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only a small fraction of the weight of desirable bass produced in the clear 

 and intermediate ponds. The intermediate ponds yielded more bass over 10 

 inches (although their average length was less) than the clear ponds , which 



'"'''^ra.'S believed due to the fact that a greater number of large bass were caught 

 by anglers from the clear than from the intermediate ponds.* The small weight 

 of desirable bass from the muddy ponds reflects the fact that few individuals 

 in these ponds ever attained the 10-inch length, with most of the original 

 stock still within tha 6-10 inch length range. The greater weight of 6 to 

 10-inch bass in the clear than in the intermediate ponds is due largely to 

 the faster growth made by young bass in the clear ponds„ This pioduction 

 was more than balanced,, however^ by a greater yield of small bass ( less than 

 6o0 inches) in the intermediate ponds so that total weights (all sizes com- 

 bined) of bass were somewhat greater in intermediate ponds than in clear 

 ponds. This is attributed to the varying rates of competition from the blue- 



■ *^lls or redears since the weights of the companion sunfishes were more than 

 twice as great in the clear than in the intermediate ponds. The extremely 

 poor production of bass in the muddy ponds must be attributed directly to 

 turbidity, since yields of all species were uniformly low from these ponds „ 



Comparisons of the weights of sunfishes also shows a notably smaller 

 production in the muddy than in the clearer pondso The most significant 

 comparisons are between the fishes of the two smaller size ranges, since 

 the populations of larger fishes were again influenced by angling pressure 

 as well as by mortality and intraspecif ic competition (this will be dis- 

 cussed more fully in the following section). The greater weight of bluegills 



* Fishing was discouraged, but it was impossible to control o The fishing occurred 

 -thiring the second summer, and it is known that rather large numbers of adult bass 

 were caught from all four clear ponds and two intermediate ponds, and that bluegills 

 were caught from at least two of the clear ponds cited above. 



