The following schedule is from the 72nd Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies which was held October 21-24, 2018 in Mobile, Alabama.
AUTHORS: Kevin Dockendorf, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
ABSTRACT: Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) are popular sportfish in Lake Mattamuskeet, a large (16,187 ha), shallow (mean depth < 1.0 m), lake surrounded by canals in coastal North Carolina. Lake levels are often observed < 0.5 m due to a combination of environmental and anthropogenic conditions such as summer evaporation, pumping of water into refuge impoundments, and periodic releases of lake water through water control structures. In contrast, relatively deeper water (1-2 m) is available within a network of canals connected to the lake which may provide alternative habitat during low or drought conditions. This study will test the hypothesis that Largemouth Bass movements into deeper, canal habitats are triggered by decreasing water levels in the main lake and dewatering of shoreline habitats. By May 2017, 31 VEMCO VR2W receivers were strategically placed in proximity to the canal connections to the lake. During May-June 2017, a total of 42 Largemouth Bass were collected, anesthetized, surgically implanted with VEMCO V9 acoustic transmitters (or tags), and released at seven locations; five in the lake and two in the canals. Receiver downloads between May 2017 and April 2018 revealed more than 342,000 detections of at least 34 acoustic-tagged Largemouth Bass. This survey will continue through February 2019 (extent of transmitter battery life) or until all acoustic-tagged Largemouth Bass are defined as dead. This study will provide valuable information regarding optimal water levels for Largemouth Bass in main lake habitats, while providing insights into environmental characteristics that elicit movement between available habitats.
