Final answer:
The slope of the linear relationship is -3, representing a decrease of 3 pieces of bait per hour of fishing. The y-intercept is the initial quantity of bait at 36 pieces.
Step-by-step explanation:
The slope for the linear relationship between the amount of bait remaining in the fisherman's bucket and the hours, x, spent fishing is -3. This means that for every hour that the fisherman spends fishing, the amount of bait, y, decreases by 3 pieces. The initial 36 pieces of bait represent the y-intercept of the linear equation, indicating the amount of bait in the bucket when the fishing trip began, which is when x = 0. The slope, in this case, is a negative value because the amount of bait is being used up and therefore the number of bait pieces is diminishing as time increases.