Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Historically, degradation of water quality from mining activity in the Monongahela River Basin adversely affected fish populations in the mainstem river. Improvement of water quality since 1971 has resulted in positive changes in fish populations. We assessed changes in the fishery by analyzing rotenone samples in relation to changes in water quality. Before 1970, pH ranged between 3.8 and 5.8 and alkalinity between 0.0 and 2.0 mg/1. After 1980, mean annual pH ranged from 7.0 to 7.3 and alkalinity ranged from 8.7 to 12.9 mg/1. From 1973 to 1990, mean fish biomass increased in nearly every sample from 41 to 355 kg/ha, Fish diversity also increased. The increase in biomass was significantly correlated with mean alkalinity, but not with mean annual river discharge or mean annual pH.

Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags were placed in 15,344 triploid grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) (200-280 mm total length) and length, weight, and tag-code data recorded for each fish at rates of 206 to 350 fish per hour. Only 43 fish (0.28%) died within 48 hours post-tagging. Survival of tagged (N = 122) and untagged (N = 131) groups of fish held in ponds 83 to 115 days post-tagging was >90% and near equal, except for 1 tagged and 1 untagged group where a columnaris disease outbreak occurred; survival in those groups was 68.0% and 69.1%, respectively. All tags were retained in the fish and functioned properly after 83-85 days in ponds. After 1 group of fish (N = 29) had been in a pond for 225 days, tag responses were found for all but 1 fish. The techniques used for tag placement and data recording utilized equipment generally available at most fisheries laboratories.

Trends in the abundance of young-of-year largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and water level fluctuations from 1976 to 1988 in Grand Lake were evaluated to assess recruitment strength before (1976-1981) and after (1982-1988) a change in reservoir operations. Significantly positive relationships between abundance of young-of- year largemouth bass and days of littoral flooding during spawning and nursery seasons, drawdown during revegetation season in the previous calendar year, combinations thereof, and water levels during these seasons indicated recruitment of largemouth bass was influenced by water level fluctuations. Implementation of a new operating rule curve in 1982 seemed to affect recruitment only indirectly by minimizing drawdown during late summer, thereby decreasing the exposure of shoreline areas of the reservoir for revegetation during the latter part of the growing season.

Success and cost effectiveness of stocking larval vs. fingerling hybrid striped bass (o Marone chrysops X o M. saxatilis) were evaluated at Lake Sam Rayburn, Texas. Stocking success was evaluated using gill net catch rates of age-2 hybrids, mean length of hybrids at age 2, and relative annual mortality of stocked individuals. Hatchery production and stocking cost of larvae and fingerlings were compared. There was no significant difference between gill net catch rates of age-2 hybrids stocked as larvae vs. fingerlings. However, age-2 hybrids from larval stockings were significantly larger than those from fingerling stockings. Relative annual mortality of stocked larvae was significantly higher than for fingerlings. Stocking costs for larvae were less than half those for fingerlings.

The impact of changing the hybrid striped bass (white bass Morone chrysops o x striped bass M. saxatilis o; WBxSB) stocking strategy on 2 Texas reservoirs was evaluated. Stocking of WBxSB in lakes Arlington and Graham was increased from 20 fingerlings (25-76 mm TL)/ha and 112 fry (6 mm TL)/ha biennially, respectively, to approximately 50 fingerlings/ha annually. Annual fall or winter gill net surveys were conducted to monitor densities of WBxSB and gizzard (Dorosoma cepedianum) and threadfin (D. petenense) shad. Spring creel surveys were conducted to evaluate angler utilization of WBxSB. Scales from WBxSB collected in 1987 were aged to determine year class strength at each lake. Gill net catch rates of WBxSB increased significantly after fingerling stocking rate and frequency were increased. Catch rates of gizzard and threadfin shad did not change significantly.

Stream habitat and large woody debris (LWD) loadings were inventoried in 2 southern Appalachian wilderness streams by the basinwide visual estimation technique. Little Santeetlah Creek, in a wilderness watershed that has never been harvested, contained 4 times as much wood and nearly twice as many habitat units (e.g., pools and riffles) as did Lost Cove Creek in a forested watershed, typical of the southern Appalachians, that was clearcut 80 years ago. Where stream widths were similar, pools and riffles in Little Santeetlah were smaller and more numerous than in Lost Cove Creek. Naturally occurring LWD influenced the structure and configuration of habitat in southern Appalachian Mountain streams.

Food habits of rainbow trout were studied at 3 locations for 1 year on the Center Hill Dam tailwater in central Tennessee. Staple food items consisted of isopods (Lirceus sp.) and chironomids. Seasonal food items from Center Hill Reservoir (threadfin shad and Daphnia sp.) were highly utilized and contributed nearly 60% to the total volume of food items taken. Occurrence of algae in rainbow trout stomachs was common and appeared to be related to seasonal forage base. Condition of rainbow trout did not significantly change with season, but was usually significantly higher closer to the dam.

Nineteen adult walleyes were implanted with ultrasonic transmitters and tracked for 2 years at Meredith Reservoir, Texas, to determine specific behavioral characteristics. During the spawning period tagged walleyes established an activity pattern consisting of 3 phases: pre-staging, movement to within 5.5 km of the dam; staging, movement to within 2.2 km of the dam; and spawning on the rip-rap of the dam. Individual walleye established home range areas ranging in size from 141 to 2,517 ha. Fish were located most frequently in water ≤8 m deep within 100 m of shore. Most locations were along brushy or rocky shorelines.

I used a normal-skew model to calculate length-specific selection curves for white bass caught in gill nets in 55 Texas reservoirs. I used these selection curves to adjust 2 size-structure indices, proportional stock density (PSD), and relative stock density (RSD) for gill net mesh-size selectivity. Differences between adjusted and unadjusted values of PSD and RSD were small (0.6 and 2.0, respectively) when the unadjusted values were extreme (i.e., ≤10 or ≥91). When unadjusted values of PSD and RSD were between 10 and 91, mean absolute differences between adjusted and unadjusted values were 5.6 and 6.7, respectively. There were no obvious patterns to the differences between adjusted and unadjusted values of PSD and RSD.

During a 2-year period, 250,000 Florida largemouth bass fingerlings were stocked among the endemic northern largemouth bass population of Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir (1985 = 185/ha, 1986 = 123/ha). We used electrophoresis to estimate proportions of Florida, northern, and Florida x northern intergrade largemouth bass within pre-stocking, stocking-year, and post-stocking year cohorts. Ages of largemouth bass were determined by examination of whole otoliths. The proportion of Florida phenotypes within the stocking-year cohort was not increased when the stocking rate was more than 50/ha greater. Stocked Florida phenotypes comprised 6% and 25% of the 1985 and 1986 cohorts, respectively, at age 1. Implementing a less restrictive harvest regulation accelerated introgression of the Florida genome by providing sizerelated, selective harvest of larger, northern largemouth bass.

The author encourages wildlife law enforcement officers to develop and maintain a cooperative rapport with convicted offenders in an effort to increase the number of informants and cooperators as an aid to cause compliance with regulations.

As a result of Fair Labor and Standards Act requirements, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) supervisors became concerned about time lost from game wardens responding to reports of violations from sportsmen in which no violation existed. From this concern a cooperative program was initiated with the Gulf Coast Conservation Association (GCCA) in which a select group of their membership was trained in how to recognize and report violations to game wardens. This program has drastically reduced time lost from game wardens responding to erroneous reports of violations and has significantly increased the ratio of apprehensions and seizures of illegal equipment.

The Japanese cultured pearl industry has caused the demand for the freshwater mussel shell to increase throughout the Southeast. With the market value of the resource increasing, enforcement officers must use varied enforcement techniques to apprehend law violators.

A basic guide is provided for safety, setup, and use of deer decoys to assist the wildlife officer in apprehending night deer hunters.

The enforcement of wildlife laws becomes more complex and complicated each day and requires the wildlife officer to use every available tool to perform his job. Wildlife forensic techniques provide scientific methods to supplement the wildlife officer's work in the field. Wildlife forensic techniques provide methods necessary to answer law enforcement problems which remained unanswered in the past but have been answered today, and to solve tomorrow's problems with answers which do not exist today. Wildlife forensics is not a panacea for the wildlife officer, however, it is another tool in his arsenal against the poacher. The science of wildlife forensics is similar to air travel. Yesterday's wildlife officer flew a propeller driven plane. Today's wildlife officer has moved into the jet age. Tomorrow's wildlife officer will enter the space age.

Bloodhounds used as mantrailers canbe an invaluable instrument in wildlife law enforcement. The human body consists of approximately 60 trillion cells which are constantly dying and being sloughed off at the rate of about 50 million cells per second. These dead cells are acted on by bacteria which causes them to give off a gaseous odor. Each odor is slightly different, creating a unique, individual, human odor which may determine the fate of a wildlife law violator.

The author describes the development of this State's program to investigate crimes dealing with hazardous waste disposal. Particular emphasis is placed on the pitfalls and advantages of a hybrid positionas used in this state. As illustrated in the summary, it is not beyond the scope of state wildlife enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute these crimes that do vast amounts of damage to the natural resources. In many cases, an act of hazardous waste disposal can do more damage to an ecosystem and its natural resources than an entire family or even generations of poachers.

This paper provides a mercury database for largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from 80 major lakes and streams in Florida. Elevated levels (≥0.5 mg/kg) were recorded for 51 systems requiring health advisories to be issued for> 800,000 ha of aquatic resources. Significant mercury contamination was also found in other animals.

Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were sampled in 2 southeast Louisiana lakes for 3 years to determine if these populations were stunted based on age structure, growth rate, and length at maturity. Mean total length at age II for Lake Maurepas and Lac Des Allemands catfish were 262 mm and 256 mm, respectively, which compared favorably to other commercially fished populations in other areas in the lower Mississippi drainage. Channel catfish in Lake Maurepas exhibited a reduced length and age at maturity when compared to other areas. These characteristics may be due to physicochemical characteristics of the lake, an abundance of forage, or overfishing, which could select for early maturity as a survival mechanism.

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) held at lO.7 and 26.7 C in insulated fiberglass tanks were treated with rotenone and inspected daily to determine days-tosurfacing and change in body weight. Fish held at lO.7 C surfaced in 3-12 days, whereas fish held at 26.7 C surfaced within 24 hours. Fish at each temperature gained weight after death. Analysis of weight gain in fish held at 10.7 C produced no significant relationship between weight-gain and period of submergence for fish submerged 7 or more days. Weight gain was an exponential function of total length in fish held at lO.7 C and a logarithmic function of total length in fish held at 26.7 C.

Ultrasonic transmitters were surgically implanted in a total of 30 saugeye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum x S. canadense) in 1987 and 1988. Horizontal distribution, movement, distance from shore, depth, and habitat were determined during tracking of each fish. Saugeye were located ≤65 m from shore most frequently during all seasons except summer. Saugeye preferred open shore areas, and frequented submerged timber only during fall 1988 and winter 1989 when prey items may have been limited. Saugeye preferred depths of 0-3 m except in summer 1988 and summer and fall 1989, when no depth preference was evident. Saugeye moved to a cove near the dam during late winter and early spring, which appeared to be a prespawning activity. Approximately 33% of tagged saugeye were not located in the lake during the 1988 spawning period, and 1989 tracking revealed upstream spawning movement in the Little River.

Abundance and, to a lesser degree, size distributions (in 1 of 2 sample years) of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were influenced by the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation in Flat Top Lake, West Virginia. Relative abundance and size distributions of adult largemouth bass (≥200 mm in length) were compared among high, intermediate, and low densities of submerged aquatic vegetation in September-October 1986. Largemouth bass were more abundant at high and intermediate vegetation densities than at low densities, but no differences in size distribution were noted among vegetation levels. In June and August 1987, the relative abundance and size distributions of all sizes of largemouth bass were compared between high and low vegetation densities. High vegetation contained significantly greater numbers of largemouth bass. Largemouth bass lengths were smaller in high vegetation samples, primarily due to a higher proportion of age-O fish in these areas.

Abundance and, to a lesser degree, size distributions (in 1 of 2 sample years) of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were influenced by the presence of submerged aquatic vegetation in Flat Top Lake, West Virginia. Relative abundance and size distributions of adult largemouth bass (≥200 mm in length) were compared among high, intermediate, and low densities of submerged aquatic vegetation in September-October 1986. Largemouth bass were more abundant at high and intermediate vegetation densities than at low densities, but no differences in size distribution were noted among vegetation levels. In June and August 1987, the relative abundance and size distributions of all sizes of largemouth bass were compared between high and low vegetation densities. High vegetation contained significantly greater numbers of largemouth bass. Largemouth bass lengths were smaller in high vegetation samples, primarily due to a higher proportion of age-O fish in these areas.

Nine-day-old hybrid striped bass (Morone saxatilis x M. chrysops) were stocked into fertilized O.04-ha freshwater ponds at 3 densities with 3 replications each and fed a 55% crude protein feed at 0.45 kg/day/pond divided equally into 4 daily feedings for 33 days. There were no significant (P > 0.05) differences for average weight gain or survival among the densities: 123,500 fishlha, 1.2 g, 57.4%; 247,000 fishlha, 0.7 g, 41.2%; and 370,500 fish/ha, 0.8 g, 31.8%. Fingerlings averaging 0.75 g were subsequently stocked into 0.04-ha fresh water (alkalinity ca. 100 mglliter, hardness 42 mg/liter as CaC03) ponds at 37,050/ha and 74, loo/ha (3 replications each). Brackish water (4-5 ppt) O.I-ha ponds were stocked with fingerlings averaging either 0.6 g or 1.4 g (3 replications each) at 9,880/ha. Fish were fed a 38% crude protein feed at 5% of body weight and were sampled monthly for 5 months.