Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Information and education (IE) staffs are frequently requested to handle the public relations of controversial natural resource projects. The key to successfully neutralizing negative publicity and generating positive support for such programs is the strategic planning which must compliment the design of the natural resources project.

A survey of print editors in Florida indicated they want more than raw information from conservation agencies. Editors reported that photographs frequently are in short supply and feature stories from conservation agency writers are welcome contributions. They want more "how to" stories; they want more brief filler material; and above all else they want more material of significance to their specific communities.

A school of 206 striped bass, Marone saxatilis, were sampled using rotenone in a deep, southwest Arkansas reservoir. Fish averaged 439 mm TL and 823 g in weight, ranging in size from 321 to 525 mm TL and 33.5-1,389 g. K factors were extremely low, ranging from 0.82 to 1.18. Two hundred four of the striped bass were age II+ (1981 year class), while only 2 were age I+. Several possible reasons are considered as the causative agent in the formation of this large school.

The relationships between largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) length and lengths of bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) consumed by largemouth bass were explored seasonally in West Point Lake during April-November 1981. There were no significant differences in the predator-prey size relationships for largemouth bass and bluegill across seasons; however, there was a significant increase in the size of gizzard shad preyed upon during the fall as compared to earlier in the spring-summer. This seasonal shift was not a normal fall occurrence and likely was caused by a 4.2-m drop in the summer lake level which increased crowding of predator and prey and enhanced the predatory effect of largemouth bass on gizzard shad. Analysis of the relative abundance of prey species over a 7-year period (1975-1981) showed that in 1977, 2 years after impoundment, bluegill and gizzard shad were the dominant prey species.

The relative success of the Walhalla strain of brown trout (Salmo trutta) and the Wytheville and Winthrop strains of rainbow trout (S. gairdneri) was evaluated for 2 years in a put-grow-and-take stocking program in Jocassee Reservoir. Gill-net catches of brown trout increased during the 2-year study, while catches of rainbow trout of both strains declined rapidly after stocking and no rainbow trout were netted during the second year of the study. A total of 11.4% of the stocked brown trout and 1.6% of the rainbow trout were harvested by fishermen during the study. Poor survival of rainbow trout in Jocassee Reservoir may be related more to the size of fish stocked than to different strain-specific characteristics.

Scales and otoliths of cottonwick, Haemulon melanurum, collected on 2 reef sites in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico were examined for usefulness in determining age. Scales were used to estimate age. Back-calculated lengths at annulus formation ranged from 158 mm fork length (FL) (age 1) to 352 mm FL (age 11). No difference in growth was observed between areas, but there was significant year-to-year variation in mean FL for age-classes 2-5. There was no difference in parameters of the von Bertalanffy model due to area of collection.The equation was FLt=350(l-e-0.32(t + 0.1). Annual instantaneous mortality (Z) differed significantly between reefs (0.77 vs 0.95), with a weighted mean of 0.90. The length: weight relationship was W = 0.00013 FL2.6614. Variation in condition between seasons and areas was attributed to normal variation in gonadal weight due to reproductive cycles.

Mark-recapture techniques were used during spring 1982 and 1983 to estimate the abundance of harvestable size paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) in Watts Bar Reservoir, Tennessee. Results indicated a harvestable population in 1982 of 3,421 fish (95% confidence interval of 2,184 to 6,665). Aging studies indicated a relatively young population with an abrupt decrease in survival after the ninth year. This decrease was attributed to extreme fishing mortality on these older age classes before July 1980 when Watts Bar Reservoir was closed to net fishing. Estimated annual growth of adult paddlefish was 27.4 mm for males and 31.2 mm for females. Age at maturity was estimated at 5 to 6 years for males and 8 years for females. Males constituted 76% and 60% of the sample in 1982 and 1983, respectively. Fort Loudoun tailwater was identified as the probable spawning area for most Watts Bar Reservoir paddlefish.

Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) have been stocked extensively into Texas reservoirs containing the northern largemouth bass (M. s. salmoides) subspecies, and knowledge of the genetic make-up of these potentially intergraded populations is important to their continued management. Bass populations from 19 such reservoirs were analyzed by electrophoretic determination of individual fish genotypes. As measured by variation at 3 loci, intergradation ranged from 2% to 92%. Variations in percent intergradation among reservoirs were related to individual reservoir conditions and Florida largemouth bass stocking histories. Regression analysis suggested that repeated annual stocking of Florida largemouth bass had the greatest effect on the frequency of Florida largemouth bass genes.

Compatibility and complementarity of age-O alewife and gizzard shad as coexistent forage fishes were evaluated through analysis of their distribution, spawning periods, and growth rates in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, in 1983. Gizzard shad larvae appeared to be confined to the upper reservoir and alewife larvae to the down-lake region. Spatial segregation prevents direct trophic competition while increasing potential feeding encounters for juvenile piscivores. Gizzard shad spawning peaked in June; alewife spawning peaked in July. Age-O gizzard shad became too large for age-O and age-l piscivorous game fishes by mid-summer, but later spawning and slower growth of the alewife assured its morphological availability to these predators for the remainder of the year. The alewife appears to be compatible with gizzard shad, and the species are complementary in providing spatial and temporal feeding opportunities for juvenile piscivores in Smith Mountain Lake.

Walleye, Stizostedion vitreum, were collected from 14 sample sites in Alabama from January through March 1977-1982 to obtain information on age and growth. Walleye Age III and older from 2 state-owned public fishing lakes had significantly greater growth rates than 173 walleye collected from Mitchell Reservoir. Alabama walleye generally had slower growth rates than those reported from other southeastern reservoirs and rivers.

Winter stockings of rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in a small (26.3 ha) state park lake were evaluated to determine cost effectiveness of this fishery management technique. A creel survey was conducted to measure fishing pressure and harvest. benefits, in terms of increased hours of fishing provided, increased weight of fish harvested, and increased park entrance revenue, were substantially higher than the cost of stocking.

Characteristics and success of 22 wild brown trout redds were studied in 2 western North Carolina streams. Choice of redd site by spawners was determined and intragravel characteristics of redds were followed throughout the incubation period. Spawning began during the last of October at a water temperature of 7° C. It appeared to have ceased by the middle of November. Redds were selected in pool-riffle transition areas or in riffles with a mean surface velocity of 34 cm/second and a mean water depth of 16 cm. Redd areas averaged 94 cm long and 47 cm wide. Egg pits averaged 31 cm in diameter and were 11 cm deep. During the incubation period, mean intragravel dissolved oxygen was 11.0 mg/1 , permeability 1,367 cm/h and apparent velocity 19 cm/h. About 3 weeks prior to emergence 5 alevins per redd were recovered from one creek and 68 per redd from another. Emergence occurred during the first 2 weeks of April. The number of fry emerging varied from 0 to 22 per redd.

Food habits of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui) in the New River were studied to compare diet of fish in a minimum length limit regulated section (Virginia) with those in a non-length limit regulated section (West Virginia). Insects were the dominant food type by number for 152-228 mm smallmouth bass in both sections. Numerically, insects were also found to be common in smallmouth bass of several other size categories. Crayfish and fish, however, combined to form a large part of the diet of smallmouth bass greater than 228 mm. Crayfish were a more significant component of the diet of smallmouth bass in West Virginia than in Virginia in the fall 1982 sample. This may be a factor leading to low condition indices of Virginia smallmouth bass and may affect the success of the minimum length limit regulation.

Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) were the principal prey items in the stomachs of 708 striped bass (Morone saxatilis) collected in Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, from April to December 1983 and 1984. Alewives comprised 51% and 39% of ingested prey items by number and weight, respectively; comparable values for gizzard shad were 38% and 58%. Stomach contents differed significantly between habitats (upper and lower reservoir) and among seasons. Regression analyses between size of consumed clupeids and total length of striped bass indicated a greater morphological availability of alewives to all sizes of striped bass.

Studies in large and small ponds conducted on the Auburn University Fisheries Research Station from 1981 through 1983 suggest that gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) severely competed with largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) populations. Gizzard shad introductions lowered bluegill reproductive success and caused an imbalance the first year of introduction. Gizzard shad grew rapidly through the size range where they were vulnerable to largemouth bass predation; in this 3-year study, largemouth bass were unable to control gizzard shad numbers. Within 2 years after introduction, gizzard shad comprised half the standing stock while replacing portions of the carrying capacity normally occupied by largemouth bass and bluegill. A proposed model of competition is that gizzard shad populations, even at low levels, filtered out enough food items to reduce survival of small bluegill.

Toxaphene and DDTR (DDT plus metabolites), both exceeding 10 ppm wet weight, were found in all samples of fish collected from 9 locations on the Yazoo, Mississippi, National Wildlife Refuge. Concentrations were highest in aquatic systems receiving direct inflow from areas draining agricultural land, and lowest in areas receiving only backwater overflow or local runoff. Residue levels of toxaphene and DDTR were high enough to threaten fish-eating wildlife. Installation of flood control structures around the northern perimeter of the refuge may reduce the inflow of contaminants that now accumulate in resident biota.

Information on silver American eels was obtained over a three-year period from seasonal sampling of 4 Georgia rivers, commercial fishermen, and from systematic sampling of eels migrating from a pond. All silver eels were captured from October through March. Of 80 animals examined, 73 were male and averaged 329mm, 69 g, and 5.5 years. Seven females averaged 584 mm, 448 g, and 8.6 years. These findings suggest that silver eels leave Georgia waters later in the year and at younger ages and smaller sizes than eels at more northerly latitudes.

Trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, and Zn) were measured in fish, clams, and sediment in 1982 to determine whether the effluents from 2 abandoned battery salvage operations were contaminating the Chipola River, Florida. Concentrations of the metals were generally low, but tended to increase downstream from plant sites. Elevated concentrations may reflect residual contamination from the battery salvage operations as well as increased land-use development and proximity to major highways. Concentrations of trace elements in samples of biota and sediments demonstrated no serious contaminant problem in the Chipola River.

The food habits of larval Lepomis spp. and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) in Hyco Reservoir, North Carolina, were studied during 1982. Results indicated that Lepomis spp. began feeding at a length of 4 mm on copepod nauplii and the rotifers Polyarthra and Filinia. Selection later (10 mm) shifted to Bosmina, Daphnia, and Mesocyclops, while Diaphanosoma was strongly selected for by all sizes of larvae. The crustaceans Diaptomus, Ceriodaphnia, and Holopedium, along with most rotifers, were not selected. Gizzard shad began feeding primarily on large phytoplankters at 4 mm, then shifted to nauplii and Polyarthra at 5 mm, then to Daphnia at 12 mm. Bosmina and Diaphanosoma were eaten occasionally; and Diaptomus, Ceriodaphnia, Holopedium, and most rotifers were not selected. Both fish species ate significantly greater amounts of zooplankton during the day than at night, and Lepomis spp. ate significantly more zooplankton than gizzard shad overall.

In 1976, the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) was stocked in Watauga Reservoir, Tennessee, by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA), in an attempt to strengthen the forage base. To assess ecological impacts of the introduction, both age and growth and food habits of alewives were evaluated along with food habits of adult game fishes. The alewife population was composed of 3 age classes (0+, 1+, and 2+). Average back-calculated lengths were 70 mm at annulus I and 103mm at annulus II. No significant differences between sexes were found with back-calculated lengths or with the length-weight relationship (P = 0.05). Alewives fed primarily on cladocerans, copepods, and crustacean eggs in both littoral and limnetic regions. Only one alewife had fish in its stomach. Alewives contributed to the diets of walleye (Stizostedion vitreum), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), white and black crappie (Pomoxis spp.), rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), and Ohrid trout (Salmo letnica).

Food habits of largemouth bass, (Micropterus salmoides) , from 2 heated East Texas reservoirs having different prey communities were studied. In Lake Monticello, shad, primarily threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense), were the dominant prey most of the year. Sunfishes were the major food item in winter months. Shad were especially important in the diets of largemouth bass 153 - 306 mm in total length. Utilization of sunfishes increased with size of largemouth bass. Sunfishes and shad were equally abundant in the diets of largemouth bass ≥306 mm TL. Largemouth bass population structure and condition were good based on monthly proportional stock density and relative weight indices. In Lake Welsh, sunfishes were the dominant food of all sizes of largemouth bass, particularly during winter and spring. Many largemouth bass consumed insects during the summer, suggesting low forage fish populations.

Objectives of this study were to collect information on food, prey availability, and growth rates of black bass (Micropterus spp.) and to determine what type of restrictive harvest regulations would be best for their management in Kentucky Lake, Kentucky. The available fish prey/predator ratio (AP/P) in the Blood River embayment was near 1 : 1 until fish reached 300 mm length, and then available prey biomass increased rapidly. Fish prey were the major food item of all 3 species of bass > 150 mm (largemouth bass, M. salmoides, spotted bass, M. punctulatus, and smallmouth bass, M. dolomieui). Length-frequency distributions of bass≥200 mm had a mode of 290 mm, just below the past minimum length limit of 300 mm, and showed that 89% of all bass were less than the new length limit of 360 mm. The distribution pattern was greatly influenced by slow-growing largemouth bass between 2 and 4 years of age.

Food of silver redhorse (Moxostoma anisurum), redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus), green sunfish (L. cyanellus), and bluegills (L. macrochirus) was examined to determine whether or not these fish in the Hartwell Reservoir tailwater (Savannah River, Georgia-South Carolina) ate organisms entrained from the reservoir or displaced from the tail water during water releases associated with the production of hydropower. These fish fed primarily on aquatic insects, crayfish, and terrestrial organisms originating from the tail water. Major periods of feeding occurred during nongeneration.