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markedly increase juvenile striped bass condition. Most shad were consumed before the few remaining adult striped bass could feed on them and therefore, shad were not measurable by trawl in open water. It was not until 1991 that the shad recovered enough to provide forage for all striped bass and for shad to be detected in mid water trawl sampling (Figure 2). Since 1991 striped bass condition and shad numbers have fluctuated. Juvenile striped bass still maintained a healthy condition with a combined shad/plankton diet. The shad population has been measurable with mid-water trawl every year since 1991 with peaks in 1991, 1995 and 1996. Adult striped bass physical condition surpassed that of juvenile fish in 1991 and 1996 (Figure 2). When both large and small striped bass compete for forage fish in the open water the larger adults have the competitive advantage. During the shad peaks of 1991 and 1995-6 adult K factor was equal to or greater than juvenile K factor despite The usual foraging advantage of juvenile striped bass. When average catch of at least 100 shad per trawl tow occurs adults successfully compete with juveniles. That abundance of shad forage has only occurred 3 times in the past 16 years. RECRUITMENT During spring 1997 a school of prespawn striped bass was located in Wahweap Bay. Mature females from that aggregation averaged 674 mm and 2900 g. The ovaries were olive green- colored, large and viable. Fat reserves were consistently 0 rated on a scale of 0-4 (Goede 1988). Apparently energy reserves were channeled into production of gametes. Spawning occurred about May 20, 1997. Average weight of females dropped 500 grams following spawning with a corresponding drop in K factor from 1.3 to 1.1. Shad population peaks in successive years, 1995 and 1996, were unprecedented since striped bass became established by 22