TAG RECOVERY ESTIMATES OF MIGRATION OF STRIPED BASS FROM SPAWNING AREAS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

In 1988-1991 striped bass Morone saxatilis were collected for tagging from various spawning areas within the Hudson River (New York) and the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland). The fish were tagged and released during t raditional periods of spawing and recovered by commercial and recreati onal fishermen. The proportion of fish that migrated in spring-fall fr om spawning areas in Chesapeake Bay to more northern waters of mid-Atl antic and New England states was estimated from the geographically str atified tag returns. Most of the tagged fish were 40-100 cm total leng th (TL). The estimated proportion of migrant striped bass increased wi th body size, and nearly all fish larger than 100 cm TL left the bay d uring the spring-fall migration. Sex-specific differences in migration appear to be associated with the differences in body size of mature m ales and females, thus lending support to previously hypothesized patt erns of striped bass migration.