Eugene R. Gilliland

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were tagged and released following a series of weekly tournaments at Lake Thunderbird, Oklahoma, in 1993. Forty-nine percent of the 176 fish recaptured in 1993 were caught within 0.8 km of the release sight and 64% were caught within a 1.6-km radius. Dispersal during the second year was slightly greater with 35% of the 56 recaptured bass coming from within 0.8 km and 46% from 1.6 km of the release site. The maximum distance from the release site that a tagged fish was recaptured was 12 km with a median distance of 1.6 km after 18 months. Natural...

As anglers become more specialized in their pursuits, management agencies need to develop specialized programs to accommodate the needs and desires of these groups to keep them as active participants and license buyers. Black bass (Micropterus spp.) tournament anglers are among a state fishery agency's constituents. To accommodate this group, regulation exemptions could be granted that allow tournament contestants to temporarily retain more than their legal daily creel limit or possess fish within a restricted slot length limit until after the weigh-in. I provide examples from 3 state...

Thirteen Oklahoma reservoirs (<120 ha) containing northern largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides salmoides) populations were stocked with Florida largemouth bass (M. s. floridanus) for 3 years. Stocked and native fish were identified phenotypically by electrophoresis. Stocked fish made up an average of 15% of each year class in the fall at age 0, but the mean proportion declined to 5% by the following spring. Relative overwinter survival to age 1 averaged 25%. Florida largemouth bass were significantly longer at age 0 and age 1 than the northern subspecies but had significantly lower...

Populations of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Oklahoma reservoirs were sampled in 1986 and 1987 to determine the degree of introgression of Florida largemouth bass (M. s. floridanus), introduced over a 16-year period, into populations of native northern largemouth bass (M. s. salmoides). Florida subspecific alleles were present in 28 of 30 populations (93%) and were found in >50% of the fish from 8 (27%) reservoirs. Correlations with selected physical and biological parameters indicated that the percentage of bass with Florida alleles increased as the size of fish stocked...

In 1980 and 1981, stomach contents were removed from 224 striped bass (Morone saxatilis) X white bass (M. chrysops) hybrids and 149 largemouth bass (Mu:ropterus salmoides) collected from Sooner Lake, Oklahoma. Relative abundances of forage fishes were also estimated and food electivity and overlap of diet were determined seasonally. Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) was the most important food of all hybrids except those <301-mm; insects and inland silversides (Menidia beryllina) were seasonally important. Gizzard shad, insects, and sunfishes (Lepomis spp.) and crappies (Pomoxis spp.)...