| Abstract: | Legal-sized trout stocked in spring in three lakes in Wisconsin U.S.A. provided a short-term, popular, sport fishery. Frequently, half or more of the stocked fish were caught in the first month of the Fishing season, and few were caught thereafter. Separate estimates of the percentage of numbers (and weight) returned in the first month of the fishing season were 46 (47), 73 (76), 62 (113), and 31 (22) for rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and 64 (81) for brook trout (Salvelinus foutinalis). Most anglers interviewed at two of the lakes were fishing primarily for trout, including in one case 95% of the anglers interviewed over the 9-month season, even though the trout fishery persisted for less than 2 months. Fishing pressure also was highest at the opening of the angling season and declined exponentially thereafter. Of an estimated total of 7,906 angler-hours in one lake, 67% occurred in the first month of the season and 79% in the first 2 months. Because the trout were harvested rapidly, relatively little of the productive capacity of the lakes were channelled into production of trout flesh. Therefore, the stocked trout provided a put-and-take fishery at tittle expense to the existent warmwater fishery. |
