C. Michael Alexander

Mark-recapture techniques were used during spring 1982 and 1983 to estimate the abundance of harvestable size paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) in Watts Bar Reservoir, Tennessee. Results indicated a harvestable population in 1982 of 3,421 fish (95% confidence interval of 2,184 to 6,665). Aging studies indicated a relatively young population with an abrupt decrease in survival after the ninth year. This decrease was attributed to extreme fishing mortality on these older age classes before July 1980 when Watts Bar Reservoir was closed to net fishing. Estimated annual growth of adult paddlefish...

Mark-recapture techniques were used to estimate the abundance of harvestable size paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) in Norris Reservoir, Tennessee, during spring 1980. Results indicated a harvestable population of 8,772 fish with a 95% confidence interval of 4,557 to 18,467. A comparative study using gill nets of various bar mesh sizes showed that gill nets with 17.8-cm bar mesh or larger were more efficient for collecting harvestable paddlefish while having less adverse impact on sport fish species than did nets with smaller mesh sizes. Based on these results, recommendations include...

Bass club catch records from tournaments held on Norris. Douglas, and Cherokee Reservoirs during 1976 were compared with creel censuses. While not statistically significant, both numbers and weights per hour of bass caught by tournament anglers were less than catch rates by nontournament fishermen. Average weight of bass caught in tournaments was higher than that found in creel censuses. Some advantages of using tournament catch records in evaluating bass fisheries are discussed.