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Responses of Bluegills and Crappies to Reduced Abundance of Largemouth Bass in Two Alabama Impoundments
Author(s) -
McHugh James J.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8675(1990)010<0344:robact>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - micropterus , bass (fish) , electrofishing , lepomis macrochirus , fishery , biology , centrarchidae , abundance (ecology) , fish <actinopterygii>
Marginal poisoning with rotenone and the combination of marginal poisoning and electrofishing were used to reduce the abundance of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides in two Alabama impoundments. Marginal poisoning targeted young‐of‐the‐year (age‐0) largemouth bass and was intended to reduce recruitment to age 1. Electrofishing was directed at reducing numbers of largemouth bass shorter than 310 mm in total length. Before treatment, abundant small largemouth bass in both impoundments limited recruitment of harvestable‐size bluegills Lepomis macrochirus and virtually eliminated recruitment of harvestable‐size crappies Pomoxis spp. Following treatment, largemouth bass numbers were reduced, annual numbers of bluegills harvested more than tripled, and a crappie fishery developed in both impoundments. Marginal poisoning requires few personnel and should be considered as a management option for similar waters. Poisoning age‐0 largemouth bass may have to be repeated periodically to create a surge in bluegill and crappie recruitment.