Micah Tindall

Hooking and delayed mortality rates are poorly documented for capture of alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) with standard sampling gears and fishing tackle. A recent study documented over 81% hooking mortality for alligator gar captured from Lake Texoma, Oklahoma, using overnight jugline sets with treble hooks. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission uses active-set juglines rigged with 3-prong treble hooks to conduct alligator gar population assessments. We evaluated hooking and delayed capture mortality of alligator gar by using juglines set with either treble or circle hooks....

Tandem baited hoop nets (TBHN) are the most efficient gear used to evaluate channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) populations in reservoirs. However, sampling month and bait used in TBHN have varied among collections in Arkansas and in published studies. Understanding how catch rates and size structure might change by season or bait type will help inform standard sampling protocols used by management agencies. We evaluated catch rates, size structure, and turtle bycatch of TBHN in two lakes in eastern Arkansas (Lake Greenlee and Lake Des Arc) using Zote^TM soap and...