Effects of Internal Anchor Tags on Largemouth Bass Growth

From 1977 to 1979 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were collected in spring from Lake Higgins in North Carolina and tagged with Floy FD-67 internal anchor tags. Tagged fish were released back into the lake and a recapture effort was made the next year. During the year following tagging, tagged bass generally achieved a smaller length increment than untagged bass of a comparable size. Weights of tagged bass tended to be less than similar size untagged bass, but only in the 326- to 350-mm size interval was the difference significant (P < 0.05).