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<br />. <br /> <br />DISCUSSION <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Catch Per Unit Effort <br />During the six years of the removal effort for northern pike, electro fishing and trammel <br /> <br />netting catch rates decreased; fyke netting catch rates have varied, but essentially decreased over <br /> <br /> <br />the years (Table 1). This is true also for northern pike catch rates during other projects in the <br /> <br /> <br />middle Green River, such as the Colorado pikeminnow abundance estimates and smallmouth <br /> <br /> <br />bass removal (Table 3). Among all gear types, electrofishing was the most efficient gear type <br /> <br /> <br />throughout the entire study, although trammel netting was efficient at capturing northern pike in <br /> <br /> <br />most years when used in conjunction with electro fishing (Table 1). <br /> <br /> <br />In comparison with catch rates in parts of the basin with established pike populations <br /> <br />(i.e., the Yampa River), catch rates in the middle Green River are low and effort is considered to <br /> <br />be at a preventative level (i.e., with minimal effort we are removing a similar number of northern <br /> <br /> <br />pike each year and preventing the establishment of a reproducing northern pike population). <br /> <br /> <br />Specific efforts to control northern pike in the middle Green River have decreased from 2001 <br /> <br /> <br />(19.1 electrofishing hours; 421 fyke net nights; and 37.7 trammel netting hours) to 2006 (3.3 <br /> <br /> <br />electrofishing hours; 52 fyke net nights; and 2 trammel netting hours). <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Factors Affecting Catch Rates <br /> <br />Because this was a six -year study period, many things changed over the years that may <br /> <br />have influenced these catch rates (besides a decrease in the number of northern pike in this <br /> <br />reach): flows, net placement, equipment issues, and crew turnover. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />22 <br /> <br />. <br />