William C. Reeves

Liquid ammonium polyphosphate fertilizer (Poly NR) was evaluated at state-owned public fishing lakes in Alabama. Initial evaluation indicated that only one-third the quantity of phosphate that would normally be applied in granular fertilizer (9 kg/ha P20 5 ) to fishing lakes was necessary to produce acceptable Secchi disc visibilities (≤ 60 cm) during the fertilization season. Further evaluation at 20 public fishing lakes demonstrated that significant financial savings could be achieved in conjunction with acceptable Secchi disc visibilities with a liquid fertilization program.

Midwater artificial structures were placed in a freshwater reservioir to determine if fish would associate with these structures. SCUBA observations were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the structures. Alabama spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus henshalli) and bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were attracted to structures suspended over water depths up to 33 m and as far as 250 m from the shoreline. Behavioral observations of fish on structures and the development and subsequent association of spotted bass fry spawned on a structure are discussed.

To determine the extent of pond owner management and the condition of balance of the fish population during the first 2 years of fishing in small ponds, 40 ponds were randomly selected for study from ISO ponds 1.0 acre or less in size stocked in the 1971-72 stocking season. Only five ponds contained balanced Hsh populations both study years. Primary factors aHecting fish population balance were fertilization, livestock utilization, competitive species, severe water level reduction or complete loss of water, and fish kills. Proper pond management was not practiced by most pond owners in the...

The effects of increased water hardness. salinity. and source of fry on the survival and growth of striped bass fry from three females from the Cooper River, South Carolina. and two females from the Savannah River. Georgia. were studied at the Fisheries Research Unit. Auburn University, from 6 April to 11 June. 1971. Fry were stocked in one ofthree water treatments: control with a total hardness of 30 to 40 ppm; added hardness. 125 to 175 ppm; and added salinity, (chlorides) 1,100 to 1,500 ppm. Variance tests for homogeneity and contingency tables were employed for data analysis. Survival...

Research on the production of advanced fingerling striped bass, Morone saxalitis (Walbaum), was conducted in ponds at Auburn University Fisheries Research Unit in the summer and winter of 1971. Investigations were conducted to determine the effects of two feeding regimes and two sources of small fingerlings on the survival and production of advanced fingerling striped bass. Fingerling striped bass from the Cooper River, South Carolina, and the Savannah River, Georgia, were studied. Higher survival and greater production were obtained from the Cooper River fish. One feeding regime fed...

Research on the extensive culture of striped bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum), was conducted in ponds at Auburn University Fisheries Research Unit in the spring of 1971. Investigations were conducted to determine the effect of water hardness, source of fry: and immediate versus delayed stocking on the survival of striped bass fry. Twelve 0.10-acre earthen ponds were used. Six ponds were treated with calcium sulfate to raise the hardness to 150 ppm. The hardness of the remaining ponds was approximately 20 ppm. Striped bass fry from two sources (Cooper River, South Carolina, and Savannah...