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Effectiveness of Liberalized Bag Limits as Management Tools for Altering Northern Pike Population Size Structure
Author(s) -
Goeman Timothy J.,
Spencer Paul D.,
Pierce Rodney B.
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1577/1548-8675(1993)013<0621:eolbla>2.3.co;2
Subject(s) - pike , netting , esox , fishery , population , hectare , geography , trap (plumbing) , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , biology , business , demography , sociology , finance , meteorology , agriculture
Management efforts to restructure populations of northern pike Esox lucius consisting of small (<60 cm total length), abundant individuals in small (<200 hectares) Minnesota lakes has focused on removal by trap‐netting and promoting angler harvest through liberalized bag limits. Removal by intensive trap‐netting was demonstrated to be ineffective in altering northern pike population size structure, and anglers harvested substantially fewer fish than were removed by trap‐netting. Unless more anglers begin harvesting more small northern pike, liberalized bag limits hold little promise as a management tool for altering northern pike population size structure in small Minnesota lakes.