Effi ciency of Baited Hoop Nets for Sampling Catfi sh in Southeastern U.S. Small Impoundments

—Many U.S. natural resource agencies stock catfi sh (Ictaluridae) into small impoundments to provide recreational fi shing opportunities. However, effective standardized methods for sampling catfi sh in small impoundments have not been developed for wide application, particularly in the southeastern United States. We evaluated the effi ciency of three bait treatments (i.e., soybean cake, sunfl ower cake, and no bait) of tandem hoop nets in two North Carolina small impoundments during the fall of 2008 and spring of 2009 in a factorial experimental design. The impoundments were stocked with catchable-size channel catfi sh Ictalurus punctatus at contrastingly low (5.5 fi sh/ha) and high (90.0 fi sh/ha) rates prior to our sampling. Nets baited with soybean cake consistently sampled more channel catfi sh than any other treatment. Channel catfi sh catch ranged as high as 3,251 fi sh per net series during the fall in nets baited with soybean cake in the intensively stocked impoundment and was up to 8.5 and 15.3 times higher during the fall than in the spring in each impoundment. Nets baited with soybean cake sampled signifi cantly (12 and 24 times) more channel catfi sh than those with no bait in the two impoundments. These trends did not occur among other catfi sh species. Nonictalurid fi sh and turtle catch was higher during spring compared to that of fall, corresponding with low channel catfi sh catches. Our results indicate that tandem hoop nets baited with soybean cake during the fall is a more effi cient method for sampling channel catfi sh compared to nets baited with sunfl ower cake or no bait in spring or fall. Our fi ndings validate this technique for application in southeastern U.S. small impoundments to assess catfi sh abundance to guide management and evaluate the success of catfi sh stocking programs. * Corresponding author: [email protected] 1 Present address: Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Black Hawk Fish Management District, Lake View, Iowa 51450, USA Introduction Catfi shes (Ictaluridae) are the second most sought after sport fi sh throughout the United States behind sunfi shes (Centrarchidae; USDIFWS et al. 2006). In 2006, approximately 7 million anglers fi shed for catfi shes and bullheads for an average of 14 d of the year. In 1998, 60% of North American fi sheries agencies considered catfi shes to be either moderately or highly important to anglers, with the highest importance to Midwestern or southern U.S. anglers (Michaletz and Dillard 1999). The rising popularity and demand for catfi sh fi sheries in the United States compels effective fi shery assessment and management to ensure sustainable quality angling opportunities. Despite their popularity among anglers, only 34 states manage specifi cally for catfi sh, and most of these efforts are directed toward channel catfi sh Ictalurus punctatus in small impoundments and involve some level of stocking (Michaletz and Dillard 1999). In 1998, 33 states reported that they conduct routine stocking of catfi sh with channel catfi sh most commonly stocked. Many of these stockings are to support put-and-take fi sheries, where catfi sh are stocked at a length that is readily available for harvest. In