Recreational angling is a popular leisure activity globally, providing considerable economic and societal benefits. Among the most popular recreational fisheries on the eastern seaboard of North America is that for striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Due to management regulations and voluntary conservation efforts, most striped bass caught are released back into the water. The welfare of these fish, however, can be influenced by various stressors related to angler behavior. Research on effects of catch-and- release on striped bass has yet to fully address the range of gear types and techniques used in the recreational fishery. Notably, no study has investigated the impact of air exposure on striped bass. Additionally, little is known about the social norms, perceptions, and attitudes that shape angler behavior in the striped bass recreational fishery. This thesis addresses these gaps by employing a multi-disciplinary approach combining a field assessment to quantify physical and physiological impairment in striped bass following capture and handling, using reflex action mortality predictors and tri-axial accelerometer loggers to measure post-release activity and mortality, alongside an angler survey to investigate social norms, perceptions, and attitudes related to best practices, threats to the stock, and management efforts. Chapter 2 reveals that several factors, including water temperature, fight time, handling time, air exposure, total length, hook location, and gear type, influence striped bass welfare. Decision tree analysis revealed air exposure as the most important predictor of equilibrium test outcomes, with 50% of striped bass air exposed for 120 seconds losing equilibrium. In addition, delayed recovery following release was observed for striped bass exposed to air for 30 or 120 seconds compared to those without air exposure. Chapter 3 revealed varied awareness in the angler community about the stressors affecting striped bass, although anglers reported frequently engaging in best practices such as limiting handling time. Anglers perceive commercial harvest and juvenile habitat loss as the greatest threats to the fishery and support a range of conservation actions, including management regulations. In the final chapter, I discuss how the findings from Chapters 2 and 3 can inform education and outreach to promote catch-and-release best practices that reduce angler impact.