LARGEMOUTH BASS ABUNDANCE AND AQUATIC VEGETATION IN FLORIDA LAKES - AN EMPIRICAL-ANALYSIS

Data from 56 Florida lakes were examined for relationships between abu ndance of aquatic macrophytes and young-of-the-year (< 160 mm TL), sub adult (161 - 240 mm TL) and adult (> 250 mm TL) largemouth bass (Micro pterus salmoides). Study lakes ranged from 2 ha to 271 ha, Trophic sta tus ranged from oligotrophic to hypereutrophic, The percentage of lake area covered (PAC) and the percentage of lake volume infested (PVI) w ith aquatic macrophytes among the lakes ranged from < 1% to 100%. Youn g-of-the-year largemouth bass abundance ranged from 0 to 5857 fish/ha. Subadult largemouth bass abundance ranged from 0 to 216 fish/ha and a dult largemouth bass abundance ranged from 1 fish/ha to 75 fish/ha. Th ere were weakly significant, direct relationships among lakes between measures of macrophyte abundance and estimates of young-of-the-year an d subadult abundance. There were weakly significant inverse relationsh ips among lakes between measures of macrophyte abundance and growth (m m/day) of age-1 and age-2 largemouth bass. There were no significant r elationships among lakes between measures of macrophyte abundance and estimates of adult largemouth bass abundance or standing crop (kg/ha). Adult largemouth bass abundance and standing crop were positively cor related to lake trophic status. After accounting for lake trophic stat us, the abundance of young-of-the-year largemouth bass was directly re lated to PVI, and age-1 growth rate was inversely related to PVI but t here were no significant relationships between macrophyte abundance an d the abundance of subadult and adult largemouth bass, There are no st rong predictable relationships between the abundance of aquatic macrop hytes and the abundance of adult largemouth bass among Florida lakes < 300 ha.