Willis D. Hanson

An estimate of the total recreational use of the Thomas Hill Wildlife Area (1,778 ha reservoir and 2,424 ha of adjoining lands) in northern Missouri was made from I July 1972 to 30 June 1974. Recreational activity was determined by interviewing departing recreationists utilizing the non-uniform probability sampling technique. There were an estimated 219,700 recreational trips totaling 1,398,900 hours during the 2-year study. Twenty-two recreational activities were measured. Seven recreational uses; sightseeing, boating, fishing, camping, swimming, picnicking, and hunting accounted for over...

The tailwater fisheries of Lake of the Ozarks and Pomme de Terre Lake were measured by a part-time roving creel survey from 1965 through 1974. Catch rates of fishes were compared with temperature, conductivity and dissolved oxygen, but no significant correlations were found. However, high positive correlations existed at Lake of the Ozarks tailwater between annual average catch rates and the annual average discharge of water, and also between preceding mean monthly discharges and following monthly catch rates. There was also a high positive correlation between estimated number of fishes...

Lake of the Ozarks, a 60,000 acre reservoir built in 1931 by the Union Electric Company in west-central Missouri, was chosen for an introduction of striped bass since it offered the best chance for establishing a naturally perpetuating fishery in Missouri. Fingerling striped bass were reared and stocked each year from 1967 to 1974 with the exception of1972. The effects of these introductions upon the existing fishery were monitored by a creel census conducted from March to November, 1967-1973. Fishing pressure in the two census areas ofthe lake ranged from 35.5 to 63. 7 hours per acre...

Thomas Hill Reservoir, built by the Associated Electric Cooperative, is located in north central Missouri in a soft coal strip-mine area. Its waters provide cooling for a steam-powered electric generating plant. Fishing pressure averaged 18.2 hours per acre per year during the study. There was a yearly average of 4.9 fishing trips per acre. Anglers averaged 3.9 fish per trip. The average yearly harvest was 21.7 fish, or 13.5 pounds per acre. About 37 percent of all fish caught were taken in the warm-water discharge area mostly during winter. The relationships between angler use, angler...

Black bass fishing in the White River Arm of Bull Shoals Reservoir, Missouri, was regarded as sensational for several years following its impoundment in 1952. In 1958, just after a tagging program was added to test netting and creel census programs, an unpredicted decline in black bass fishing began. Only largemouth bass nine inches or longer were tagged so population estimates include only that portion of the population. In 1958, black bass numbers reached an all-time high, but late that year the population began a decline which continued throughout the study. The average length of...