Dave Weaver inquired in another thread about Lower Susquehanna smallmouth bass (York Haven to Pequea) and their compensatory responses to high fingerling mortality since 2005. Smallmouth bass had been growing at a rate that was at least for the time being a year ahead of the growth that used to occur prior to the fingerling mortality problems and reductions in small to moderate size SMB that began soon thereafter. Additionally, SMB survival has improved. Good growth=fat fish=good winter survival. The improved growth rates were noted by 2008 and increased survival was speculated upon then and later confirmed (well before the no-kill regs went into effect), most likely due to limited competition for the large forage base, which now included rusty crayfish on top of the already abundant minnows and gizzard shad. We first reported the rapid and accelerated growth rates at the Susquehanna SMB symposium that Dave attended in about 2008 or 2009. The fall, 2013 electrofishing sample at the fixed night electrofishing sites that have been sampled for decades (Accomac, Long Level, Safe Harbor tail-race to Pequea) showed that SMB abundance had greatly recovered despite continued high rates of fingerling disease incidence. It remains to be seen whether that is what is found in 2014 sampling, or was a 2013 anomaly, but the 2013 abundance indices were very encouraging and suggest that fishing should be good in 2014. Reports of Susquehanna R SMB sampling results have periodically appeared on the PFBC web page's biologists' reports in Areas 3, 4, 6, and 7, depending upon the year.
Note to C&R trout advocates: Compensatory survival also occurs in wild trout populations and that is why the limited harvest of the type that occurs in Pa's unstocked wild trout streams is of little population concern in that renewable resource.
Note to C&R trout advocates: Compensatory survival also occurs in wild trout populations and that is why the limited harvest of the type that occurs in Pa's unstocked wild trout streams is of little population concern in that renewable resource.