The Food Habits of Adult Striped Bass from Lake Hamilton, Arkansas, Before and During an Extreme Drawdown
Adult striped bass (Morone saxatilis) ranging in size from 483 to 940 mm TL in a west central Arkansas reservoir (3,000 ha) fed predominantly on gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) and threadfin shad (D. petenense) throughout a 2-year study. Heavy feeding on threadfin shad occurred 1 winter due to colder than normal water temperatures which rendered threadfin shad sluggish and more susceptible to predation. Other species of fish and invertebrates comprised only a minor portion of food items regardless of time of year. An increasing trend in larger size shad consumed by larger striped bass...
