FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72. NO. 1 



Table 2. — Age composition of striped bass caught by nonselective fishing gear in the 

 York River within quarterly periods, July 1967-June 1971. 



Seasonal occurrence of striped bass older 

 than Age III was similar to that observed in the 

 York. Eighty-three percent of these individuals 

 were taken in winter and spring months, 11.2% 

 in the summer months. 



Young-of-the-year first appeared in fall 

 catches, but significant numbers were not taken 

 until the following spring. This seasonal pattern 

 was similar to observations from the York 

 River. 



Differences in Age Composition between 

 Years and Rivers 



Differences between both years and rivers in 

 the age structure of Virginia striped bass 

 catches are shown in Figure 2, where age 

 comi)osition data have been combined into 

 sampling year totals within river systems. James 

 River catches were dominated by Age II striped 



bass in three of the four sampling years, and by 

 Age I fish (1969 year class) in 1970-1971. 

 Rappahannock River catches, on the other 

 hand, were dominated by Age I striped bass in 

 three of the four years, and by Age II fish in 

 1968-69. Age I fish dominated York River 

 catches in all four years. Except for the con- 

 tinued domination of Rappahannock River 

 catches by the 1966 year class during the 1968- 

 69 sampling year, age composition in the York 

 and Rappahannock rivers was similar. 



Among the 1965-1969 year classes which 

 progressed through the fishery as Age I and II 

 fish during the four-year sampling period, the 

 1966 year class appears to have contributed 

 most heavily to the York and Rappahannock 

 river catches. The 1967 year class was strongest 

 in the James River. Dominance of year classes 

 in the various years and river systems is sum- 

 marized in Table 4. 



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