Paul L. Zweiacker

Food habits of 810 northern largemouth bass, 91-2724 g total weight (age groups 0-7) were determined from collections made June 1968 through November 1969 in an 808-hectare, Oklahoma reservoir. Bass were colIected by traversing the shoreline with an electrofishing apparatus and bass stomach contents observed with a gastroscope. Fifty-five percent of all bass stomachs were empty. Similar observations over a wide geographic area were reviewed and the suggestion was made that 56% occurrence of empty stomachs may be used as a guide to evaluate availability of forage for largemouth bass. Bass...

The growth history of largemouth bass in Lake Carl Blackwell is described. Variation in annual increments in growth of largemouth bass age groups I-III are examined in relationships to mean annual water level 1962 through 1967, when the annual average lake level was declining. Weighted mean average total lengths (mm) to the end of each year of life, i.e., to annulus formation which occurred in May, were: 140 (I); 279 (II); 369 (III); 425 (IV); 462 (V); 485 (VI); 504 (VII); and 53 I (VIII). Growth in the first year was positively correlated (r=0.85, P<.035) to the average annual lake...