Exploitation And Mortality Of Largemouth Bass In Lake Tobesofkee, Georgia

Estimates of mortality and survival obtained from angler tag returns over a 10month period following tagging were used to define the population changes that occurred in the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) population of Lake Tobesofkee. Total mortality (A) of 30-cm and larger fish over the period was estimated at 0.911 and the exploitation rate (u) of these sizes was 0.564. The conditional rate of natural mortality was 0.602. These estimates were used to predict the relative abundance of various sizes of largemouth based on 1977 harvest and abundance data. Also the effects of various minimum length limits were predicted. Increased minimum legal size would have cut harvest to 23.7% and increased survival from 0.089 to 0.308.