Some Characteristics of Largemouth Bass Populations in Two Ellis County, Kansas Farm Ponds

Growth rates, population densities, length frequency distributions, body conditions and angler catch rates of largemouth bass were compared in two Ellis County, Kansas farm ponds. New Pond was three years old and Old Pond was seven years old at the beginning of the study. Largemouth bass and bluegill were the major species in New Pond, while largemouth bass and green sunfish were the major species in Old Pond. Both ponds contained large numbers of small bass but few bass over 300 mm long. Bass density was estimated to be 71.1 kg/hectare in New Pond and 132 kg/hectare in Old Pond. Catch per hour was greatest in New Pond, but bass caught from Old Pond were larger. Total lengths at each year of life were greater for Old Pond bass, although annual growth increments were greater for New Pond bass after the second year of life. It was estimated that most of the opercle streamer tags used in this study were lost in less than 45 days. Thus, this tag may only be of value for studies of short duration.