Abstract
Access-point creel surveys are assumed to represent actual angler harvest, pressure, and other parameters. A full creel census was conducted on two small lakes managed as put and-take Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fisheries to evaluate this assumption. Modeled results based on standard methods from full (40 h/week), one-half (20 h/week), and one-third (12 h/week) surveys, were compared to actual census values. The confidence intervals for angling pressure in all survey scenarios included the actual census values, with the exception of the full survey in one lake. Confidence intervals for total catch also included the census values, except for the full and onethird survey in one lake. In all cases, both Rainbow Trout catch and harvest point estimates were not significantly different among any of the scenarios and census. Census values for party size were not included in the confidence intervals in the one-third surveys at both lakes, and the one-half survey at one lake. Trip length confidence intervals included the actual census value only in the full survey for one lake; all other point estimates of trip length in the other survey scenarios were significantly different from the census values. In general, confidence limits increased as the simulated survey efforts decreased. Using standard access-point creel survey methods, managers of small water bodies stocked with catchable trout should be able to achieve relatively reliable creel survey estimates of angling pressure, catch, and harvest with considerably less effort than a full survey.
Highlights
Creel surveys are a traditional fisheries management tool used for estimating angler use and monitoring the status of recreational fisheries [1,2,3,4]
There was no significant difference between the point estimates for angling pressure in all survey scenarios compared to the actual census values in both lakes, with the exception of the full survey in Mirror Lake #1
Total catch (Rainbow Trout and Green Sunfish) point estimates were not significantly different than the census value for the survey scenarios, except for the full and one-third survey in Mirror Lake #1. Both Rainbow Trout catch and harvest estimates were not significantly different among any of the scenarios and census, but confidence intervals increased with decreasing survey effort
Summary
Creel surveys are a traditional fisheries management tool used for estimating angler use and monitoring the status of recreational fisheries [1,2,3,4] They have been conducted to evaluate management changes [5,6,7], determine angler preferences [8,9], and estimate other angler activities [10,11,12,13]. A nearly-full creel census or “virtually-complete” census was done to evaluate creel survey methodologies by Johnson and Wroblewski [22] These studies focused on the use of creel surveys in larger water bodies (greater than 40 ha), with cool and warm water fishes
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