NEW: Annual Report - George Mason University

When the two tables are combined for all three stations, as is done in Table 15, the mean catch of
all species was lower than most years, but still was higher than that of 1996.
In summarizing the trawl catch data, the mean catch of white perch was almost as low as that of
1989 and was much lower than the typical catch of previous years. This accounts for most of the
low combined catch for 2003, since white perch is the most abundant species. Gizzard shad and
pumpkinseed also had low mean catches in 2003. The mean catches of alewife, spottail shiner,
and brown bullhead were typical of previous years, and those of blueback herring, bay anchovy,
and channel cat were higher than normal.
The number of trawls that were made at all stations combined is shown in Table 16. One fewer
trawl set per month was done in August and September of 2003, but that does not seem to be an
important factor in the lower catch of white perch.
The mean catch of all species combined at each station in 2003 and in previous years is
presented in Table 17. This highlights the lower catch in 2003 especially at Station 10, and to a
somewhat lesser degree at Station 7.
Commercial fish landing records of the Potomac River Fisheries Commission for 2003 (Peggy
Hudson, personal communication) report the following catches of fish from the stretch of the
tidal Potomac from Washington, D.C. to the electric power lines that cross the river at Possum
Point above Quantico:
Channel catfish and blue catfish 29,686 lbs.
Bullheads 20,426
American eel 3,525
Striped bass 1,708
White perch 218
This is a harvest of a substantial quantity of fishes, and part of it is caught in the Gunston Cove
area. Records from previous years have been requested.
No records are collected for the harvest made by sport fishermen.
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