Assessment of the Shoal Bass Population in the Lower Flint River, Georgia

The largest native population of Shoal Bass Micropterus cataractae inhabits the Flint River, Georgia and remains relatively unstudied. We examined demographic characteristics of the population in the lower Flint River that is bounded by reservoirs during 2009-2011. We anchor tagged 741 Shoal Bass to evaluate the percentage of caught fish that were harvested. Shoal bass (n = 187) were sacrificed for age and growth analysis. Ages of sampled fish ranged from age 1 to 11. Von Bertalanffy growth parameter estimates were L-infinity = 564 mm, K = 0.312, and t(0) = -0.089. Male and female growth rates were similar, with the mean Shoal Bass requiring 2.4 years to reach 305 mm and 5.1 years to reach 457 mm. Growth rates of Shoal Bass were greater than those of previously studied populations and Largemouth Bass M. salmoides in the Flint River and an impoundment bounding the upper end of the study site. Annual total pooled mortality was 49%. Forty-one percent of caught Shoal Bass were harvested by anglers (range 31-60%). Our results suggest that with current population characteristics, an increase in the minimum length limit would not increase yield to the recreational fishery.