NOTES ON THE YELLOW BASS 



By Charles W. Burn ham, 



u. s. fisheries station, titpelo, mississippi. 



The yellow bass {Morouc iutcrntpta) is found in the 

 lower Mississippi Valley, and north to Cincinnati, St. Louis 

 and Terre Haute. It is most abundant in such streams as 

 the St. Francis and White rivers in Arkansas, which are 

 noted for their clear water and clean gravelly or sandy 

 bottoms. 



Its color is l)rassy yellow, darker on back, growing lighter 

 on sides and below, with about 7 very distinct black longi- 

 tudinal lines. Head depressed, eye large, mouth small, back 

 arched, body comparatively long, flesh firm and white. 



It is a splendid food and game fish and compares favoralily 

 with the lilack l)ass. It is often confounded with and re- 

 sembles tlie striped bass of .salt water, and the white bass of 

 fresh water. In many places it is known as striped bass or 

 barfish. 



The average lengths attained 1)}' yellow l)ass under favor- 

 able conditions are as follows: 3 weeks old, 1 inch; 6 weeks 

 old, 1 i/i' inches; 3 months old, 3 inches; 8 months old, 6 

 inches; 1 year old, 8 inches. Idie adults usually seen weigh 

 from 1 to 2 pounds, but some caught ha\'e exceeded a foot in 

 length, and weighed over 5 pounds. 



Young yellow bass are as delicate as crai)pie, and those less 

 than 2 inches long cannot l)e handled in warm weatlier witli- 

 out loss, but like crappie the yellow Iiass successfully with- 

 stand a water temperature higher than QO degrees if not 

 handled. 



When seined from the water fingerling yellow bass bend 

 into a semi-circle as if trying to touch head and tail together. 

 In this position they rapidly become rigid or slilT and die 



