Sport-Fisheries Trends Shown by an Annual Minnesota Fishing Contest over a 58-Year Period

Abstract

Since 1915, Fuller's Tackle Shop at Park Rapids in Minnesota's northwestern lake region has sponsored an annual fishing contest. Contest records were available for 113,845 entries of 10 fish species from 1930 to 1987. Under increased exploitation, declining trends in number of large-size entries and mean weight of total entries indicated the development of less desirable size structure for most sport-fish species. The number of entries of muskellunge Esox masquinongy abruptly declined after the 1930s. Stocking and size restrictions have not restored a trophy muskellunge fishery. Under increased exploitation, entries of large northern pike Esox lucius have declined gradually since 1948. Numbers of large walleyes Stizostedion vitreum and largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides peaked in 1972 and 1977, respectively, and have since declined. Mean weights of bluegills Lepomis macrochirus and black crappies Pomoxis nigromaculatus have declined since the early 1950s. Large black crappies (≥ 1.75 lb) and bluegills (≥ 1.25 lb) nearly disappeared in the 1980s. Increased entries of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and brown trout Salmo trutta reflect successful management efforts for these species.