Initial Predation of Stocked Fingerling Largemouth Bass in a Texas Reservoir and Implications for Improving Stocking Efficiency

Abstract

We assessed the importance of initial predation as a source of mortality of stocked fingerling Florida largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus (30–46 mm total length). Florida largemouth bass were tagged with coded wire tags and stocked (3,000 fish/site) at six sites in Elm Creek Embayment of O. H. Ivie Reservoir, Texas—the location of an earlier study in which the immediate mortality of stocked fish was found to be highly variable. Stocked fish were eaten by at least five species of predators that varied widely in size. Ninety‐three percent of the stocked fish recovered from predator stomachs were consumed by juvenile and adult largemouth bass M. salmoides and smallmouth bass M. dolomieu. Assuming a capture efficiency of 8% for our predator sampling, losses of stocked fish to predation were as high as 27.5% within 12 h of stocking, and losses generally increased with predator density. In comparison, the mortality of stocked fish held in predator‐free enclosures was only 3.5% at 84 h poststocking, indicating that mortality resulting from transport and other variables was low and similar among stocking sites (P = 0.17). This study suggests that predation was the primary factor affecting the poststocking survival of fingerling Florida largemouth bass, and we recommend that managers consider predator densities when selecting stocking sites. Future efforts should examine the relationships between predation and habitat variables such as habitat composition and habitat complexity. Additional research should evaluate alternative stocking strategies such as using larger fish and habituating stocked fish before release.

Comparison of Mortality and Diet Composition of Pellet‐Reared Advanced‐Fingerling and Early‐Cohort Age‐0 Wild Largemouth Bass through 90 Days Poststocking at Lake Seminole, Florida

“…Buckmeier et al (2005) found predation contributed up to 27% of initial mortality within the first 12 h of stocking fingerling largemouth bass in O. H. Ivie Reservoir, Texas. Predation was not measured in the present study; however, it has been suggested that fish weakened by hunger are more likely to fall victim to predation (Brown and Laland 2001), and unlearned foraging behavior may have indirectly contributed to predation of hatchery-reared fish.…”

Management of pikeperch stocking in Lake Balaton: effect of season, area, fish size and method of release on the rate and distribution of recaptures

“…Contrary to our expectation, we did not find a direct relationship between the recapture rate and the stocking season in pikeperch. This is surprising because size-dependent winter mortality of juveniles is one of the key factors in year-class strength formation of pikeperch (Ruuhijärvi et al, 1996;Lappalainen et al, 2000) and closely related walleye Sander vitreus (Johnson et al, 1996), and is likely to be even more important in freshly stocked fish which need to spend extra energies for foraging appropriate habitat in unknown environment (Bolland et al, 2009;Buckmeier et al, 2005). Accordingly, several studies on different species concluded that fish stocked in spring and summer have better chance to survive, and thence to be recaptured, than those released just before the winter (Templeton, 1971;Strange and Kennedy, 1979;Kennedy et al, 1982;Vostradovsky, 1991).…”

Effects of hatchery rearing on Florida largemouth bass Micropterus floridanus resource allocation and performance under semi‐natural conditions

“…Previous studies have documented domestication effects in M . floridanus including poor foraging skills (Porak et al ., ; Wintzer & Motta, ; Pouder et al ., ), reduced anti‐predatory behaviour (Buckmeier et al ., ) and increased movement after release (B. Thompson, pers. comm., 2014).…”