We review the peer‐reviewed literature regarding sampling of the three most commonly managed ictalurids: Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, and Flathead Catfish. For each species, we summarize what is known about data quality (accuracy and precision) and sampling efficiency of the most commonly used gears for surveying these species. We identify research needs and provide information to guide gear selection based on different sampling objectives. To rank gear‐specific sampling efficiency (catch/h and catch/person‐h), we report median catch rates and the interpolated 25th and 75th percentiles of published means. We also describe the accuracy of relative abundance and size‐related metrics for each gear. For Channel Catfish, tandem baited hoop nets provide the most efficient (11–24 fish/net/tandem set, 20–60 fish/person‐h) and accurate samples. Low‐frequency electrofishing provides the most efficient samples of Blue Catfish (23–373 fish/h, 2.1–11.3 fish/person‐h) and Flathead Catfish (19–62 fish/h, 2.1–2.5 fish/person‐h) and the most accurate samples of Blue Catfish. No accuracy studies exist for Flathead Catfish. Other gears examined for each species may also be useful for some sampling objectives; however, most are inefficient or lack accuracy.

It has been conjectured that reservoirs differ in the rate at which they manifest senescence, but no attempt has been made to find an indicator of senescence that performs better than chronological age. We assembled an indicator of functional age by creating a multimetric scale consisting of 10 metrics descriptive of reservoir environments that were expected to change directionally with reservoir senescence. In a sample of 1,022 U.S. reservoirs, chronological age was not correlated with functional age. Functional age was directly related to percentage of cultivated land in the catchment and inversely related to reservoir depth. Moreover, aspects of reservoir fishing quality and fish population characteristics were related to functional age. A multimetric scale to indicate reservoir functional age presents the possibility for management intervention from multiple angles. If a reservoir is functionally aging at an accelerated rate, action may be taken to remedy the conditions contributing most to functional age. Intervention to reduce scores of selected metrics in the scale can potentially reduce the rate of senescence and increase the life expectancy of the reservoir. This leads to the intriguing implication that steps can be taken to reduce functional age and actually make the reservoir grow younger.

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