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Comparison of Slat Traps, Wire Cages, and Various Baits for Commercial Harvest of Catfish
Author(s) -
Perry W. Guthrie,
Williams Arthur
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
north american journal of fisheries management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.587
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1548-8675
pISSN - 0275-5947
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8659(1987)7<283:costwc>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - ictalurus , catfish , wire mesh , trap (plumbing) , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , zoology , environmental science , materials science , environmental engineering , composite material
Slat traps and wire cages fished for 2,414 trap‐days in southwest Louisiana between February 8, 1984, and March 11, 1985, yielded 3,218 lb of catfish. Wire cages were most effective, catching 71% of the total. Only 24% of the channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus taken in wire cages were greater than the legal size restriction of 11.0 in total length. By comparison, 55% of the catfish caught in the slat traps were legal size. Cages caught an average of 2.0 lb of catfish per trap‐day; slat traps caught 0.7 lb/trap‐day. Both gears were highly selective for channel catfish, even though blue catfish Ictalurus furcatus was the dominant catfish species present in those waters. Cheese bait accounted for 46% of the channel catfish harvested in wire traps and 60% of the fish caught in slat traps. Soybean chips used as bait in wire cages and slat traps yielded 28 and 33% of the total catch, respectively. Game fish catches in cages were minimal.