Bryant R. Bowen

Population Dynamics of White Crappie Occurring in a Small Georgia Impoundment Stocked with Female-only Largemouth Bass

SEAFWA Journal Volume 2, March 2015

Crappies (Pomoxis spp.) are popular sportfish, but can be difficult to manage due to erratic recruitment and variable growth. In this study, we document the population dynamics of a white crappie (P. annularis) population in a small impoundment characterized by low predator density and abundant populations of several forage species. White crappies (n=301) were collected by electrofishing in October 2012. Relative abundance as indexed by electrofishing catch per unit effort of crappie was high (103.3 fish h-1 ± 18.7 SD). A sub-sample was aged (n = 153) and growth was described...

Exploitation and Length Limit Evaluation of Largemouth Bass in Three Georgia Small Impoundments

SEAFWA Journal Volume 1, March 2014

Recent studies on largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fisheries indicate fishing mortality has declined significantly due to voluntary catch-and-release practices by anglers. We evaluated the relative abundance, growth, mortality, and exploitation of largemouth bass in three Georgia small impoundments. To assess exploitation, 100 largemouth bass were tagged during spring 2010 in Lake Lindsay Grace and Hugh M. Gillis Public Fishing Area and during spring 2011 in Dodge County Public Fishing Area. Monetary rewards for tag returns were either US$5 or $105 per fish, and these values were...