Given the importance of largemouth bass in the Mobile Delta, and the potential for additional human influence on this system in the future (e.g., elevation of portions of the Causeway and increasing numbers of fishing tournaments), it is critical that we begin to develop a better understanding of the largemouth bass population in the Mobile Delta. We propose to do that through this project. We have just completed the first 4-years of our work in the Delta, and have begun our fifth year. Our specific objectives in this current work are to:

• Quantify largemouth bass population parameters and vital rates (e.g., RSD, PSD, Wr, CPUE, mortality, growth rates, relative year-class strength), as well as spatial and temporal variation in those parameters in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.
• Determine the genetic ‘uniqueness’ of largemouth bass in the Delta.
• Identify the sources of juvenile forage fishes and important sportfish species such as crappie, bluegill, killiflishes.
• Evaluate factors thought to be important in affecting recruitment of age-0 largemouth bass in the Delta.
• Assess movement patterns of adult largemouth bass in the Delta.
• Correlate habitat factors with population characteristics of largemouth bass in the Delta.

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