Comparative Strength Of The 1966 Year Class Of Striped Bass, Roccus Saxatllls (Walbaum), In Three Virginia Rivers

The age composition, as determined from scale impressions, of striped bass stocks in the James, York, and Rappahannock Rivers during the period June 1967 - March 1968 indicates a relative deficiency of the 1966 year class in the James River. Similar results are shown in samples from non-selective gear (pound nets, fyke nets), selective gear (gill nets, haul seines, hook-and-line), and routine surveys using a 30-foot semi-balloon trawl. The immediate effect of this apparent deficiency on a planned winter tagging program, and the more general implications for evaluation of year-class strength, are briefly discussed.