12 History of Fish Management 



catostomids (bu£Falo fishes, carpsuckers, etc.), carp and other large 

 cyprinids, and drum, and the forage fish, usually gizzard shad. (4) An 

 increase in the harvest of hook-and-line fish. This was done through 

 year-around open seasons, by heated fishing docks, the creation of tem- 

 perature gradients, installation of brush piles, and by other means of 

 attracting and holding fish in concentrations where fishermen could 

 harvest them in the most efficient manner possible. (5) Piihlicitij so that 

 the public would know ''where to go and when" to catch fish. Newspaper 

 stories of catches stimulated interest and induced fishermen to go fishing, 

 but newspapers should also furnish information on where fishes are 

 being caught. 



Reducing Undesirable Populations. In the management of large res- 

 ervoirs, our greatest progress will probably come with the development 

 of more efficient methods for the reduction of undesirable populations. 



Recently, fishery management in water-supply reservoirs received a 

 great stimulus through the granting by the Public Health Departments 

 of some states, of permission to use rotenone for the control of unde- 

 sirable fish in these reservoirs. The Public Health Department of the State 

 of Oklahoma prior to 1954 permitted the use of rotenone to kill gizzard 

 shad in a water-supply reservoir. Other states soon followed this lead 

 (Illinois in 1956) until many states now sanction the use of rotenone 

 for the removal of excessive populations of gizzard shad by partial 

 poisoning, or for the poisoning of all fish in a reservoir with subsequent 

 restocking of new populations of selected species. 



In no case has the use of rotenone or the presence of dead fish for 

 the short period before they are picked up and hauled away from the 

 lake had any noticeable effect upon the water supply after it had been 

 filtered and chlorinated. In many water-supply reservoirs where the 

 rooting of rough fish had kept the water continuously muddy, the com- 

 plete poisoning of these fish with rotenone stopped all mud-stirring 

 activity and greatly reduced the task of water treatment because of the 

 much-reduced problem of filtering-out suspended silt. Water-supply reser- 

 voirs, renovated and restocked with desirable fish, regained all of their 

 former recreational values— fishing, swimming, boating, and aesthetics. 



WHAT IS IN THE FUTURE? 



The farm pond, originally used chiefly for livestock, has demonstrated 

 its potential for recreation. Anglers have been quick to appreciate the 

 excellent fishing from properly managed ponds, and some farmers have 

 channeled this interest to supplement the farm income. Furthermore, local 

 sportsmen or sportsmen's organizations are ready to pay well for outdoor 

 recreation directly associated with these ponds. Thus, the pond-building 



