Arkansas River Largemouth Bass Study
Mike Eggleton and Ben Batten

For a variety of reasons, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) has become concerned about perceived declines in abundances of quality-size largemouth bass in the Arkansas River .  Largemouth bass is one of the most popular sport fishes in Arkansas , especially in the impounded lower Arkansas River .  To address these management questions, largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Lacépéde and spotted bass M. punctulatus Rafinesque populations were assessed during 2004-2005.  Sampling was performed using nighttime boat-mounted electrofishing throughout all 11 pools in the river.  Sampling was conducted using a stratified random sampling scheme with main channel and off-channel habitats serving as strata.  Population metrics assessed included length, weight, and gender; condition indices; age structure and growth; size structure; abundance; recruitment; and mortality of both black bass species in all pools.  Results indicated that both black bass populations exhibited above-average condition and average to good growth.  Both populations were young with around 95% of the individuals consisting of ages 1-4.  Size structure measures (as PSD and RSD_P) were within acceptable ranges for both species.  Annual mortality approximated from catch curves was 45-50% for each species; angling-related mortality could only be approximated from mathematical models and was estimated to be 7-10%.  There was a complete lack of longitudinal trends for most population metrics for either species.  Short-term recruitment of both species (as catch-per-unit-effort [CPUE] of age-1 bass) was variable between the 2 years sampled for largemouth bass, but longer-term recruitment (as quantified by the Recruitment Variability Index [RVI]) suggested relatively stable recruitment for both species through time.  Population statistics generated for both species suggested lower Arkansas River populations were comparable to similar impounded river systems in the U.S. Southeast.  When compared to AGFC standards for reservoir largemouth bass populations, lower Arkansas River populations were frequently classified as being of “high fisheries potential.”  Black bass fisheries in the river are currently managed with a 381-mm (15-in) minimum-length limit on largemouth bass, no length limit on spotted bass, and an aggregate creel limit of 10 black basses per day.  Future research will focus on modeling exercises designed to assess the effectiveness of the existing length limit regulation. 

Arkansas River Largemouth Bass Exploitation and Creel Study
Mike Eggleton and Brad Fontaine 

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides angling is popular throughout the lower Arkansas River .  Historically, limited information has been available for Arkansas River largemouth bass populations downstream of Lake Dardanelle .  In 2004-2005, intensive studies were conducted that characterized basic population statistics such as abundance, age/size structure, growth, recruitment, and mortality of largemouth and spotted bass throughout the lower 11 pools of the river.  The next step in this longer-term investigation is the characterization of patterns in angler effort, catch, and harvest.  In September 2007, a tag-rewards study was initiated to assess largemouth bass exploitation in Arkansas River Pool 4 over one year.  Eight hundred-fifty largemouth bass that were 330-mm total length or greater were collected, tagged, and released in late September 2007.  Concurrently, bus route access-point creel surveys are being conducted to generate effort, catch, and harvest statistics, and assess angler satisfaction.  After three months on Pool 4 (October-December 2007), tag-return rates are 15.4% and 96 angler surveys have been completed.  Tag returns will be adjusted in the future for angler non-response, tagging mortality, and tag loss.  Tentatively, this research will be continued on Arkansas River Pool 2 in September 2008.  Similar methods will be used, although more bass will be tagged for the exploitation estimation and creel surveys will be conducted using two bus-routes because of the pool’s larger size and numerous access points.  Research findings will be combined with earlier research, and used to support future largemouth bass management in the lower Arkansas River .

Improved Techniques for Managing Sunshine Bass  Fingerling Production
Steve Lochmann, Kelly Goodwin, Matt McIntyre, and Adam Fuller

We designed a dialellic study with five female and five male white bass.  Eggs were examined microscopically to see if they had been fertilized.  The percent of fertilization was calculated during these observations.  Fertiled eggs were placed into individual glass vials.  We incubated twenty eggs from each cross in an incubator at 18 C. Eggs from the incubator were examined daily to determine hatching percent.  The remaining eggs were incubated 18 C in McDonald hatching jars. Fifty fry from each cross were photographed within 3 h of hatching.  This process was repeated at 5 days post hatch, resulting in a second set of fry photographs, which included 50 photographs for each cross.  Approximately 2000 digital images were taken during the course of this study.  Each image will be used to determine percent swim bladder inflation and morphometric measures of the fry, allowing a comparison of each cross for size at hatch and size at 5 days post hatch.  We will also be able to calculate heritability of larval characteristics such as swim bladder inflation, size at hatch, and size at yolk absorption. 

Tank Production of Sunshine Bass Fingerlings Using Artemia from Microcysts
Jerry Ludwig and Steve Lochmann

Protocols for culture of sunshine bass larvae to fingerling size in tanks involve an initial feeding of rotifers before larvae are weaned to Artemia nauplii and prepared feed.  Maintaining rotifer cultures requires space, time, equipment, supplies, and trained culturists.  Elimination of the use of rotifers would greatly enhance the feasibility of reliable tank culture of fingerlings and should reduce production cost.  This experiment was comprised of three treatments with three replicates per treatment. In one treatment, larvae were initially fed rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) and then weaned to Artemia nauplii (0.48 mm X 0.19 mm).  In a second treatment, larvae were fed Artemia nauplii throughout the experiment.  In a third treatment, larvae were fed microcyst Artemia nauplii (0.43 mm X 0.18 mm) for the entire experiment.  Sunshine bass larvae, 4 dph, were stocked into 100-L tanks at 75 larvae/L.  Larvae were fed according to the three treatments until 14 dph.  Only 4.3% of the larvae fed Artemia nauplii survived.  Survival was significantly higher for larvae fed microcyst Artemia nauplii and larvae fed rotifers and Artemia nauplii (37.9% and 93.6%, respectively).  Larvae fed microcyst Artemia nauplii (7.26 mm SL) and larvae fed rotifers and Artemia nauplii (7.13 mm SL) were significantly longer than larvae fed Artemia nauplii (6.86 mm SL).  This experiment is the first time that sunshine bass have been cultured to 14 dph on Artemia nauplii without rotifers at first feeding. 

Influence of Stocked Hatchery-Reared Fingerlings on Wild Largemouth Bass Fingerlings and Productivity of Bass in the Arkansas River .
Jeffrey Horne and Steve Lochmann

We conducted a Jolley-Seber multiple census mark recapture estimate of population abundance of young of the year largemouth bass in 10 backwaters of the Arkansas River .  Each of the ten backwaters was sampled four times.  We received fingerling largemouth bass from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.  These fingerlings were reared from approximately 50 mm to approximately 100 mm in experimental ponds at the UAPB Hatchery.  These hatchery fingerlings were fin-clipped to distinguish them from wild fingerlings.  Hatchery fingerlings were stocked in 5 experimental backwaters of the Pool 4 of the Arkansas River at a density of approximately 62 fish/ha.  We will sample these backwater areas again in the Spring of 2008.  The population estimates prior to stocking hatchery fingerling largemouth bass will be compared to population estimates following stocking to determine the influence of stocked fish on wild fish in the same year class. 

Effects Of A Summer High Water Event On Young Of The Year Largemouth Bass In The Arkansas River .
Jeffrey Horne and Steve Lochmann

Abundance of young of the year largemouth bass in regulated river systems can be impacted by high water events that occur at unusual times.  The Arkansas River has a 10-year average flood cycle with peak flow near 150,000 cfs from late March to mid April. In the summer of 2007, the river exhibited a distinctly different hydrograph. The river was over 150,000 cfs from mid-June to early-August.  We conducted electrofishing studies to estimate the relative abundance of YOY largemouth bass in ten backwaters of Pool 4 of the Arkansas River following this unusual summer.  We also measured weight and length of YOY largemouth bass.  CPUE estimates for September 2007 ranged from 1.60 to 22.65 fish/h with an average (SD) of 12.77 (7.47).  November CPUE estimates from previous research during a normal flow year ranged from 18.50 to 53.80 fish/h with an average of 35.56 (13.34).  The CPUE estimates were significantly different (p<0.001) between years.  Largemouth bass had an average length of 139.0 (8.9) in 2007 and 162.9 (23.3) in 2003.  The lengths from September 2007 were modified to compare to November 2003 data.  Length was significantly different (p<0.01) between years.  Relative weight of largemouth bass was 100.3 (4.5) in 2007 and 103.8 (5.6) in 2003.  Condition was not significantly different (p=0.16) between years.  The unusual flow in 2007 appears to have decreased the fall CPUE estimates and might have caused slower growth in the YOY largemouth bass. 

Fish Assemblages On Gravel Bars In The Arkansas River
Lael Will and Steve Lochmann

Gravel bars are utilized by various fish species during different life history stages and during different seasons, providing sites for spawning, feeding, and refuge. We examined temporal and spatial variability of fish assemblages on gravel bars in the Arkansas River .  Gravel bars were stratified by depth (deep or shallow) and distance from an upstream lock and dam (0-3, 3-6, or 6-9 nm downstream).  Fish assemblages on each gravel bar were sampled three times from August to November 2007.  Each sample consisted of duplicate trawls with a 3-m Herzog Armadillo trawl.  Gravel bar habitat in the Arkansas River is primarily utilized by ictalurids, centrarchids, cyprinids, and percids.  The five most abundant fish species were blue catfish, channel catfish, silver chub, bluegill, and river darter. Fish species richness was significantly different between shallow and deep gravel bars (P< 0.0001). Shallow gravel bars (<4 m) had approximately two times the number of species than did the deep gravel bars.  Fish species richness was also significantly different (P = 0.0002) between the summer (August - September) and fall (October - November).  The summer had less than half the number of species than in the fall.  While richness was not significantly different (P =0.1406) among the distance categories (0-3, 3-6, and 6-9 nm from the upstream dam), there was a decrease with increasing distance from the dam. 

Family and Community Fishing Program – Channel Catfish Stocking Evaluation
Wes Neal and Cliff Hutt

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s (AGFC) Family and Community Fishing Program (FCFP) stocks channel catfish on a put and take basis biweekly from April to August.  This effort incurs considerable per-stocking expenses in terms of manpower, vehicle maintenance, and fuel.  We experimentally evaluated the effects of reducing catfish stocking frequency to once per month (at double the biweekly density) on catch, effort, and angler attitudes.  Three ponds were stocked biweekly at normal density and three ponds were stocked monthly at double density beginning 2005, and stocking frequencies were reverse in 2006.  Creel surveys were used to estimate angler participation, catch rates, and satisfaction between the two stocking frequencies.  Angler participation, catch rates, and satisfaction rating did not differ between biweekly and monthly stocking frequencies, suggesting that stocking the same monthly allotment of catfish half as often could save money without reducing program effectiveness.  We recommended that stocking frequency be reduced to monthly with the full allotment of catfish being stocked at one time.  AGFC has adopted this recommendation and has been stocking catfish on a monthly basis since 2007. 

Family and Community Fishing Program – Rainbow Trout Stocking Evaluation
Wes Neal and Cliff Hutt

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s (AGFC) Family and Community Fishing Program (FCFP), stocks rainbow trout on a put and take basis biweekly from December to March.  This effort incurs considerable per-stocking expenses in terms of manpower, vehicle maintenance, and fuel. We experimentally evaluated the effects of reducing trout stocking frequency to once per month (at double the biweekly density) on catch, effort, and angler attitudes.  Two ponds were stocked biweekly at normal density and two ponds were stocked monthly at double density beginning December 2005, and stocking frequencies were reverse in December 2006.  Creel surveys were used to estimate angler participation, catch rates, and satisfaction between the two stocking frequencies.  Angler participation, catch rates, and satisfaction rating did not differ between biweekly and monthly stocking frequencies, suggesting that stocking the same monthly allotment of trout half as often could save money without reducing program effectiveness.  We recommended that stocking frequency be reduced to monthly with the full allotment of trout being stocked at one time.  AGFC has adopted this recommendation and has been stocking trout on a monthly basis since December 2007.

Family and Community Fishing Program – Hybrid Striped Bass Evaluation
Wes Neal and Paul Port

Hybrid striped bass (HSB) can provide an alternative target species to AGFC’s Family and Community Fishing Program anglers during fall months when channel catfish and rainbow trout are not available.  Furthermore, they may exert predatory pressure on stunted prey populations including bluegill, which will reduce population size and allow bluegill to grow larger.  We stocked HSB in FCFP ponds in October 2006 and November 2007, and evaluated angler success and attitudes toward HSB.  We also examined HSB impact on sunfish size structure.  Anglers were very satisfied and successful with HSB angling, catching 51% of the stocked fish during the first month.  Although harvest rates were high (63% of caught HSB), there were still enough HSB in the pond to reduce sunfish numbers, which allowed sunfish to increase in length and condition.  Continued evaluation was recommended to determine if these trends can be maintained through additional stocking. 

Family and Community Fishing Program – Hybrid Striped Bass Survival Evaluation
Wes Neal

Hybrid striped bass are difficult to haul and stock under certain environmental conditions, and mortality results in financial burdens and negative public perception.  Differences in water chemistry, particularly hardness, are often blamed. We designed experiments to examine the influence of changes in hardness and temperature on hybrid striped bass survival.  Specifically, we evaluated the effect of 1) acclimation rate to low hardness, and 2) the effect of abrupt changes in hardness, temperature, and both on post-stocking survival of phase 2 and phase 3 hybrid striped bass.  In a controlled environment, hardness and temperature changes did not influence hybrid striped bass survival.  Mortality was low during both studies, and survival was not significantly different from controls in any treatment. These results indicate that changes in hardness and temperature during stocking similar to those tested do not singularly result in the observed hybrid striped bass mortalities in low hardness systems.  We suggest that multiple factors act synergistically to reduce hybrid striped bass post-stocking survival.  Additional research is underway.  

FDP Derby Impact Study
Wes Neal

Fishing derbies are widely considered to be an effective means of recruitment, and many states have implemented them for this purpose. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission currently supports fishing derbies in the state of Arkansas by stocking channel catfish for derby events. One potential effect of these derby events is to increase fishing effort at derby locations following derby events due to increased exposure.  We evaluated channel catfish derby influence on derby locations prior to, during, and after derby events.  We used creel surveys to estimate fishing effort, catch, harvest, and angler demographics.  Creel surveys were conducted the week before, during, and the week after 32 derby events stratified into derby types from 2005 to 2007. Derby participant satisfaction ratings of fishing success and overall fishing trip experience also were evaluated. These data were used to quantify short-term impacts of fishing derbies on effort and harvest at derby locations following derby events, and to speculate on potential recruitment characteristics of fishing derbies based on license history of derby chaperones. Angling effort and channel catfish catch were both significantly higher following derbies for all derby types indicating the impact of derbies extends beyond the derby itself. Fishing derby participants were generally satisfied with both their angling success and the overall derby experience. Word of mouth and newspapers were the two most often cited ways that open rural and open urban derby participants knew of the derby event. Seventy-five percent of derby chaperones possessed a current fishing license, although about half fished five or fewer times per year, indicating a high risk of attrition. Derbies appear to promote near-home fishing opportunities for these anglers, likely improving retention while simultaneously providing a recruitment mechanism for new anglers.  These data can be used to further refine derby management and design.