approach offers a blueprint for resource and conservation management.