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<br />To determine the contribution of stocked bass to the bass population <br />in Chatfield, electrofishingwas conducted during the spring of each year. <br />A boat mounted electrofishing unit was used which utilized a 5000-w gener- <br />ator and pulse DC current. Length and weight measurements and scale samples <br />were obtained from all bass captured. Bass were then inspected under UV <br />light to detect marks and released. Ages of all bass were determined and the <br />proportion of stocked bass to all bass in a given year-class was calculated. <br />A creel census was conducted from May through September in 1981 and <br />1982 to assess angler utilization of bass. A random-stratified schedule of <br />4 weekend days and 5 weekdays was used. Contacts and counts were made along <br />the entire shoreline of the reservoir with boat anglers being interviewed <br />upon leaving the lake. During 1982, all cree led bass were checked for <br />pigment marks using equipment described by McAfee (1980). <br /> <br />RESULTS AND DISCUSSION <br /> <br />The number of largemouth bass stocked into Chatfield Reservoir varied <br />from 3,100 in 1979 to 16,800 in 1981 (Table 1). Corresponding stocking rates <br />for those years were 10 and 54 bass per habitat-acre, respectively. Although <br />the target stocking rate of 50jH.A. was only met in 1981, numbers of bass <br />stocked in other years was considered adequate to assess their contribution. <br /> <br />Table 1. Largemouth bass stocked in Chatfield Reservoir, Colorado. <br /> <br />Date of No. Average No. per <br />stocking stocked size (nun) habitat-acre <br />27 June 1979 3,100 128 10.0 <br />13 June 1980 5,460 131 18.0 <br />8 June 1981 16,800 120 54.0 <br />4 June 1982 13,090 123 42.0 <br /> <br />The limited production of bass at the Wray Hatchery during 1978 and 1979 <br />was principally due to sporadic spawning of brood bass which resulted in <br />unequal sizes of fry and large losses from cannibalism. In addition, the <br />hatchery experienced problems with abundance and timing of plankton blooms, <br />low artificial diet training success, handling stress, and power failures. <br />Since that time, personnel at Wray have increased bass production by (1) <br />maintaining brood bass in cool-water raceways until spawning conditions are <br />ideal, (2) increasing fertilization of rearing ponds, (3) improving feeding <br />techniques, (4) careful attention to sorting, and (5) treatment of disease. <br />The proportion of stocked bass to all bass of the same age-class sampled <br />during spring electrofishing varied from 9-59% during 1979 to 1982 (Table 2). <br />The contribution of stocked bass to the 1978 year-class was relatively con- <br />stant during all 4 years of sampling. Returns of the hatchery-reared 1979 <br />year-class were much more variable, however, composing 94%, 59%, and 26% of <br />the total year-class in 1980, 1981, and 1982 respectively. S~pling bias <br /> <br />56 <br />