20 Years Later—A Comparison of Recreational Fishing Pressure and Catch Statistics at Cat Island, Mississippi
Roving-clerk creel surveys were conducted at Cat Island, Mississippi, during two three-year periods: 1977-1979 and 1997-1999. Angler interviews provided data of species caught with estimated weight and number, as well as duration of fishing activity. Periodic aerial counts of fishermen provided further estimates of total fishing activity. Fishing pressure increased significantly (P ? 0.05) during the 20-year study interval in numbers of fishermen and total hours fished. Greatest fishing activity occurred on weekends during both study periods with the greatest fishing pressure from March-...
