Effective recreational fisheries management depends not only on biological assessments, but also on understanding the behaviors, values, and concerns of key resource users. Fishing guides are uniquely positioned within recreational fisheries as professional intermediaries whose decisions influence fishing practices, conservation outcomes, and regulatory compliance. In this study, we examined current catch-and-release (C&R) practices, environmental and fishery concerns, and perspectives on future C&R management among recreational fishing guides operating in Everglades National Park (ENP). Using a co-produced survey developed in collaboration with guides, we collected responses from 160 permitted guides and analyzed patterns using conditional inference trees to identify predictors of management-relevant behaviors and attitudes. Respondents reported extensive experience in the fishery, averaging over two decades of guiding and 165 days on the water annually. C&R was nearly universal among guides, with 97% reporting current use for all or some species, and 87% supporting C&R in the future. Support for C&R varied with guiding practices, including gear type, target species, and vessel use, rather than experience alone. Guides expressed the greatest concern for habitat degradation, particularly seagrass loss and freshwater flow/hypersalinity, over regulatory or fishery quality concerns. These concerns were strongest among flats-oriented guides, more experienced guides, and those practicing C&R across all species, suggesting an association between C&R practices, guiding experience and heightened environmental concerns. By documenting guide behaviors, concerns, and perspectives, this study demonstrates how understanding resource users and their behaviors is critical for effective fisheries management.
