Short-term retention of floy anchor tags by stream-dwelling smallmouth bass

We conducted 2 short-term experiments to address Floy anchor tag (model FD-68B) retention in stream-dwelling smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) over 3 to 4 months. One experiment used stream-dwelling smallmouth bass held in an experimental pond, and the other was conducted on smallmouth bass in a northeastern Oklahoma stream. Tag retention in the pond over a period of 3 months was 100%, while tag retention in the field was 76% through 1.5 months and dropped to 48% through 4 months. Mean lengths were similar between smallmouth bass that lost and retained tags at both time periods. Increased structural complexity of the stream environment or density related problems caused by low water conditions may have contributed to lower tag retention in stream-dwelling smallmouth bass. Estimating tag retention in a pond environment may overestimate actual tag retention by stream-dwelling smallmouth bass and should be used with caution.