Use of Brush Shelters as Cover by Spawning Black Basses (Micropterus) in Bull Shoals Reservoir

Abstract
Brush shelters were placed along alternate 100‐m shoreline sections in two coves, and examined underwater weekly, for 7 weeks during the spawning season, to compare the use of sheltered and unsheltered habitat for nesting by three species of bass‐largemouth (Micropterus salmoides), spotted (M. punctulatus), and smallmouth (M. dolomieui). Spotted bass consistently preferred the sheltered habitat; largemouth bass were most selective for sheltered segments early in the spawning season during their most intensive nesting period. Smallmouth bass showed no preference for the brush shelters as nesting sites.

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