Smallmouth Bass in the Shoals Reach of the Tennessee River: Population Characteristics and Sport Fishery

Abstract

Abstract The 20-km section of the Tennessee River immediately downstream from Wilson Dam near Muscle Shoals, Alabama, has a national reputation for an excellent sport fishery of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu. Growth, mortality, population structure, and sport-fishery characteristics were determined for this smallmouth bass population from February 1988 to January 1989. This information was used to compare recent characteristics of the fishery with historic characteristics, and to determine if harvest regulations are viable fishery management options. Smallmouth bass displayed good but not exceptional growth rates through age 3, and after age 3 (when the fish were about 300 mm total length) their growth exceeded all other river populations and regional averages. The smallmouth bass population had a high proportional stock density (72), sustained substantial fishing effort (135 h/hectare annually), and experienced high annual mortality (50–57%) that was largely attributable to harvest. Monthly fishin...