SEAFWA 2018

AUTHORS:  Michael Holley, Matthew Marshall – Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division

ABSTRACT:  The management of small impoundments and public fishing lakes by the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (ADWFF) historically followed an approach that applied static rates for fish harvest, stocking, fertilization, and other management techniques. Since the 1950’s, fisheries management in ADWFF Public Fishing Lakes (PFLs) relied on rates recommended Dr. Homer Swingle’s research at Auburn University. The rates were based on surface acreage as the determining characteristic that influenced fisheries management. Recently, ADWFF has explored alternative rates to managing small impoundments, based on limnological and morphological characteristics of PFLs. Specifically, management rates for largemouth bass were altered based on summertime “Littoral Habitat”. The exploration of alternative management schemes came after age and growth data suggested that bass crowded PFLs were actually experiencing growth overfishing of largemouth bass. We report on recent management, where summertime “Littoral Habitat”, instead of surface acreage was used to lower stocking rates to improve growth, condition and size structure of largemouth bass. Also, restrictive harvest was implemented to reduce overfishing of largemouth bass during the first year the PFLs were open to the public after renovation. Mean and modal total length, length frequencies, and relative stock density of largemouth bass populations one year, and two years after renovating PFLs were compared between status quo and “Littoral Habitat” management schemes. Our data indicates that fisheries management of small impoundments based on “Littoral Habitat” may be better suited to improve growth and condition of largemouth bass, and improve size structure of largemouth bass after renovation.