Harold L. Moody

A three-day fishing tournament on the 51. Johns River, Florida, in which 200 fishermen competed. yielded 1165 largemouth bass over 12 inches, and 1254 bass smaller than 12 inches. The over-aU catch rate was 0.50 bass per hour. The catch per acre of water fished was 0.03 bass. Over-all mortality estimates ranged from 22.3 to 43.8 percent; they were due primarily to epidermal bacterial and fungal infections, contracted by handling. The 3 I-day tag retention rate for largemouth bass tagged with the Floy FD-68-B anchor tag was found to be S1.1 percent for fish held in a hatchery pond.

The technique of operation of the haul seine as traditionally used in the large fresh water bodies of Florida is discussed. Limiting factors inherent in the sampling device are enumerated and illustrated by seine catches from several lakes. Rotenone studies from some of these lakes are contrasted with the seine catches. The results of creel census studies in lakes extensively fished by sportsmen, by reflecting proportionate quantities of game fishes similar to quantities taken in the haul seine, are quoted as further validation for its use in qualitative population. sampling. Difficulties...