Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Nonresident fishing license sales are a significant proportion of the Florida Gameand Fresh WaterFish Commission's annual revenues. This study soughlto estimate annual revenue loss due to improper licensing of late-winter nonresident freshwater fishermen. Only 7% were improperly liceosed, representing $172,000 in lost revenue.

A guide for fish and wildlife law enforcement chief executive officers is provided which includes a definition and overview of law enforcement planning as a distinct profession and describing its utility within the law enforcement function. Specific examples of duties are enumerated as are guidelines for soliciting and hiring a professional law enforcement planner and establishing a functional unit.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is currently in the process of upgrading its law enforcement services through advanced training in the area of defensive tactics. One of the objectives of this mission is to certify each of Georgia's conservation law enforcement officers in the use of an intermediate weapon in an effort to have a complete line of force options available to its law enforcement personnel. In an attempt to fill this void, the Department has selected one of the most highly advanced intermediate weapons available to law enforcement today, the tactical baton. The Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP) tactical baton is the one the Department feels will be most suited for Conservation Law Enforcement. The Department believes that based upon tactical performance, control potential, injury reduction, psychological deterrence, instructor certification training availability, ease of implementation, and cost there is no better choice.

The difference between surviving or not surviving a shoot-out will depend on many factors. Who are you up against, how many are you up against, how efficient are they, and then, how efficient are you? This could be the most important question you could ever ask yourself in a life or death situation. Nothing could be more important when confronted with a violent situation than training and equipment. Proper training and equipment are a must for a professional law enforcement officer, anything less is only flirting with danger. With liability cases on the increase, agencies who fail to provide the most up-to-date training and equipment are also flirting with danger. For these reasons, training and equipment must be put on the front burner and monitored continuously. The best defense to liability cases against officers and their respective agencies is, without question, competent training and competent equipment.

Extensive bird mortality was documented from oil contained in pits and opentopped tanks in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Annual mortality easily exceeded 300,000 birds including 100,000 ducks. An enforcement strategy was developed that included negotiations with state oil regulating agencies, seminars presented to oil industry associations, a news media campaign, and criminal and civil enforcement actions initiated at the state and federal level.

One of Missouri's largest and most unique game fish, the paddlefish, faced a threat that potentially was as great as the loss of spawning grounds resulting from construction ofdams. Poachers, well aware of Missouri's reputation for large concentrations of these primitive filter feeders, were reaping huge profits by illegally netting the fish and selling the roe as caviar. Covert investigators with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service infiltrated groups operating on the Osage River in Warsaw, Missouri, as well as another group based on the James River of Table Rock Lake. After 18 months of work, the network that moved eggs from Missouri streams to caviar dealers throughout the country was uncovered and prosecuted.

This study describes a method of constructing inexpensive, durable, shallow-water reefs in freshwater lakes with whole Australian pines (Casuarina spp.). Snorkel observations demonstrated that largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), and redear sunfish (L. microlophus) abundance was significantly higher on reef areas as compared to between-reef areas, or control areas. A creel survey measured improved catch rates for largemouth bass and lower catch rates for sunfish on reef areas. The use of on-site materials during lake construction should be considered an economical method of concentrating certain sport fish species for the purpose of improving angler success.

Lake Talquin was dewatered in September 1983 and a 2-stage refill was completed by mid-July 1984. Spring creel surveys were conducted by the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission prior to (1978, 1981) and following (1985-88) this drawdown. Harvest estimates have increased 5-fold for largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) since 1986. Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromoculatus) were harvested in record numbers in 1987 but declined appreciably in 1988. Sunfish harvest after 1986 returned to pre-1986 levels and has stabilized. The sharp increase in harvest estimates for all species in 1987 was due to recruitment of their 1984 post-drawdown year class to harvestable size. Benefits to the sport fishery from the drawdown were not immediately realized but became evident to anglers as increased harvest in 1987.

Infonnation from applications to 2 angler recognition programs administered by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department were analyzed to determine changes in the number and weight of fish submitted each year. Frequent increases in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) (5 in a 6-year time span), striped bass (Morone saxatilis) (9 in a 14-year time span), and hybrid striped bass (M. chrysops X M. saxatilis) (7 in 8-year time span) state records were documented. Significant annual increases in mean weight of largemouth bass (4.0 kg in 1974 to >5.0 kg in 1986 and 1987) and smallmouth bass (M. dolomieui) (2.16 kg in 1979 to 2.63 kg in 1987) certified for Big Fish Awards were recorded. Increases in size of largemouth bass and striped bass certified were directly related to stocking programs.

A survey was conducted of landowners on upper Lake of the Ozarks, from the Harry S Truman Darn at Warsaw, Missouri, to 16 miles below the darn. The study was initiated to determine citizen opinion toward the current 4-turbine operation at Harry S Truman Darn in light of managing authorities' proposals to increase power generation through routine use of 2 additional turbines that could diminish recreation and tourism values of upper Lake of the Ozarks. Results revealed that landowners residing at the lake had little tolerance for any changes in hydropower operations that would increase water fluctuations, bank erosion, and siltation at the lake. Generally, property owners indicated that fishing, swimming, and boating on the lake had worsened since the darn began generating power in 1981, but the quality of these recreational activities still was acceptable under prevailing management.

We conducted tests to quantify delayed mortality of white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) after catch and release by anglers. White crappie were subjected to I) catch and release in shallow water using traditional hook-and-line methods and 2) rapid depressurization to simulate catch in deep water. Mortality 6-11 days after catch and release from shallow water averaged 3%. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were detected between mortality rates of white crappie 15-25 cm and >25 cm total length, nor between fish caught using live and artificial baits. No mortalities occurred 96 hours after white crappie were depressurized from depths ≤10m, but 29% and 67% of the fish died when depressurized from 13 and 16 m, respectively. Regulations involving catch and immediate release of white crappie can reduce fishing mortality, but may be less effective when and where fish are frequently caught from deep water.

The commercial trotline fishery on the Kentucky portions of Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley was evaluated by a telephone survey, an onboard survey, and from market data. Results indicate that the telephone survey was a reliable source of economic information based on high correlations (r ≥ 0.89) of effort and harvest data among the 3 data sets. Data obtained from the onboard survey overestimated economic impact of the fishery because of bias toward full-time fishermen. However, the onboard survey did yield accurate species composition information. Thirty-five percent of the respondents in the telephone survey were full-time fishermen, 44% were part-time, and 21% fished for non-profit reasons. Although the annual estimated harvest in the trotline fishery (745,500 kg) was valued at $0.8 million, fishermen reported an income of $1.5 million, nearly twice the value of their harvest. Ninety-seven percent of total catch (both kept and released) and harvest, by weight, was catfish.

Low altitude aerial surveys were conducted at approximately monthly intervals from I April 1987 to 31 March 1988 to determine temporal and geographic distribution of commercial fishing in Texas bay and Gulf (Texas Territorial Sea) areas. Observers counted a total of 4,841 bay commercial vessels and 1,906 Gulf commercial vessels conducting 7 types of fishing activities over the 12-month study period. Commercial shrimping made up 87.7% of all commercial activity. Most activity was observed between May and November. Thirty-nine percent of the bay commercial activity was concentrated in Galveston Bay while 27% was in Matagorda Bay. San Antonio, Aransas, and Corpus Christi bay systems collectively yielded 29% of the commercial bay vessel counts. Gulf commercial shrimping was evenly distributed along the entire coast with a slightly higher concentration around the Galveston offshore area. Photography and ground counts were assessed as verification to observer counts.

A major concern in managing commercial fisheries is the potential effect on game fish populations. The objective of this study was to design a model to determine annual game fish bycatch in hoop nets, wire traps, and pound nets utilized in the 51. Johns River, Florida, commercial catfish fishery. Annual bycatch was estimated with a model based on previous estimates of annual catfish harvest, catfish-to-game fish ratios, mean weight of catfish harvested and percentage composition of catfish harvested by each gear type. Hoop nets captured an estimated 435,635 game fish annually with 46,697 and 7,589 game fish captured annually by wire traps and pound nets, respectively. When catches of all 3 gear types were combined, black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus comprised 54.5% by number of all game fish caught, followed by Lepomis spp. (44.4%), Morone spp. (0.7%), largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (0.4%), and chain pickerel Esox niger (0.01%).

Juvenile spotted seatrout Cynoscion nebulosus (48-73 mm TL) and snook Centropomis undecimalis (43-63 nun TL) were subjected to 35- and 42-day growth trials, respectively, at 5 different temperatures. Respective test temperatures were 11.5°, 15.5°,22.0°,28.0°, and 32.0° C, and ISS, 21.0°, 28.0°, 32.0°, and 37.0°C. Salinity was 20% for both trials. Optimum temperature for growth of both species apparently occurs at ≥28.0° C. Spotted seatrout specific growth rate (2.39%) and mean total length (TL) (78 mm) was greatest at 28.0° C, while specific growth rate (0.54%) and mean TL (67 mm) at lIS C was less than at all other temperatures. Specific growth rate of juvenile snook at 37.0°, 32.0°, and 28.0° C (1.20%, 1.46%, and 0.93%, respectively) was significantly greater than growth at 21.0° and 15.5° C (0.31% and -0.15% respectively). Snook mean TL at trial conclusion was greatest at 32.0° C (62 mm) and least at 15.5° C (52 mm).

South Carolina and Texas red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) fingerlings were compared to evaluate pond overwintering characteristics. Red drum from each hatchery stock were spawned in September 1987 and fry were reared in outdoor earthen ponds. Red drum fingerlings (mean ± SD total length (TL) South Carolina fish 50.5 ± 4.9 mm; Texas fish 48.3 ± 4.4 mm) were transferred to 6 0.2-ha saltwater ponds in November 1987, and ponds were harvested in March 1988. The lowest water temperature encountered was 3.00 C on 10 January 1988. Survival was similar between Texas (91.7% ± 13.9%) and South Carolina (83.5% ± 6.6%) fingerlings. Production (kg/halday) was also similar between the 2 stocks. Fish grew at equal rates over the production period; at harvest, mean TL of South Carolina fish was 87.7 ± 11.9 mm, TL of Texas fish was 83.7 ± 11.2 mm.

Phase-l hybrid striped bass fry were fed trout pellets at 0,6.7, and 13.4 kg/haJday, in 7 culture ponds in 1986. Yield ranged from 45.6 to 239.7 kg/ha. Survival ranged from 11% to 70%. Five ponds in which fish were fed trout pellets had substantially greater yields of hybrid striped bass fingerlings than 1 pond in which fish were unfed. In 1987, two culture ponds in which fish were fed trout pellets at 13.4 kg/haJday from the time of initial stocking had significantly greater (P < 0.05) yields of hybrid striped bass fry than 2 ponds initially fed 18 days after stocking. Yields ranged from 0 to 86 kg/ha and survival ranged from 0% to 61%. Feed allotment and time of initial feeding of trout pellets affected production of hybrid striped bass.

The growth in weight of hybrids of striped bass (Morone saxatilis x white bass M. chrysops) fed trout pellets was compared to that of hybrids fed redbelly tilapia (Tilapia zilli, the latter of which were starved to reduce lipid content or were well-fed to ensure greater lipid levels. Production did not differ significantly between fish that ate starved tilapia and those that ate trout pellets. Growth was significantly greater, however, in hybrids that ate fed tilapia than in those that ate starved tilapia. The nutritional value of the pelletized ration was inferior to that of well-fed tilapia, indicating the need for improvements in diet formulation.

Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) larvae were fed live cultured Daphnia at 4 densities to determine if larval survival and growth were affected by Daphnia densities at low (ambient) (15.0° ± 1.5° C) and high (21.1° ± 0.5° C) temperatures. Survival of larvae increased with increasing densities of Daphnia in both experiments. Survival was higher in the low-temperature experiment than in the high-temperature experiment. However, larval survival was also influenced by cannibalism and a deformity affecting swimming behavior. Maximum growth of larvae during the 7-day experiments was 23.2 mm in length and 88.0 mg in weight and was determined graphically at Daphnia densities ranging from 200 to 240/liter in the high-temperature experiment. Short-term intensive culture of paddlefish larvae fed live Daphnia appears to be a viable method for producing large, hardy fish for further grow-out in ponds.

Adult channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) monitored by radiotelemetry made frequent movements within Perche Creek, a tributary of the lower Missouri River. Individuals of both species moved at a rate greater than 50 m/day in >50% of all observations. The favored depth for both species was 1 - 2 m, even though shallower and deeper habitats were available. Both species avoided open water habitat and selected complex woody structure over other cover types. Channel catfish movements were more restricted in Hinkson Creek, an upland tributary of Perche Creek, where habitats > 1.5 m deep were rare. Catfish in Hinkson Creek selected the few deep pools available and favored cover types similar to those selected in Perche Creek. Channel catfish in Perche Creek tended to move to the Missouri River, but flathead catfish tended to remain in Perche Creek, even though these 2 species were equally mobile within Perche Creek.

Small diameter hoop nets were compared with low frequency, pulsed DC electrofishing for assessing flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) stocks in the Noxubee River, a small stream in east-central Mississippi. Small diameter hoop nets fished during summer low flow regimes were appropriate for collecting stock size fish (≥280 mm, total length) while electrofishing was a better tool for assessing smaller flathead catfish. No significant difference (P >0.05) was found between the 2 sample techniques with regard to kg/man-day or fish/man-day. Small diameter hoop nets were determined to be the most appropriate gear for sampling flathead catfish resources in streams where the use of boats is restricted by poor access.