Catchability of Walleyes to Fyke Netting and Electrofishing in Northern Wisconsin Lakes

Abstract

Abstract We quantified relationships between both fyke-net catch rates (catch/net-night) and electrofishing catch rates (catch/mi) and population densities (number/acre) of walleye Sander vitreus (formerly Stizostedion vitreum) for adult population estimates and total population estimates to determine whether catchability was density dependent. Fyke-net catch rates were modeled as a nonlinear function of adult walleye density and of four size-classes of the adult population, and electrofishing catch rates were modeled as a nonlinear function of adult and total walleye density and four size-classes of the adult and total populations. The results showed nonlinear relationships between catch rate and density for the adult and total populations. We accounted for measurement errors in catch rates and densities by estimating bias-corrected slopes by means of Monte Carlo simulations and estimated measurement-error ratios by means of an errors-in-variables model. We found that the bias-corrected slopes were highe...