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| Area 7 Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) Biologists recently completed their annual
young-of-the-year (YOY) bass sampling in four southcentral Pennsylvania impoundments. As a result of the
efforts of past and present sampling we gain some insight with regard to year class strength and
survival of the spring spawn of largemouth and smallmouth bass (black bass) in impoundments. This annual
sampling also provides insight into how biotic and abiotic factors affect the next generation of bass
with regard to size and numbers of bass.
The number of YOY black bass caught per hour of electrofishing in Holman Lake (Perry county) from 1999 to 2004 ranged from a high of 110 bass/hr to a low of 0 bass/hr with a 6 year average catch of 63 YOY black bass per hour of electrofishing. During the 2004 survey the catch per hour of YOY black bass was 40.
The number of YOY black bass caught per hour of electrofishing in Opossum Creek Lake (Cumberland county) from 1999 to 2004 ranged from a high of 84 bass/hr to a low of 7 bass/hr with a 6 year average catch of 30 YOY black bass per hour of electrofishing. During the 2004 survey the catch per hour of YOY black bass was 7. The number of YOY black bass caught per hour of electrofishing in Raystown Lake (Huntingdon county) from 2000 to 2004 ranged from a high of 88 bass/hr to a low of 18 bass/hr with a 5 year average catch of 54 YOY black bass per hour of electrofishing. During the 2004 survey the catch per hour of YOY black bass was 18.
The number of YOY black bass caught per hour of electrofishing in Meadow Grounds Lake (Fulton county) from 2000 to 2004 ranged from a high of 11 bass/hr to a low of 0 bass/hr with a 5 year average catch of 4 YOY black bass per hour of electrofishing. During the 2004 survey the catch per hour of YOY black bass was 3. Anglers should keep in mind that one below average or above average year of YOY black bass recruitment may not be detectible in their catch of legal bass 4 to 6 years down the road. It typically requires successive years of below average or above average recruitment before an angler will be able to detect a change in their catch.
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| -- John R Frederick, Area 7 Fisheries Technician | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Biologist Reports -- PFBC Home |
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