Zack Brown

Current Trends in Catfish Sampling Techniques and Information Needs

Catfish managers and researchers were asked to participate in an online survey describing current information needs, sampling techniques, and known gear biases for projects during 2002-2006. One hundred eighty two responses were collected in a four-month period in early 2006. Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were the most targeted species, followed by flathead (Pylodictis olivaris) and blue (I. furcatus) catfish, respectively. A variety of methods were used to collect catfishes. Flathead and blue catfish were most often sampled by low-frequency electrofishing (30 Hz or less), whereas...