Journal of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Creel survey data collected from the marine recreational fishery in Alabama revealed that there were differences in harvest per unit of effort (HPUE) between the eastern and western sides of Mobile Bay. The total recreational landings from Alabama marine waters and adjacent offshore waters was 1,300,000 fish weighing 772,700 kilograms. Of the 2,250,000 angler-hours exerted on the fishery, 1,245,000 angler-hours (55%) were directed at particular species of fish, primarily flounders, red drum, speckled seatrout, Spanish mackerel and king mackerel. HPUE of Spanish mackerel and king mackerel was found to be significantly different (P ≤ 0.10) between the 2 sides of the bay and comparisons also revealed spatial differences across specific fisheries. The seasonal pattern of HPUE of flounders and red drum significantly (P ≤ 0.10) shifted from one side of the bay to the other.

Fishery data were collected from February to August 1984 for Bluff Lake, Noxubee County, Mississippi, to evaluate the effect of refuge areas and size and creel limits in reducing possible overharvest of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) from previously unfished waters. During the study, 1,779 bass were marked and 150 were recaptured. The pre-fishing bass population was estimated at 7,657. Fishing mortality during opening weekend was 10%,525 parties who fished a total of 3,292 hours caught 361 bass (255 kg). Over the 6-month period, anglers fished a total of 48,796 hours and harvested 3,080 kg of bass. Largemouth bass accounted for 24% of the total weight of fish creeled; catch per hour was 0.04 kg. Although refuge areas and size and creel limits may have reduced the initial overharvest of bass during opening weekend, more than 40% of the bass population had been harvested by the end of the study and few legal-sized bass (;;'254 mm) remained.

Very little attention has been given to the penalty necessary to achieve compliance with fishery management laws. A penalty increase from $200 to $2,500 for shrimping in the area from 7.3-m deep water to the outer limit of the Texas Territorial Sea was imposed in 1981. Brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus) and white shrimp (Penaeus setiferus) commercial catches and shrimping violations were used to determine if this increase reduced illegal shrimping in the closed area. Illegal landings of brown shrimp were reduced. However, violations were not eliminated. The potential profit from violating the law may be exceeding the potential fine, perhaps because of inflation.

The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) x white bass (M. chrysops) hybrid is widely stocked to support recreational fishing and is of interest as a commercial aquaculture candidate. Nevertheless, there is little information concerning the relative performance of these hybrids in various salinities. A replicated 126-day study compared growth, survival, standing crop, and feed conversion ofjuvenile hybrid bass (mean size 5.8 g) reared under controlled conditions at 0, 7, 14,21, 28, and 35 ppt salinity. Results indicated that growth was similar at all salinities and that fish survival was high (mean 91.7%) at all salinities except 35 ppt where survival was 60.0%. Feed conversions averaged 1.7 using a pelleted feed and average standing crop was 11 kg/m' for salinity treatments 0, 7, 21, and 28 ppt. Standing crop was 6.7 kg/m' at salinity 35 ppt due to the lower survival rate. A disease outbreak resulted in loss of all fish reared at 14 ppt after day 105.

Controlled spawning techniques for cultured striped bass (Morone saxatilis) to produce striped bass and striped bass/white bass (M. chrysops) hybrids were demonstrated. Some striped bass males matured at age 2 while almost all were mature by age 3 (mean weight 2.3 kg, 550 mm TL). In contrast, no female striped bass were mature at age 2 and only 16% were ripe at age 3 (3.4 kg, 623 mm TL). By age 4, an estimated 59% of the females were mature (4.9 kg, 692 mm TL). In 1985 and 1986, striped bass were conditioned using controlled temperatures and photoperiod regimes to spawn 1-3 months before the natural spawning season in South Carolina. Wild white bass matured in outdoor tanks and were spawned with striped bass to produce original and reciprocal cross hybrids. Reciprocal cross hybrids can easily be obtained as striped bass males and white bass females readily mature in outdoor tanks under natural conditions.

Fingerling production and post-harvest survival were compared for striped bass (Marone saxatilis) produced in ponds with low «2 mg/liter) levels of calcium and in ponds where calcium was increased (14-40 mg/liter) by the addition of calcium chloride. Production pond calcium levels were not correlated with fry survival, or biomass production in ponds. Post-harvest survival of fingerlings from treated ponds was significantly better than post-harvest survival of fish from control ponds.

Shortnose sturgeon, Acipenser brevirostrum, range from Canada to Florida and are listed as an endangered species in the United States. During 1985, a cooperative state/federal program focused on development of nursery systems for production of stockable size juveniles. Mortality was high (80%) during the first 2-3 months of tank rearing trials in spite of the use of various disease control agents and differing culture techniques. However, once a size of -180 mm T.L. (30 g) was attained, mortality essentially ceased. Indoor intensive tank systems were more suitable than ponds for producing small juveniles. Growth and survival of advanced juveniles in indoor tanks was similar among initial population densities ranging from 5.4 to 118.4 fish/m2 tank bottom area. A standing crop of 17.2 kg/m' was attained at the highest population density and overall feed conversion for all advanced juveniles was 1.4 using a soft-moist trout ration. Mean size of the 264-day-old fish was 332.8 T.L.

Increasing interest in the farming of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) has resulted in research and development activities with this species at the Waddell Mariculture Center in South Carolina. Red drum adults were captured from tidal impoundments and held in ponds until being moved to tanks for spawning during their natural reproductive season. Three females averaging 11 kg spawned 9 million eggs, 50% of which hatched. The fry were reared to fingerlings in fertilized ponds. Survival of fry to fingerlings was 24%. Survival of fingerlings through their first winter was 57%. Simultaneously, fingerlings from another hatchery were grown to marketable size at commercial densities in a 0.10- and later in a 0.25-ha pond. Survival of fingerlings stocked in grow-out ponds in the spring was 98% during the first 9 months. During this time, fish grew to 304 grams. Survival was again very high (e.g., 97%) during the second year of grow-out. Fish averaging 1,540 g were produced in 22 months.

Young-of-the-year mixed-sex blue tilapia (Tilapia aurea) averaging 6.1 g were stocked on 30 June 1982, at a rate of 5,000/ha in 3 O.l-ha ponds containing 10,000 channel catfish/ha. Male and female tilapia were not significantly different in weight after 55 days, averaging 111.6 g and 106.4 g respectively. After 118 days, males were significantly larger than females, averaging 248.9 g vs 211.3 g for the females. Male growth during this period averaged 2.06 glday vs 1.72 glday for the females. The tilapia ranged in weight from 164 g to 351 g at harvest on 17 November. Average tilapia production was 1,020 kg/ha, with an average survival of 91.7%. Total production, including catfish, averaged 3,971 kg/ha, with an average food conversion rate of 1.4: 1. Less than 10 kg/ha of tilapia offspring were recovered from 1 pond and none were present in the other replicates when the ponds were harvested.

Thirty-six enzyme loci were surveyed for 22 largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) populations from 7 watersheds in Alabama. Twenty-one loci were polymorphic. Nei's normalized genetic identity (I) and Rogers' genetic similarity (S) showed little divergence among the populations (I = 0.990 and S = 0.9792). However, several drainages contained unique alleles in frequencies greater than 0.05 and several alleles were identified that were not found in a previous nationwide survey. Significant intrapopulational heterogeneity was indicated by hierarchical F-statistics and contingency chi-square analysis. Clinal distribution of MDH-B alleles significantly affected populational differentiation. Allelic variation at MDH, AAT and IDH loci accounted for 82% of the total population differences. Variability of largemouth bass populations differed among the physiographic regions of Alabama. Frequencies of alleles from the Florida subspecies, M. s. floridanus.

Age composition, growth, and mortality of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) populations in 6 major Florida resources were determined. Most largemouth bass were in the first 4 or 5 year classes; however, 6 and 7 year old fish were not uncommon, and largemouth bass up to 12 years of age were collected. Females grew faster and exhibited greater longevity than males. Total annual mortality (A) estimated from catch curves ranged from 0.37 for the Suwannee River to 0.54 in Lake Weir and was within the range reported from other localities. Backcalculated lengths based on transversely sectioned otoliths did not differ significantly (P < 0.05) from empirical lengths for largemouth bass from Lake Kissimmee. Florida largemouth bass typically reached harvestable-size (>242 mm) during age 1+, but slower growing fish did not recruit into the sportfishery until age 2 or older. Trophy-size largemouth bass (>3.63 kg) ranged from 6 to 12 years of age.

Redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) is an abundant member comprising 30% of total biomass of the fish community in beaver ponds in piedmont South Carolina. Total length-weight relationship for 534 redbreast sunfish collected from 36 beaver ponds was: 10g10Wg = - 5.06 + 3.12 log10TLmm• Mean back-calculated TL for age classes I-V were 41,75, 102, 128, and 147 mm, respectively. Growth of males was faster than the growth of females, and males appeared to have better survival. Sex ratio favored males 1.00: 1.32. Redbreast sunfish spawned from May through August after water temperatures reached 23° C. Mature females (>76 mm TL) contained approximately 3,000 ova. Most of the redbreast sunfish (96.6%) examined contained food. Redbreast sunfish feed primarily on aquatic insects such as chironomids, ceratopogonids, ephemeropterans, trichopterans, and odonate larvae. Fish occurred infrequently in redbreast stomachs but comprised 26.5% of the total stomach volume.

Samples of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were collected by electrofishing in 28 streams in 5 southeastern states between June 1977 and March 1978. Whole and sectioned otoliths were used to estimate age and the annual growth increments of 998 fish. General compliance with 4 criteria suggested validity of the otolith ageing method. Although 1 fish was age X, 98% were age III or younger. Brook trout from all streams grew the most in length during their first year. Second-year growth represented 28% (median) of median first-year growth. Growth of males and females did not differ significantly. Growth rates were generally slower than those reported for brook trout from other regions. Age and growth patterns of individual populations were not consistent within a given drainage basin. In several streams, no fish obtained a length of 152 mm (6 inches) or the minimum legal limit, by age III.

The biology of the paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) in Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, was studied extensively from September 1982 to July 1984. Females were larger and lived longer than males. Males grew faster than females during the first 6 years of life and females more in later years. Twelve age groups were identified. Age groups V and VI represented 33% of the population. Males were more numerous than females in the winter and spring. Annual gonad development began in October and spawning occurred in late April and early May. Males matured at age V and females at age VIII. Prominent fat body development was related to gonad development. Cyclopoid copepods and cladocerans were the dominant food items. Tag returns were high indicating a high fishing mortality. Adult paddlefish congregated in large groups and moved extensively. Harvest data suggest the need for regulations governing commercial utilization of the species in Lake Cumberland.

A comparison of striped bass, Morone saxatilis, egg abundance, distribution and survival during 2 years in the Savannah River estuary gave some indications of the possible effects of the Savannah River Tide Gate on the spawning success of this species. Eggs are more likely to be found farther upstream when the tide gate is in operation. Apparently striped bass respond to increased salinities by spawning farther upstream. By using egg stage as a measure of age, survivorship curves based on relative abundance of the different egg stages were calculated. While the 1977 data were of limited use for this purpose, the excellent fit of the 1978 data indicates that this technique could be used to advantage to estimate in-river egg survival rates. Adjusted mortality to hatching was 0.984 in 1977 and 0.999 in 1978.

The muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) population of the French Broad River was sampled to determine relative abundance and growth characteristics and to document muskellunge reproduction. In addition, forage fish availability was also documented. Electrofishing catch per unit of effort rates were 4.7 fish/hour in the French Broad River. Over one-third of the muskellunge captured were non-stocked fish, indicating reproduction is occurring. Back-calculated total lengths for muskellunge in the French Broad River were 325, 476, 621, 727, 809, 881,910,961, and 1,026 mm total length at ages I-IX, respectively. Growth patterns of French Broad River muskellunge are similar to other riverine populations. That is, growth rates are faster at the younger ages (I-III) and slower at the older ages (VII-IX) than lacustrine populations.

A radio-telemetry study was conducted to determine spatial and temporal movements of adult striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Jones Bluff section of the Alabama River. Five fish were successfully implanted with radio transmitters during the summer of 1981 and the spring of 1982. These fish made extensive use of the Thurlow Dam tailwater on the Tallapoosa River. The fish arrived at Thurlow Dam in the spring when temperatures ranged from 16° to 17.5° C and left the tailwaters in late fall and early winter when water temperatures decreased to 19.5° and 18.5° C in 1981 and 1982 respectively. Study fish overwintered in the Alabama RiverlJones Bluff Reservoir 145 to 177 kIn downstream from Thurlow Dam. In Thurlow Dam tailwater, peak striped bass movement occurred at dawn and dusk. One major holding site was used during daylight hours when water was not being released and 3 additional sites were used when it was; movement between sites accounted for most daylight movement.

Twelve adult fish, three each of northern and Florida largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides and M. s. jloridanus) in each of 2 approximately 2-ha impoundments were implanted with ultrasonic transmitters and located over a period of 1 year to determine if distributional differences existed between the subspecies and to determine what factors might be responsible for any observed differences. Home range was beween 0.37 and 1.11 ha for all individuals. Average home range sizes were similar between subspecies and ponds. However, Florida bass generally made intensive use of small areas (i.e., usually <0.2 ha) within their home ranges while northern bass locations were more evenly distributed throughout their home ranges. Activity centers, within home ranges, rarely overlapped those of other tagged fish and seasonal shifts in their location were not apparent. Selection of water depths and type of cover was similar for both subspecies and reflected availability within the ponds.

We sampled the fish community of 607-ha Lake Ellis Simon (Lake Ellis), North Carolina, from 1980 to 1983 with 6 types of gear. Several currently used fishery indices were calculated from the data and the values evaluated for classification of the fish community of Lake Ellis Simon. More of the 21 species recorded from the lake were taken by electrofishing and rotenone (18 and 17, respectively) than by the other methods. Electrofishing provided the largest catch per unit of effort. Standing crop estimates based on rotenone sampling were 51 kg/ha in 1981 and 78.7 kg/ha in 1983. About 91% of the biomass in the rotenone samples was contributed by 8 species: yellow bullhead (Ictalurus natalis), lake chubsucker (Erimyzon sucetta), yellow perch (Percaflavescens), bluespotted sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus), warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), chain pickerel (Esox niger), redfin pickerel (Esox americanus americanus), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).

A 3-year tagging study was conducted to determine movement and distribution of catfish in the St. Johns River, Florida. A total of 8,800 white catfish (lctalurus catus), channel catfish (I. punctatus), brown bullhead (I. nebulosus) and yellow bullhead (I. natalis) were tagged with Floy FD-68B anchor tags from May 1983 through December 1985. Of these tagged fish, 1,227 (13.9%) were recaptured. The highest return was from lake habitat (22.8%) followed by riverine (17.1 %) and tributary (7.0%) habitats. The longest distance travelled was 178.2 kIn upstream. Approximately 52.0% of the recaptured catfish travelled upstream while 24.4% moved downstream and 23.6% remained stationary. Once a catfish reached the Lake George area, the likelihood that it would be available to the commercial fishery downstream appeared remote.

Highway construction necessitated relocating 0.8 kIn of Simpson Creek, a small Appalachian trout stream. Streambank stabilization was undertaken using a flexible soil reinforcement matting made of heavy nylon monofilaments fused into an 18-mm thick mat of open construction followed by grass seeding. The matting provided a matrix for vegetative root development and accelerated revegetation over untouched banks and banks only hydro- or hand-seeded. Loss of the project during a 100+ year flood is attributed primarily to soil type and channel configuration problems.

Wildlife agencies in the 16 southeastern states were surveyed by mail to determine what programs were offered to encourge wildlife management on and public access to privately owned lands. To promote wildlife management on these lands, 14 agencies offered technical services, 7 agencies provided wildlife management materials, and 1 offered tax incentives. Public access to private lands was promoted through free cooperative areas in 9 states and fee-based cooperative areas in 5 states. All agencies considered their programs successful. Seven agencies were studying new programs to encourage management and 5 agencies were examining new programs to increase public access. Opportunities for agencies to improve management on and access to private lands may be with forest industry ownerships, the federal Conservation Reserve Program, and compensation of landowners.

A population estimation technique for red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis), originally developed in the South Carolina Coastal Plain, was tested in the Georgia Piedmont. The technique provided an accurate estimate within 8% of the true population size. The survey procedures have been tested in the major habitat types occupied by red-cockaded woodpeckers and should provide valid population estimates throughout the species' range.

Relative abundance of birds and cavity use by vertebrates were determined on 2 20-ha sites in a mature, second-growth Appalachian forest. One site received timber stand improvement (TSI) by tree girdling 25 years prior to measurement, and the other site did not receive TSI. Although snag density, animal-created cavity density, tree density, and tree basal area were higher on the TSI site than on the control, there were few differences in the relative abundance of birds between sites. Whitebreasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) and wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) were more abundant on the control than on the TSI site. Cavity use was dominated by gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) and flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans). Higher snag and animal-cavity densities did not result in higher cavity-associated bird abundance on the TSI area relative to the control area, but cavity use by vertebrates was higher on the TSI area than on the control.

A non-electric method of detonating blasting caps used to release whitetailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and turkey (Meleagus gallapano) drop nets was investigated under field conditions. This method was tested on 12 occasions, with 9 drops on deer or turkey. This method is considered safer than the electric dynamite cap method and results indicated that it is comparable to the electric blasting cap method in reliability and ease of assembly.