Largemouth bass population estimates from Diamond Valley Lake, Riverside County, California

摘要

A combination of boat electrofishing and bass angling tournaments was useu to estimate the 2008 population of largemouth bass {Micropterus salmoides floridanus) >300 mm TL at Diamond Valley Lake, Riverside County, California. We compared three combinations of sampling techniques to determine the most reliable method for estimating population size. A modified proportional stock density (PSD) was used to extrapolate the tournament data for legal size largemouth bass (>380 mm TL) to population estimatesfor bass >300 mm TL. Each of the 3 mark and recapture combinations yielded different population estimates. The combination of both electrofishing and angling for mark and recapture of largemouth bass, along with the PSD extrapolation, produced the mostprecise estimate. Utilizing this PSD extrapolation would allow fishery managers for other waters with larger legal size restrictions to estimate population size by taking advantage of tournament data.