662 



Fishery Bulletin 101(3) 



MRFSS 1996 samples 



Bluefish 



Observed 



Lognormal 

 Poisson 

 Neg binomial 



t - »m , , . 



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 



Catch number per trip (Including zero catches) 



Rgure 5 



Observed and expected catch number per trip (including 

 zero catches) frequency distributions for bluefish, summer 

 flounder, Atlantic cod, scup, and all species, Maine to the 

 Florida east coast. The 15 and 50 fish intervals are "plus 

 groups" because they include totals for larger intervals. 



1 2 3 4 5 6 7 e 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 



Catch number per trip (positive catches only) 



Figure 6 



Observed and expected catch number per trip (positive 

 catches only) frequency distributions for bluefish, summer 

 flounder, Atlantic cod, scup, and all species, Maine to the 

 Florida east coast. The 15 and 50 fish intervals are "plus 

 groups" because they include totals for larger intervals. 



included) for bluefish, summer flounder, Atlantic cod, scup, 

 and for all species. Annual indices of stock abundance were 

 developed from these MRFSS catch rate data following pro- 

 cedures in previous Atlantic coast bluefish and summer 

 flounder stock assessments (Terceiro'; NEFSC'; Gibson and 

 Lazar'). Standardized indices were calculated by applying 

 lognormal, Poisson, negative binomial, delta-lognormal, 

 and delta-Poisson models, using the main effects classifica- 

 tion variables determined in these stock assessments to be 

 statistically significant factors: year, fishing mode (shore, 

 private or rental boat, party or charter boat), state of land- 



ing (Maine to Florida), fishing wave (two-month sampling 

 period, e.g. Jan-Feb), fishing area (>3 miles from shore, 

 s 3 miles from shore), and daysl2, the angler-reported days 

 of saltwater fishing during the previous 12 months ( a proxy 

 for angler avidity, experience, or skill, or a proxy for all 

 three characteristics). The retransformed, bias-corrected 

 (when necessary) year coefficients serve as the annual 

 indices of stock abundance. Calculation and evaluation of 

 the MRFSS standardized indices followed the general pro- 

 cedures described in the "Overview of statistical methods" 

 in the "Materials and methods" section. 



