Movement and Habitat Use of Shoal Bass in a Tributary Stream of the Flint River, Georgia

The Shoal Bass Micropterus cataractae is a fluvial specialist endemic to the Apalachicola River basin.  Numbers are thought to be on the decline throughout its native range due to a variety of factors.  The largest intact population is in the Flint River, Georgia, where it is known to undergo lengthy migrations to appropriate spawning shoals.  To assess the habitat use and movements of shoal bass in a tributary of the Flint River, thirty shoal bass were implanted with transmitters in Ichawaynochaway Creek and tracked for one year (April 2015 – April 2016).  One shoal bass was harvested by an angler shortly after implantation but all other fish survived for the duration of the study.  The majority of Shoal Bass preferred moderate depths (< 2 m) throughout the year, although deeper depths were utilized throughout the winter months.  Fish were generally found using flows < 1m/s from spring to fall, with faster flows being utilized in the winter.  Shoal Bass were generally found in course, rocky habitat throughout the year, and rarely in sandy habitat.  Overall, daily movements were small interspersed with random large movement events.  No transmittered Shoal Bass migrated from the creek into the Flint River during the study.