Structural Relationships of Largemouth Bass and Bluegill Populations in South Dakota Ponds

Abstract

Abstract Spring electrofishing samples were collected from 13 small South Dakota impoundments to determine if the population structures of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and bluegill Lepomis macrochirus in a northern state were similar to those in more southerly waters. Largemouth bass catch per hour of electrofishing (catch per unit effort; CPUE) was inversely correlated with proportional stock density (PSD; r = –0.70, P = 0.01) and relative stock density at preferred length (RSD-P; r = –0.79, P = 0.001) for largemouth bass. Largemouth bass CPUE was positively correlated with bluegill PSD (r = 0.72, P = 0.02). Largemouth bass PSD was inversely correlated with bluegill PSD (r = –0.83, P= 0.003); bluegill PSD exceeded 60 only when largemouth bass PSD was less than 20. Bluegill PSD was inversely correlated with largemouth bass mean relative weight (r = –0.72, P = 0.02). Largemouth bass CPUE and RSD-P were significantly correlated with bluegill growth. Thus, the relationships between largemouth bass a...