98 



FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



a summary record of past stocking, and the basic stocking and general 

 management policy as determined in conference between the biological 

 and hatchery staffs. 



Special investigations dealing with the inland trout fisheries car- 

 ried on by the biological staff include studies of hatchery diets and fish 

 diseases, test water programs, and studies of important individual bodies 

 of water. These are described elsewhere in this report. 



In order to test the value of stocking interior-stock fall-spawning 

 rainbows in steelhead and salmon waters, 50,000 advanced fingerlings 

 were marked and planted in several streams along the Mendocino County 

 coast. Less than 12 authenticated returns to the angler in the year after 

 stocking indicate that such stocking in coastal streams is not justified. 



Figure 18. Marking rainbow trout at San Joaquin Experimental Hatchery, Fresno 

 County. One of two fins is removed with clippers, so that after stocking the marked fish 

 can be recognized as belonging to the particular group regarding which information is 



needed. Photoc/rapU by Scott Soule. 



WARM-WATER FISHES 



The warm-water fisheries program of the Bureau of Fish Conserva- 

 tion was greatly intensified and expanded near the beginning of the 

 biennium. Two members of the biological staff were assigned to warm- 

 watci- fislieries investigations on practically a full-time basis, and other 

 members of the staff have devoted considerable time to the program. 



P"'ollowing initial exploratory studies, several typical problem waters 

 were selected for intensive study. These included Clear Lake in Lake 

 County, ]\Iill('rton Lake in Fresno and Madera Counties, and Don Pedro 

 Reservoir in Tuolumne County. The intensive studies at these waters 

 have been followed by widespread sampling of the populations of young 

 fish in a large series of reservoirs throughout the State. Results gen- 

 erally liave indicated adequate largemouth black bass reproduction 

 coupled with very inadequate forage for the bass of the year's hatch. 



