Delaware Fish and Wildlife 2021 Tournament newsletter

[sdub]

From the section on the Nanticoke survey (done biennially):


The Nanticoke River Largemouth Bass population was evaluated in the fall of 2021 during two weeks of electrofishing. The survey included the Nanticoke Branch, Deep Creek, Broad Creek and the main river to the Delaware-Maryland state line.


Abundance


A population estimate of bass >6" in length was conducted using mark-recapture methods (described above for the Broadkill survey). Data analysis revealed a population estimate of 4,400 bass. Population size was also evaluated by comparing catch rates (number of bass caught per electrofishing hour) from year to year. The 2021 catch rate of 30 bass/hour was higher than surveys in 2016 and 2018 (the survey is conducted biennially). However, the catch rate was below the long-term historical catch rate of 55 bass/hour.


Size Structure


Bass caught during the survey ranged in length from 3.5" to 19.7". The population is slightly skewed towards bass ≥12", with bass 12"-15" the most numerous size group. Bass ≥12" comprised 77% of the survey catch, while bass ≥15" comprised 21% of the catch, and bass ≥18" comprised 2% of the catch. The proportion of bass ≥18" was below target values for a moderately dense bass population.


Condition or 'Robustness'


The Nanticoke River bass population is in good condition overall with a Wr of 101, which indicates the ability to obtain adequate amounts of prey. Bass in all size categories had Wrs above 90, which indicates a population that is not overcrowded and has an array of prey sizes available. The heaviest bass caught weighed 4.7 lbs


Tournament Activity


The Nanticoke River system has been the most popular water body in Delaware for Largemouth Bass tournaments since the tournament reporting program began in 1989. Statistics for 2021 are incomplete due to the number of post tournament reports that were not submitted. To date, 14 tournament reports were received for 2021 (see table below); this is a 48% decrease in reporting from known tournaments held in 2020.


Number of bass: 327


Number of angler hours 2,705


# legal size 720


# per angler hour 0.27


lb per angler hour 0.45


# per tx 51.4


weight per tx 87.76