Artificial propagation of the black basses by United States. Bureau of fisheries

Author:United States. Bureau of fisheries. [from old catalog]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Fish-culture, Black bass
Publisher: Washington, Gov't print off., 1900 [i. e]
Published: 1907-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

156 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES.

handled and transported until the approach of fall and winter has gradually reduced the temperature and thus hardened them; they are also more liable to attacks of parasites, both external and internal. While bass can live in water ranging; from 33° to 98°, more moderate limits are desirable. The Cyclops and some other of the natural forms of food for young bass reproduce best at a temperature between 68° and 70°, and can not resist higher than 95°.

CARE OF PONDS.

It is desirable that the ponds should be "wintered" each year—that is, entirely drawn off in the autumn, thus leaving the beds exposed to the combined action of sun, winds, and frost. This tends to kill out the larvfB of the larger aquatic insects (dragon flies, beetles, etc.), and to increase the following season's supply of small Crustacea, which furnish an important element of food to the young bass. This purifying process can be assisted by the free use of quicklime dropped into the crawfish holes. There is no danger of the lime injuring the fish the following year, and the limewater purifies the pond bed, besides killing the crawfish and the like.

The accumulated decayed matter ought to be occasionally removed, the frequency for this depending on the character of the water supply, the amount of silt it brings into the pond, the character of the soil, and on the thoroughness of the yearly removal of the surplus vegetation. Scraping large ponds and hauling the accumulated muck involve considerable labor and expense, possibly more than the yield of the pond warrants, and in some cases it is advisable, once in four or five years, to lay the pond bare for an entire year and cultivate it in peas or some other deep-rooted vegetable.

While abundant pond vegetation is favorable to a large production of fry, it is sometimes so luxuriant that it settles down in a blanket-like mass and smothers many of the young fish. Under such circumstances it should be removed some time in advance of lowering the pond level, and during the process should be carefully picked over, as some of the fry will be found among it. Wading into the pond leaves the bottom tracked with deep footprints, which, as the water recedes, catch and retain many of the young fishes, most of which die in a short time. To avoid this a strong but lightly built flatboat is used, which can easily be moved from pond to pond, as needed. At each end of the boat is a ring, through which a stake is driven at the point in the ])ond to be worked. The vegetation is raked from the water in small lots, and unloaded on the banks with a pitchfork. It should be promptly removed from the bank, as it will rot very fast and its presence is objectionable. At the Texas station, where the vegetation is very luxuriant, it is hauled to the banks with a long rake 8 feet wide, operated by two men, and is then removed by means of long-handled forks.

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