Movements of Adult Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Savannah River, Georgia

Abstract

During 1973, 1974, and 1975 movements of 33 striped bass [Morone saxatilis (Walbaum)] in the Savannah River, Georgia were followed through the use of ultrasonic and radio transmitters. During March through May striped bass congregate and spawn in a tidally influenced, relatively shallow, small branch of the river (Little Back River) near Savannah, Georgia, about 30 km upstream from the river mouth. During the spawning season striped bass do not exhibit any specific movement pattern, but remain in this particular sector of the river. Immediately after spawning, all tracked fish moved upstream, some as far as 301 km from the spawning area. Fish remained in the upstream areas at least 4 months. We detected no fish moving downstream during this period. Our data and those from previous work strongly suggest that individuals in this population of striped bass spend the majority, if not all, of their lives in the Savannah River.