8083

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8083
• Author: Gerhardt, D. R. and W. A. Hubert
• Title: Effect of Cheese Bait on Seasonal Catches of Channel Catfish in Hoop Nets
• USFW Year: 1989
• USFW - Doc Type: North American Journal of Fisheries Management
• Copyright Material: YES

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North American Journal oj Fisheries Management 9:377-379, 1989

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Effect of Cheese Bait on Seasonal Catches of
Channel Catfish in Hoop Nets

DAVID R. GERHARDT AND WAYNE A. HUBERT

u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service
Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit'
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming 82071, USA

Abstract. - The influence of cheese bait on hoop-net
catches of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus was as-
sessed in the Powder River system,Wyoming-Montana,
in 1987. The bait did not affect the catch during the
spawning period (June 4-30) but doubled it during the
postspawning period (July I-August 15).

I

Hoop nets are commonly used by commercial
fishermen to harvest channel catfish Ictalurus
punctatus (Carter 1954; Starrett and Barnickol
1955), and they are often used by fishery biologists
to sample this species in river systems (Harrison
1954; Funk 1957; Mayhew 1972). Other investi-
gators have described the physical factors that in-
fluence hoop-net catches of channel catfish (Mun-
cy 1957; Hubert and Schmitt 1982). Pierce et a1.
(1981) evaluated the use of bait to attract channel
catfish into hoop nets, and Mayhew (1972) showed
that cheese bait increased catch rate. We know of
no assessments of the seasonal variation in effec-
tiveness of cheese bait on catch rates of channel
catfish.

We studied the influence of cheese bait on hoop-
net catches of channel catfish in the Powder River
system, Wyoming-Montana, during the spawning
and postspawning periods. Our observations could
help commercial fishermen and fishery biologists

L The Unit is jointly supported by the University of
Wyoming, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department,
and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

to determine when the cost and effort required to
use cheese bait are repaid by increased catches of
channel catfish in hoop nets.
The Powder River originates near the town of
Kaycee in northeastern Wyoming and flows north-
ward into southeastern Montana, where it joins
the Yellowstone River. It is a low-gradient, shal-
low, braided river with poorly developed riparian
areas and has unstable, shifting silt-sand sub-
strates. Hoop nets were set at four locations in the
Powder River system: 16 km downstream from
the Wyoming-Montana state line (six nets); 3 km
upstream from the mouth of Clear Creek (four
nets); 2 km upstream from the mouth of Crazy
Woman Creek (six nets); and in Clear Creek, 0.5
km upstream from its confluence with the Powder
River (two nets). The sites on the Powder River
had channel widths of 50-150 m; the site on Clear
Creek was 50 m wide. Hoop nets were set at depths
of 1-2 m, typically deeper than the average chan-
nel depth, where the substrate was relatively sta-
ble.
The circular wooden net frames consisted of
seven hoops. The open end was 76 cm in diameter;
a square throat was attached to the second hoop,
and a finger throat to the fourth hoop. The net
mesh was 5 cm (bar measure) at the open end and
decreased to 2.5 cm at the cod end. Nets were
anchored in the channel and allowed to drift in
the current at the end of 5-10 m of rope tied to
the cod end.
Half of the hoop nets at each site were baited
with rancid cheese and the other half were un-
baited; nets were set at least 20 m apart. Alternate
nets at each site were baited, and the sequence was
reversed each time the nets were fUn (at 2-3 d
intervals). The cheese was kept in nylon-mesh bags