FORTY-SECOND BIENNIAL REPORT 53 



This fishery is entering a critical phase. The great influx of newcomers 

 into California during and after the war is being reflected in sharp 

 increases in fishing pressure, industrial pollution, and water diversions 

 from nursery grounds. Striped bass activities during the biennium 

 centered principally around these three threats to the future welfare of 

 California striped bass. 



The increase in bass anglers raises questions about the adequacy of 

 present regulations, such as length of season, bag limit, and minimum 

 size. These questions cannot be answered without knowing roughly how 

 many of the available fish are being caught each year. The striped bass 

 tagging program, aimed at estimating this, was continued actively, with 

 more than 3,000 fish over 12 inches long being tagged during the 

 biennium. 



Special field and aquarium studies to improve tagging methods were 

 continued, since it became obvious early in this program that tags which 

 had been used in previous studies were unsatisfactory. 



Pollution work included a detailed study of striped bass waters from 

 Richmond to Antioch, aimed at evaluating the effects of waste discharges 

 upon the small food animals present. The field phase of this project was 

 completed during the biennium. The results will enable us to tell how 

 much harm the industrial plants are now doing. They will also provide a 

 valuable record of present conditions for future comparisons. 



Water diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin nursery grounds 

 have presented the greatest immediate challenge. A successful quantita- 

 tive survey was made in 1951 to estimate the actual number of bass fry 

 during July and to determine their distribution in relation to the Tracy 

 Pumping Plant of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Contra Costa 

 and Pittsburg Steam Plants of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. 

 This was done in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the 

 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Simultaneously, our staff worked closely 

 with the P. G. and E. Company in solving the difficult fish salvage prob- 

 lems at the Contra Costa Steam Plant, and remarkable success was 

 attained. 



In conjunction with the above activities, the catch record program has 

 been maintained, providing a continuous, up-to-date index of what is 

 occurring in the fishery. 



FARM PONDS 



During the biennium 521 applications for stocking of private ponds 

 were processed, 175 ponds were visited, and 439 ponds were stocked with 

 fish. During the preceding biennium, 467 applications were processed, 

 222 ponds were visited, and 325 ponds were stocked. 



It is the policy of the Department of Fish and Game to supply an 

 initial stock of warm-water fishes to private ponds too small to support 

 public fishing and which meet certain other requirements. Trout for such 

 ponds must be purchased from a licensed domestic fish breeder. 



The usual warm-water species stocked consist of largemouth black 

 bass, bluegill, and brown bullhead (Ameiurus nehulosus) . Several other 

 kinds have been tried on an experimental basis. 



