Effects of Stocking Rate, Stocking Size, and Angler Catch Inequality on Exploitation of Stocked Channel Catfish in Small Missouri Impoundments

Abstract

Abstract Put–grow–take fisheries for channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus provide popular sport fisheries in many small impoundments and lakes throughout the United States. These fisheries are costly to maintain because the fish that are stocked are usually large fingerlings (>175 mm total length). Given the substantial fiscal and human resources required, it is important that these stockings contribute to the fishery. We estimated the exploitation of stocked channel catfish by tagging fish in 14 small impoundments to determine their use. Secondly, we determined whether the stocking rate, stocking size, and angler catch inequality (proportion of tags returned) affected exploitation. Annual exploitation varied more than 10-fold among the impoundments, ranging from 0 to 0.65 for the year after the fall stockings and usually declining thereafter. Cumulative exploitation in the 3 years after stocking ranged from 0 to 0.69, indicating that there is wide variation in the use of the stocked fish. Exploitation was...