Hoop Nets Giving Commission a Quality Read
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
8 November 2011
By Bob Frye
Cheese logs aren't just for Christmas parties, it seems.
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission biologists used 5-pound logs
to bait hoop nets set in Pittsburgh's three rivers in late
September in an attempt to catch channel catfish and flatheads.
It was part of a new survey technique, used here for the first
time ever, aimed at figuring out just what type of cats live in
the rivers and in what sizes.
That's never been documented in great detail before. That's
because traditional electrofishing, in which biologists send a
minimal electric current into the water that stuns fish long
enough for them to be netted, measured, weighed and released, just
doesn't work well on catfish, said Bob Ventorini, three rivers
biologist for the commission.
They seem to be able to sense electric currents quicker than other
fish, and so avoid them. Even when they do get shocked, they're
less likely to float to the surface where they can be netted, he
said.
Hoop net sets — which the commission learned about after fisheries
manager Rick Lorson attended a catfish conference in the Midwest —
are essentially a series of three hoop nets connected. They're
baited and left in the water for several days.
Locally, four sets each were placed in the Ohio River near
Dashields Dam, in the Monongahela near the Maxwell Lock and Dam
and in the Allegheny near the tailwaters of Lock 5 near Freeport.
"I think our catch rates turned out to very good," Ventorini said.
The commission considers channel catfish to be of quality size
once they're 16 inches or longer. The Monongahela gave up 0.33
fish per hour meeting that standard, while the Allegheny gave up
0.3 per hour. The Ohio river produced 0.11 big channel cats per
hour.
When it comes to flatheads, the commission's standard for a
quality fish is one 20 inches or longer. The Ohio led the way in
that category, giving up 0.07 fish per hour, followed by the
Monongahela at 0.05 per hour. The Allegheny was way behind, giving
up just one flathead overall, or 0.004 per hour.
Overall, that means there's some pretty good fishing to be had,
Ventorini said.
"Although these data are preliminary, they indicate the size of
catfish that are available to anglers targeting catfish on the
Three Rivers," Ventorini said.
The situation with flatheads in particular looks good, he added,
which should please fishermen. Though the current state record is
a 48-pound, 6-ounce fish from Blue Marsh Spillway in Bucks County,
"the goal of nearly every angler I talk to fishing for flatheads
on the Three Rivers is to bring the record 'back home,' " he said.
If there's a record out there, the commission may find out. It
plans to keep using hoop nets on the local rivers, Ventorini said.
"In recent years, overall interest in angling for catfish has been
on an increasing trend in Pennsylvania, and we want to maximize
quality fishing opportunities with new catfish management
strategies," Ventorini said.
Hoop expansion
Hoop nets are not being used just in rivers.
Fish and Boat Commission biologist Mike Depew experimented with
using them on Lake Somerset this year, as well. The idea is to see
if they might help to monitor catfish populations on impoundments.
That's noteworthy, because the commission — largely through Area 8
fisheries manager Rick Lorson, based in Somerset — has drafted a
new strategic plan for managing channel cats. It aims to provide
good fishing for the growing number of anglers targeting the
species, officials said.
Bob Frye can be reached at bfrye@tribweb.com or 724-838-5148.