Distribution of Florida Largemouth Bass in a Lake after Elimination of All Submersed Aquatic Vegetation

Abstract Distribution of 16 Florida largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides floridanus was monitored weekly for 1 year by radiotelemetry in 80-hectare Lake Baldwin, Florida. The lake contained grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, which had elminiated all submersed aquatic macrophytes. Six of the largemouth bass stayed predominantly (87% of tracking locations) in water deeper than 3.5 m (60% of lake surface area), where they established home ranges averaging 21.0 hectares (range, 0.6–39.5 hectares); the offshore region had no natural or artificial structures. The other radio-tagged fish were relocated a majority of times in water depths of 3.5 m or less. Five of these fish established year-round home ranges averaging 4.1 hectares (range, 1.0–9.8 hectares) in the inshore region where water depths were less than 2.0 m, and had significant (P < 0.05) preferences for habitats with water tupelo Nyssa aquatica. The remainder of the largemouth bass used both the inshore region and water depths out to 3.5 m and had s...