Effects of capture depth on walleye hooking mortality during ice fishing

Lyon CA, Davis JL, Fincel MJ, Chipps SR. 2022. Effects of capture depth on walleye hooking mortality during ice fishing. Lake Reserv Manage. 38:334-340. Length-based regulations are a common tool used to limit fishing mortality by controlling the size of fish harvested. While such regulations are he...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inLake and reservoir management Vol. 38; no. 4; pp. 334 - 340
Main Authors Lyon, Cade A., Davis, Jacob L., Fincel, Mark J., Chipps, Steve R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Madison Taylor & Francis 02.10.2022
Taylor & Francis Books Inc
Subjects
Angling
Animal population
Carnivorous animals
Depth
Fish
Fish harvest
Fish populations
Fisheries
Fishing
Fishing mortality
Freshwater fishes
Hooking mortality
Ice
Ice fishing
Lake ice
Lakes
Marine fishes
Mortality
Probability theory
Recreation
Regulations
Sander vitreus
South Dakota
Sport fishing
walleye
Water depth
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Summary:Lyon CA, Davis JL, Fincel MJ, Chipps SR. 2022. Effects of capture depth on walleye hooking mortality during ice fishing. Lake Reserv Manage. 38:334-340. Length-based regulations are a common tool used to limit fishing mortality by controlling the size of fish harvested. While such regulations are helpful in managing fish populations, mortality associated with catch-and-release fishing may negatively impact a fishery. We evaluated factors affecting hooking mortality of walleye (Sander vitreus) in 2 mainstem Missouri River reservoirs in South Dakota. Winter walleye hooking mortality was evaluated during the ice fishing season in February and March 2020. After capture, walleye (n = 55) were placed into holding pens for 12 to 72 h to monitor postrelease mortality. Hooking mortality was found to be 20% following angling. Capture depth, landing time, and time in pen were the most influential variables on probability of hooking mortality (p m ). We observed a sharp increase in p m for walleye captured at depths from 10 to 12 m, where the probability of mortality for fish increased appreciably from 5 to 37%, respectively. Our findings indicate that hooking mortality during the ice fishing season can be substantial in lakes where walleye angling occurs at depths greater than 10 m.
ISSN:1040-2381
2151-5530
DOI:10.1080/10402381.2022.2130118