"Adopt A Bass" Dixie Marine Stocking Results

Summary of Black Bass Stocking Activities in the Markland Pool Year 2 (2008)

Largemouth bass year-class production in the Ohio River is believed to be negatively impacted by the lack of high quality spawning habitat. In turn, poor year-class production results in the largemouth bass fishery in the river being less than optimal. Supplemental stocking in large riverine systems has been shown to benefit largemouth bass population levels. Supplemental stocking of the largemouth bass in the Ohio River maybe a viable technique that can be used to increase year-class strength and ultimately improve the bass fishery in the river. Largemouth bass fingerlings produced in Kentucky’s two fish hatcheries were stocked into embayments in Markland Pool on both sides of the river (Kentucky and Indiana) in June.

In 2007, 16 embayments (2,041 acres) in Indiana and Kentucky were stocked with 204,811 fingerling largemouth bass (100.3 fingerlings per acre) that averaged 1.9 inches in length. In the 2008 spring electrofishing surveys that were conducted in six of the stocked embayments, a total of 340 largemouth bass (56 fish/hour) were collected. The fish that were stocked in 2007, which are now age-1 fish, averaged 8.0 inches in length and ranged from 4 to 10 inches in length. In these samples catch rates of the stocked age-1 bass ranged from 6 fish/hour at Woolper Creek to 46 fish/hour in Gunpowder Creek. From all embayments combined, the catch rates of the stocked age-1 bass was 28 fish/hour. Natural age-1 bass (fish spawned in the river) averaged 8 inches and ranged from 4 to 10 inches in length. Electrofishing catch rates of the natural age-1 bass in the study embayments ranged from 0 fish/hour in the Licking River to 28 fish/hour in Gunpowder Creek. The catch rate obtained for natural age-1 bass from all study embayments combined was 9.7 fish/hour. The stocked bass accounted for 32 to 100% of the total numbers of age-1 largemouth bass collected in the six embayments sampled in the spring of 2008. In all embayments combined, the stocked fish accounted for 74% of the total number of age-1 largemouth bass collected in Markland Pool in the spring of 2008.

In 2008, the same 16 embayments were stocked with 210,489 fingerling largemouth bass (103 fingerlings per acre) that averaged 1.9 inches in length. In the fall 2008 samples, a total of 333 largemouth bass (54 fish/hour) were collected in the 6 study embayments. Age-0 largemouth bass that were stocked in June 2008 averaged 7 inches and ranged from 4 to 8 inches in length in the fall samples. Catch rates for the stocked age-0 bass ranged from 0 fish/hour in Woolper and Paint Lick Creeks to 29 fish/hour in Big Bone Creek. From all embayments combined, the catch rates of the stocked age-0 bass was 8.3 fish/hour. Contribution of 2008 stocked largemouth bass to the total number of age-0 bass collected in the study embayments in the fall of 2008 ranged from 0 to 100% (averaging 59% of all age-0 fish collected). Naturally spawned age-0 bass averaged 6 inches and ranged from 4 to 8 inches in length. Catch rates of the natural age-0 bass ranged from 0 fish/hour at Woolper Creek and the Licking River to 22 fish/hour at Gunpowder Creek. The fish that were stocked in 2007, which are now age-1, accounted for 58% of the total number of age-1 largemouth bass collected. The stocked largemouth in this age group are now ranging in length from 7 to 13 inches (mean=10.2 inches) while the natural bass of the same age range in length from 6 to 13 inches (mean=9.2 inches). In the fall 2008 samples, the bass stocked in the river over the past two years accounted for 59% of the total number of age-0 and age-1 bass collected from Markland Pool.

It is still early in the study to claim success but it does appear that stocked largemouth bass are contributing positively to year-class development in Markland Pool embayments. If significant year-classes like that of 2007 can be produced every 3 or 4 years this cannot help but enhance the fishing success of Kentucky’s bass anglers utilizing the Ohio River. Only time will tell if the benefits observed in this endeavor are worth the costs incurred.

Steve Henderson
Renaissance Manager
City of Warsaw, KY
859.567.5900