Distribution and Stock Structure of Blue Catfish and Channel Catfish in Macrohabitats along Riverine Sections of the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway

Abstract

Abstract The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway transformed the Tombigbee River into a series of reservoirs and navigation channels linking the Tennessee River with the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting macrohabitats—bendways (original Tombigbee River channels cut off by construction of navigation channels), channels, and tailwaters—support populations of blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus and channel catfish I. punctatus. I studied distribution and stock structure of these fishes using gill nets fished overnight throughout a 2-year period. Blue catfish and channel catfish were captured in all three macrohabitats. Of these fish, 45% of the blue catfish and 39% of the channel catfish were of stock size (≥30 cm and ≥28 cm for blue catfish and channel catfish, respectively). Tailwater catches tended to yield larger fish for combined substock- and stock-sized fish for both species. However, for stock-sized fish considered separately, size differed little among macrohabitats. Catch per unit of effort (CPUE, fish/net-night)...