Variations in the Catch Success of Channel Catfish and Carp in Baited Hoop Nets

Baits were tested for their ability to attract channel catfish and carp into hoop nets. Treatments tested were cheese alone, soybean cake alone, cheese and soybean cake combined, and an unbaited control. A 4 x 4 Latin Square design was used for the experiment. The factors which influence catch success were assessed by the analysis of variance. Cheese bait was best for increasing the catch success of channel catfish; in nets containing soybean cake the increase was not statistically significant. There were significant differences in the catch success of channel catfish among netting sites and among locations of nets within each site. Most of this variation was attributed to the chumming power of cheese bait. Carp were attracted in significantly higher numbers to nets containing soybean bait, while cheese bait had little attraction. Variation in the monthly mean catch success of carp was highly significant