A Hydrolap Surveyor was used to measure tem- 

 perature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and 

 redox potential at each site where a tagged fish was 

 located. Additional sites were sampled on a regular 

 basis during March through May of 1980. No unusual 

 water chemistry readings were noted, and only tem- 

 perature and salinity are cited in the text as 

 needed. 



Results 



Thirteen fish were successfully tagged with trans- 

 mitters and tracked. Six of these were found 

 periodically for more than 100 d, while two were 

 found for more than 1 yr. 



Three fish tagged during March and April 1979 pro- 

 vided useful information during the following fall, 

 winter, and spring. During a single search of the en- 

 tire study area in July 1979, fish F1,F2, andF3 were 

 found at km 257, 222, and 246, respectively. Fish F2 

 never moved from km 222 and was presumed dead. 

 On 26 September only fish Fl was found (km 234) 

 although only areas upstream from km 107 were 

 searched. Neither fish Fl nor F3 could be found dur- 

 ing the winter, but both were found on the spawning 

 grounds the following spring. There is considerable 

 question regarding the whereabouts of these two fish 

 during the winter. Since neither fish had an operating 

 ultrasonic transmitter, they could not have been 

 found in saline waters. If these fish remained in 

 freshwater sections of the river, they would have 

 been detected. The whole river extending to Augusta 



was searched twice in October, and numerous 

 searches to km 75 were made between October and 

 March. The apparent absence of these fish from the 

 river, and their sudden reappearance in March (fish 

 F3) and early April (fish Fl) when they were found 

 without difficulty, indicate that they probably were in 

 saline water during the winter. 



Three fish (F4, F5, and F6) were tagged with ul- 

 trasonic transmitters in mid-December in saline 

 water (5%o) immediately upstream from the tide 

 gate. Fish F5 was also tagged with a radio transmit- 

 ter. These fish remained within a few kilometers up- 

 stream from the tagging site for 2, 25, and 100 d, 

 respectively. They subsequently left that area and 

 could not be found for extended periods (117, 89, 

 and 19 d, respectively) in spite of numerous searches 

 which reached to the river mouth. They all were later 

 found in upper Back River in April. None of the three 

 fish used freshwater segments of the river during 

 winter. 



Seven additional fish were tagged in April 1980. 

 Four were tagged on 4 April with ultrasonic transmit- 

 ters and three on 17 April with radio transmitters. 

 Thus a total of 12 fish (all except fish F2) yielded 

 movement data during the 1980 spawning season 

 (Table 1). 



There was considerable variation among the move- 

 ment patterns of individual fish (Table 2). Fish F4, 

 F8, and F9 exhibited abnormal patterns. Fish F4 

 remained at the mouth of Union Creek at the end of 

 the study. Prior to 6 May it shifted its position on oc- 

 casion but later it apparently died. Fish F8 and F9 



TABLE 1. — Striped bass successfully tagged and tracked in the Savannah River, Ga., during 1979 

 and 1980. Tag type: R= radio; U= ultrasonic. Capture method: G= gill net; DC= direct current; 

 AC = alternating current. Track duration indicates time period during which useful data were 

 obtained. In upstream areas, fish tagged with ultrasonic transmitters were not tracked. 



' Radio transmitter of fish F1 may have stopped working by late May 1 980. 

 2 Fish F2 apparently died at km 222, summer 1979. 

 3 Fish F4 apparently died in Back River, April 1980. 





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