Paul R. Port

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Fisheries Management Division, 650 South Street, Mountain Home, AR 72653, USA

Fishing Effort and Harvest of Smallmouth Bass in a Small Arkansas Ozark Stream

SEAFWA Journal Volume 10, March 2023

Stream fishing for black bass (Micropterus spp.) is a popular outdoor recreational activity in northern Arkansas. After construction of a new access area on Crooked Creek, Arkansas in 2017, anglers expressed concerns about increased fishing pressure and possible overharvest of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). In 2019, we conducted a creel survey (60 sample days over six months) at five public accesses, including the new access, on a 35-km section of Crooked Creek. We also tagged 195 fish in an associated one-year exploitation study...