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Angler Catch and Harvest of Northern Pike in Northern Wisconsin Lakes
Author(s) -
Margenau Terry L.,
Gilbert Stephen J.,
Hatzenbeler Gene R.
Publication year - 2003
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(2003)023<0307:acahon>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - pike , fishing , esox , fishery , environmental science , geography , fish <actinopterygii> , biology
We used creel surveys from 55 northern Wisconsin lakes during the period 1990–1999 to characterize the sport fishery for northern pike Esox lucius . The northern pike daily creel limit on all lakes was five fish of any size (no length limit). Creel surveys were conducted both during the open‐water and ice fishing seasons. Directed effort (anglers specifically fishing for a certain species) for northern pike was 5.5 h/acre for open‐water fishing and 3.9 h/acre for ice fishing. A greater percentage of all anglers directed effort toward northern pike during ice fishing (mean, 31%) than toward open‐water fishing (mean, 11.9%). Directed catch rates for northern pike were highest during the open‐water fishery. Open‐water directed catch rates averaged 0.31 fish/h, compared with 0.20 fish/h for ice anglers. However, releases of living northern pike exceeded 80% during the open‐water fishery but were less than 50% during the ice fishery, resulting in higher harvest rates for ice fishing. Ice fishing harvest rates for northern pike averaged 0.11 fish/h, compared with 0.06 fish/h for open‐water fishing. Most northern pike harvested during both fisheries were 18.0–23.9 in (total length). The ice fishery harvested a greater proportion of northern pike 24.0–27.9 in, but the harvest of large northern pike (≥28.0 in) was similar in both fisheries. Angling pressure for northern pike did not increase during the 1990s in a subsample of seven lakes where creel surveys were conducted two times between 1990 and 1999. However, catch rates in these seven lakes nearly doubled from 0.20 to 0.37 fish/h, largely the result of increases from open‐water angling.