Using radio telemetry in sauger spawning studies in Douglas Reservoir, Tennessee

Twenty-two sauger were tagged with externally-attached radio transmitters in December 1990 and February 1991 to determine spawning movements in Douglas Reservoir. The tagged fish began a concerted movement toward the headwaters of the reservoir in late February when water temperatures were 8-9 C. By March 30, five tagged male sauger were staging near the confluence of the Nolichucky and French Broad Rivers (FBRM 68.8). These fish moved upstream to an area just below Rankin Bridge (FBRM 71.2) on April 5, where they remained for approximately 10 days. Gill-netting and electro-fishing techniques were used to sample fish in the spawning area from April 5 to April 15. Several sauger and saugeye males in spawning condition and one gravid female sauger were caught, indicating that spawning was taking place. Stizostedion spp. eggs were collected from the area using an epibenthic egg sled, a larval drift net, and a larval kick seine. A 10-m wide strip approximately 300-m long stretching between the two Rankin Bridges was the only major spawning site found. The substrate in the spawning area consisted of a mix of cobble, pebble, gravel, coarse sand, and boulder. During the interval of spawning activities, current velocity near the substrate was 18-20 cm/sec and temperatures ranged from 14.0-17.2 C.

Cove rotenone data from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency indicated that the sauger spawn for 1991 was not as successful as the spawn of 1990. In 1990, samples contained 8.1 young-of-year sauger per hectare while only a single young-of-year sauger was collected in 1991.