Fish Harvesting on Two TVA Mainstream Reservoirs

Abstract

Abstract From 1945 to 1950 a series of fish-tagging studies has been conducted on two TVA mainstream reservoirs to determine the extent to which the crop is being harvested. The fish taken in hoop nets and seines were tagged in the upper left jaw with a No. 3 Monel metal tag and released in the immediate vicinity of their original capture. Sportsmen cooperated in the studies from 1948 through 1950. TVA census takers, Sportsmen's Club members, and the anglers checked the catches and turned in the tags taken from the fish. White crappie and white bass are the major sport fish in these two reservoirs. Poor harvesting of the sport fish crop is indicated by the fact that out of 6,028 fish tagged on Wheeler Reservoir from 1945 to 1950, only 89 tags have been returned (1.5 percent). On Guntersville Reservoir during 1948 to 1950, 5,506 fish have been tagged with a total of 53 tags returned (1.0 percent). Mortality from tagging does not appear to be a factor in the low return of marked fish. In a separate mortalit...