D. C. Jackson

Bluegill Populations Associated with Water Lily, Water Shield and Pondweed Stands: Management Implications

Fisheries Outstanding Technical Paper

Small bluegills {Lepomis macrochirus) were collected weekly with unbaited minnow traps from stands of water lily (Nymphaea odorata), water shield (Brasenia schreberi), and pondweed {Potamogeton nodosus) located in Bluff Lake, Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, during July-October 1990 (JV = 1 5 sample dates). Average stem density within macrophyte stands was 19.25 (SD = 2.31), 208.81 (SD = 12.92), and 866.50 (SD = 75.11) stems/m2 for water lily, water shield, and pondweed, respectively. Pondweed exhibited significantly higher surface coverage (proportion of...

Linear Ranges of Large Flathead Catfish in Two Mississippi Streams

Radio telemetry and mark-recapture techniques were used to monitor linear ranges of large (TL > 510 mm) flathead catfish {Pylodictis olivaris) in the Big Black River and the Tallahatchie River, Mississippi. Linear ranges of transmitter-tagged fish averaged 0.75 km (SE = 0.09 km, N = 6) in the Big Black River and 1.04 km (SE = 0.13 km, N = 8) in the Tallahatchie River. In the Big Black River, 116 adult flathead catfish were tagged with Floy T-Bar anchor tags. There were 6 recaptures from the Big Black River with all recaptures occurring <2 km from release sites. In the Tallahatchie...

Population Characteristics of Largemouth Bass in Riverine Sections of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway

Population assessments for largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were conducted via electron1 shing during 1987-1988 in tailwaters, bendways, and navigation channels of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway below Aberdeen and Columbus Dams. Growth rates and asymptotic lengths did not differ significantly among locations or between systems. Proportional stock density (PSD), relative stock density (RSD), and catch per unit of effort (CPUE, fish/hour) did not differ significantly between years or systems. Tailwaters generally had the highest CPUE, while navigation channels generally had the...

Sampling Flathead Catfish in Small Streams

Small diameter hoop nets were compared with low frequency, pulsed DC electrofishing for assessing flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) stocks in the Noxubee River, a small stream in east-central Mississippi. Small diameter hoop nets fished during summer low flow regimes were appropriate for collecting stock size fish (≥280 mm, total length) while electrofishing was a better tool for assessing smaller flathead catfish. No significant difference (P >0.05) was found between the 2 sample techniques with regard to kg/man-day or fish/man-day. Small diameter hoop nets were determined to be...

Characteristics of the Freshwater Drum Fishery below Jordan Dam

Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) are a significant component of the fishery resource in the Jordan Dam tailwater (Coosa River, Ala.). Most of the exploitation of the freshwater drum is centered around a spring influx into the system which appeared to be primarily mature fish moving upstream to spawn. There was little evidence of reproduction by this species within the tailwater. Although condition factors were highly variable across the range of lengths sampled, growth rates for freshwater drum in the Jordan Dam tailwater exceeded those reported elsewhere in the United States. By...