THE AGE COMPOSITION OF STRIPED BASS 



CATCHES IN VIRGINIA RIVERS, 1967-1971, 



AND A DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERY^ 



George C. Grant^ 



ABSTRACT 



The age composition of Virginia catches of the striped bass, Morone saxatilis, is being 

 monitored as one of the parameters important in rational management of the species. Catches 

 of pound nets and fyke nets, relatively nonselective gear types used in estimates of age struc- 

 ture, weie sampled semimonthly in three Virginia rivers from July 1967 through June 1971. 



Seasonal changes in age compt)sition are slight with older, migratory striped bass occurring 

 more frequently in winter and spring catches. Young fish are not caught by these nets in 

 significant numbers until the spring following the year of their hatch. An age group that is 

 dominant in summer usually continues its dominance through the spring of the following year. 



Differences in age composition of striped bass catches among rivers and years occur as a 

 result of variable year class strength. Although one-year-olds normally dominate 

 catches, two-year-olds may predominate either through local failure of a year class or by 

 continued dominance of a relatively strong year class. 



A brief description of the striped bass fishery in Virginia is included. 



Closer management of anadromous fish stocks 

 may become necessary as a protective response 

 to increasing human populations along the 

 Atlantic coast of the United States. Because of 

 their reproductive migrations into river systems, 

 these anadromous fishes may be most directly 

 affected by the expanding megalopolis of the east 

 coast and the increased pollution of coastal 

 waters. 



One valuable anadromous species is the striped 

 bass, Morone saxatilis (Walbaum). Although 

 the biology and habits of striped bass are fairly 

 well studied (Raney, 1952), effective manage- 

 ment of the stocks has been hampered by the 

 absence of data on population parameters such 

 as age composition and mortality. 



An investigation of striped bass in Virginia-^ 

 was initiated in 1967 after a review of results 

 from the Chesapeake Bay Cooperative Striped 

 Bass Program (Lewis, 1961; Mansueti, 1961; 

 Massmann and Pacheco. 1961) and follows the 

 suggestions of Sykes (1961) for further research 

 on striped bass. This paper considers the age 



' Contribution No. 590 from the Virginia Institute of 

 Marine Science. 



- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Pt., 

 VA 23062. 



■* Supported in part with Anadromous Fish Act (P.L. 

 89-304) funds, through the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and 

 Wildlife, Projects AFS4 and AFS6 (Virginia). 



composition of striped bass catches in Virginia 

 and briefly describes the fishery. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE FISHERY 



The coastal Virginia fishery for striped bass is 

 scattered and diverse. It includes trawlers, 

 pound nets, fyke nets, haul seines, gill nets and 

 sport fishing gear. 



In the commercial fishery, pound nets are 

 fished at permanent locations and are most 

 consistently in use. They are lifted only during 

 brief periods for cleaning, to prevent possible 

 ice damage, or because of nuisance factors such 

 as abundant jellyfish. Fyke nets, hung and 

 fished much like small pound nets in Virginia 

 waters, are usually located farther upriver than 

 the pound nets. Catches are relatively small and 

 the gear is employed more sporadically than 

 pound nets. Trawlers are limited to offshore 

 fishing by law. Therefore striped bass are 

 available to this gear only in winter months, 

 when they are migrating along the coast. Striped 

 bass availability to trawlers increases during 

 severe winters when the river populations 

 migrate to the warmer coastal waters (Grant 

 et al., 1970). Gill net mesh size and manner 

 of fishing vary with the season in the striped 

 bass fishery. Small mesh "spot and perch nets" 



Manuscript accepted Julv. IV73 



FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 72. NO. 1. 1974, 



193 



