Effect of Bag Limits on Angler Harvest, Catch Rates, and Satisfaction at Put‐and‐Take Community Pond Fisheries

Abstract

Community pond fisheries are valuable recreational resources for anglers because of their ease of access and often‐regular stocking frequency. Effective management of these fisheries requires an understanding of how bag limits, stocking frequency, stocking density, and angler effort affect angler satisfaction and catch rates. We released tagged, catchable‐sized Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss and conducted creel surveys at Idaho ponds with either two‐ or six‐trout daily bag limits (hereafter, “two‐trout ponds” and “six‐trout ponds”) to evaluate whether the bag limit affected catch rates between stocking events. Angler catch rates averaged 0.53 fish/h at two‐trout ponds and 0.76 fish/h at six‐trout ponds. Catch rates declined in the days after trout stocking but did so at similar rates in ponds with different bag limits. Catch rates were negatively affected by air temperatures throughout the study. Fifty‐four percent of anglers reported being somewhat satisfied or very satisfied with their fishing experience at two‐trout ponds compared to 64% of anglers at six‐trout ponds. This measure of satisfaction was positively related to an individual's catch rates. Despite the threefold difference in daily bag limits, 57% of anglers harvested two or fewer fish at six‐trout ponds. Angler‐reported tags indicated that stocked trout remained at large longer (mean = 29 d) in two‐trout ponds compared to six‐trout ponds (mean = 17 d). Tag returns suggested that on average, total use (harvested trout plus caught‐and‐released trout) was much higher at six‐trout ponds (57%) compared to two‐trout ponds (34%). Although the recruitment potential and accessibility of community ponds are well known, our results suggest that catch‐related outcomes of community pond management are a complex result of environmental factors, fisheries regulations, and fish stocking variables.