Drum were taken at all stations, but were most abundant at the middle
and lower Neosho stations. A high level of abundance also was found in
1957 at the middle Marais des Cygnes station. The abundance of drum
declined from 1957 to 1959, but the average size increased because of a
dominant 1957 year-class that was moderately reduced by natural
mortality in 1958-'59. Although the population was composed largely of
young-of-the-year and adults in 1957, it was dominated by yearling
individuals in 1958. By 1959 the number had declined considerably and
the population consisted mostly of juveniles and adults. Fish of the
1957 year-class reached a length of approximately ten inches by
mid-summer of 1959 (Table 8).
Adults were taken in a variety of habitats, but most often in quiet
water. On the other hand, yearlings were extremely abundant in 1958 near
shore in shallow, moderately fast water over rubble bottom at night.
Drum were rare in the same areas in daylight (Table 9).
Young-of-the-year occur in shallow, quiet water, usually over
mud-bottom.
The freshwater drum matures at about 12 inches T. L. Ripe males were
taken as late as 23 June 1959; however, the height of the spawning
season probably is in May.
TABLE 8. LENGTH-FREQUENCY OF FRESHWATER DRUM FROM THE MIDDLE
NEOSHO STATION IN 1957, 1958 AND 1959.
Total length Aug. 19 Aug. 19-26 July 27-Aug. 4
in inches 1957 1958 1959
2 1
3 1
4 4
5 1
6 12
7 21 1
8 3 14 2
9 3 3 2
10 4 6 6
11 2 4 1
12 2
13 2
14 1
TABLE 9. AVERAGE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS CAPTURED PER HOUR, USING THE
SHOCKER, AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY AND NIGHT AT THE MIDDLE NEOSHO
STATION IN 1958. NUMBERS IN PARENTHESES INDICATE TOTAL NUMBER
CAPTURED.
======================================================================
| Morning | Afternoon | Early night | Late night |
| 5 hours | 6 hours | 18 hours | 8 hours |
SPECIES | of effort | of effort | of effort | of effort |
| expended | expended | expended | expended |
| 6:30 a.m. | 12:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 12:30 a.m. |
| 12:30 p.m. | 6:30 p.m. | 12:30 a.m. | 6:30 a.m. |
----------------+------------+------------+-------------+------------+
Long-nosed Gar | 0 | 0.3 (2) | 1.2 (21) | 1.1 (9) |
Short-nosed Gar | 0.2 (1) | 0 | 0.2 (3) | 0.4 (3) |
Gizzard Shad | 0.2 (1) | 0.3 (2) | 0.1 (1) | 0.1 (1) |
Black Buffalo | 0 | 0.2 (1) | 0.1 (1) | 0 |
Small-mouthed | | | | |
Buffalo | 0.4 (2) | 0.3 (2) | 0.8 (14) | 0.8 (6) |
River | | | | |
Carpsucker | 3.4 (17) | 3.3 (20) | 5.7 (102) | 4.9 (39) |
Redhorse | 0 | 0.2 (1) | 0.6 (10) | 0.6 (5) |
Carp | 1.8 (9) | 0.2 (1) | 0.7 (12) | 0.8 (6) |
Channel Catfish | 1.6 (8) | 1.0 (6) | 10.2 (183) | 10.5 (84) |
Flathead | 2.2 (11) | 1.3 (8) | 2.4 (43) | 3.6 (29) |
Spotted Bass | 0.4 (2) | 0.5 (3) | 0.3 (6) | 0.1 (1) |
Green Sunfish | 0.2 (1) | 0.2 (1) | 0.2 (3) | 0.1 (1) |
Long-eared | | | | |
Sunfish | 0 | 0 | 0.1 (2) | 0.4 (3) |
Orange-spotted | | | | |
Sunfish | 0.2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
White Crappie | 0.2 (1) | 0.2 (1) | 0.2 (5) | 0.4 (3) |
Freshwater Drum | 1.0 (5) | 0.8 (5) | 5.6 (101) | 5.3 (42) |
Number captured | | | | |
per hour | 13.4 | 9.3 | 29.5 | 33.8 |
----------------+------------+------------+-------------+------------+
TABLE 10. NUMBERS OF FISH SEEN OR CAPTURED PER HOUR BY USE OF THE
SHOCKER. EXCLUDES FISH TAKEN BY SHOCKING INTO A SEINE ON RIFFLES;
YOUNG-OF-THE-YEAR CHANNEL CATFISH AND FLATHEAD CATFISH PREDOMINATED
IN SAMPLES TAKEN BY THAT METHOD.
====================================================================
| Marais des Cygnes River |
|-----------------+-----------------+-----------+
SPECIES | Upper | Middle | Lower |
-------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| 1957| 1958| 1959| 1957| 1958| 1959| 1957| 1958|
-------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Gar | .7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | .6 | 2.7 | ... | 2.2 | 9.4 |
Gizzard Shad | .9 | .2 | ... | 9.9 | 2.5 | ... | ... | .5 |
Buffalo | 2.0 | 3.7 | .6 | .8 | 2.0 | ... | 5.7 | 6.4 |
River Carpsucker | 4.0 | 4.9 | .6 | 6.5 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 3.9 |
Shortheaded | | | | | | | | |
Redhorse | 3.3 | .9 | .6 | .8 | .2 | ... | ... | ... |
Carp |10.6 | 6.4 | 2.4 | 8.6 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 6.0 |10.4 |
Black Bullhead | ... | ... | ... | 3.9 |17.2 | ... | ... | ... |
Channel Catfish | .5 | .9 | ... | 4.7 | 2.5 | ... | 1.8 | .7 |
Flathead | .2 | ... | 2.4 | .5 | ... | ... | 1.8 | .5 |
Largemouth | 1.0 | ... | ... | .3 | .2 | ... | ... | ... |
White Crappie | 1.7 | 5.1 | .6 | 1.3 | .7 | ... | ... | .2 |
Freshwater Drum | .9 | 1.6 | .6 |24.5 | 2.2 | ... | .7 | .2 |
| | | | | | | | |
Hours shocked |4-1/2|4-1/2|1-2/3| 4 | 4 | 2 |2-5/6|4-1/2|
-------------------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Neosho River |
|-----------------------------------------------|
| Middle | Lower |
|-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
| 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 |
-------------------|-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
Gar | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 |
Gizzard Shad | .5 | .2 | .4 | 1.9 | 1.0 | .4 |
Buffalo | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 6.2 | .9 | 1.5 |
River Carpsucker | 5.5 | 7.4 | 2.9 | 7.5 | 13.3 | 6.3 |
Shortheaded | | | | | | |
Redhorse | 1.9 | .6 | 1.6 | .7 | ... | 1.6 |
Carp | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
Channel Catfish | 2.6 | 8.8 | .9 | 107.0 | .5 | .7 |
Flathead | 7.6 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 10.8 | .2 | 1.2 |
Bass | 1.6 | .4 | .1 | .2 | .2 | .1 |
White Crappie | ... | .9 | .2 | 1.8 | .7 | .1 |
Freshwater Drum | 3.9 | 3.3 | .8 | 15.9 | 2.8 | .7 |
| | | | | | |
Hours shocked | 5-2/3 | 55-5/6| 48-1/2| 4-1/6 | 4 | 16-5/6|
| | | | | | |
-------------------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+-------+
TABLE 11. NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES (Roman type) AND NUMBER COUNTED
(_Italic type_) PER SEINING UNIT. ONE SEINING UNIT EQUALS 30
SEINE-HAULS (ten each with the 4-foot, 12-foot and 25-foot seine)
OF WHICH SIX RANDOMLY-CHOSEN HAULS WERE COUNTED. DASHES SIGNIFY
THAT THE SPECIES OCCURRED IN UNCOUNTED COLLECTIONS ONLY.
======================================================================
| Marais des Cygnes stations | Neosho
+-----------+----------+-----------+---------------
SPECIES | Upper | Middle | Lower | Lower station
+-----+-----+----+-----+-----------+------+--------
|1957 |1959 |1957| 1959| 1957 |1959| 1957 | 1959
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Golden Shiner | ... | ... |--- | ... | ... | ...| ... | ...
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Creek Chub | ... | --- |... | ... | ... | ...| ... | ...
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Silver Chub | ... | ... |... | ... | --- | ...| ... | ...
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Gravel Chub | ... | ... |... | ... | ... | ...| ... | 3.0
| | | | | | | | _2.3_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Sucker-mouthed | --- | 6 |... | 3 | ... | 1 | 2 | 10.0
Minnow | | | | _1_ | | | | _43.0_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Red-finned Shiner | ... | ... |... | 1 | 2.5 | 2 | ... | 4.7
| | | | | _5.0_| | | _2.3_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Blunt-faced Shiner | ... | ... |--- | ... | ... | ...| ... | ...
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Red Shiner |21 | 15 | 8 | 19 | 16.0 | 15 | 27 | 20.0
|_6_ | |_4_ |_22_ |_69.0_|_22_|_1119_|_102.0_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Mimic Shiner | ... | ... |... | ... | ... | ...| --- | ...
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Ghost Shiner | 7.5 | 1 |... | 1 | 9.5 | 2 | 17 | 11.7
| | | | |_96.5_| | _54_| _76_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Sand Shiner | --- | 7 |... | 8 | 1.5 | 3 | ... | 1
| | | | _2_ | | | | _.3_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Mountain Minnow | ... | ... |... | ... | ... | ...| 12 | 9.3
| | | | | | | _25_| _13.6_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Blunt-nosed Minnow | --- | 2 |... | 8 | 1.0 | 1 | 6 | 14.0
| | | | | _.5_| | _4_| _7.6_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Parrot Minnow | ... | ... |... | ... | ... | ...| 12 | 19.0
| | | | | | | _6_| _28.6_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Fat-headed Minnow |10.5 | 4 | 5 | 7 | ... | ...| ...| 8.3
|_1.5_| |_2_ | _1_ | | | | _3.0_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Stoneroller | --- | 6 |--- | ... | ... | ...| --- | 2.3
| | | | | | | | _1.0_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Black Bullhead | ... | ... |... | ... | .5 | ...| ... | ...
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Channel Catfish | 4.5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 5.0 | 10 | 12 | 6.3
|_1.5_| |_1_ | _7_ | _1.0_| _6_| _5_| _41.6_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Flathead | --- | 1 |--- | --- | 1.0 | ...| --- | .3
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Stonecat | ... | ... |--- | ... | 6.0 | ...| --- | 1.0
| | | | | _.5_| | |
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Neosho Madtom | ... | ... |... | ... | ... | ...| ... | 3.3
| | | | | | | | _2.0_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Brook Silversides | ... | ... |... | ... | .5 | ...| ... | 1.7
| | | | | _1.0_| | |
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Black-striped | ... | ... |... | ... | 1.0 | 2 | ... | 1.0
Topminnow | | | | | _1.0_| | | _.7_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Spotted Bass | ... | ... |... | ... | ... | ...| 2 | 3.7
| | | | | | | | _.3_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Largemouth | ... | ... | 1 | 3 | ... | ...| 1 | ...
| | |_1_ | _1_ | | | _2_|
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Green Sunfish | 9 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 11.0 | 3 | 7 | 10.0
|_7.5_| |_3_ | _3_ |_12.0_| _1_| _2_| _3.6_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Long-eared Sunfish | ... | ... |... | ... | .5 | ...| 6 | 4.3
| | | | | | | | _.7_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Orange-spotted | 4.5 | --- | 2 | 3 | 2.5 | ...| 12 | 12.0
Sunfish |_6_ | |_4_ | | | | _5_| _5.0_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Bluegill | 1.5 | 1 |... | 6 | 3.5 | 1 | 1 | .3
| | | | _1_ | | | | _.3_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
White Crappie | ... | ... | 4 | 4 | ... | ...| ... | ...
| | |_7_ | | | | |
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Logperch | ... | ... |... | ... | ... | ...| 1 | .3
| | | | | | | | _.7_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Slender-headed | --- | 13 |... | 2 | 6.5 | 3 | 1 | 8.3
Darter | | | | |_15.0_| _1_| | _3.0_
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Orange-throated | --- | 7 |... | ... | ... | ...| 1 | ---
Darter | | | | | | | |
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------
Seining units | 2/3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3
-------------------+-----+-----+----+-----+------+----+------+--------