198 Fishing and Natural Mortality 



only means (except through natural predators) of reducing competition 

 among species. 



Originally the scope of operation of the angler and commercial fisher- 

 man overlapped: They both took any and all species on the basis of 

 relative abundance and their ability to capture them. However, gradually 

 the angler was able to restrict the commercial fisherman to "rough" species 

 (carp, buffalos and catfish), while reserving for himself all of the "fine" 

 fish ( crappies, bluegills, white bass, etc. ) and game fish ( largemouth bass, 

 northern pike, pickerel and often walleye ) . These restrictions on the com- 

 mercial fisherman did not benefit the angler, for the quality of the fishing 

 became worse. 



In the 1930's an interesting relationship existed between anglers, com- 

 mercial fishermen, and natural fish predators at Reelfoot Lake (14,500 

 acres, Tennessee). Here anglers made an average catch of 0.89 pound of 

 fish per hour. Largemouth bass averaged 1.91 pound each, crappies 0.70 

 pound, sunfish 0.37 pound, and catfish 2.39 pounds. ^^ The total anglers' 

 yield in 1936 was 22,124 pounds. At the same time, commercial fishermen 

 were taking 529,093 pounds plus an additional estimated 95,000 pounds 

 of small fish killed in netting operations.^^ Commercial fishermen were 

 not restricted to any species, i.e., they were taking the same kinds of 

 fishes as the sport fishermen. More obvious fish predators on Reelfoot 

 Lake were 4000 egrets, 1500 cormorants, and 500 Ward's herons, plus 

 smaller numbers of 7 other species of fish-eating birds. These birds were 

 taking more than 400,000 pounds of fish of kinds and sizes related to their 

 availability. The total of fish taken by birds, commercial fishermen, and 

 anglers in 1937 was 1,046,133 pounds or about 72 pounds per acre. On 

 the basis of rate of catch for angling and sizes of fish taken, the fishing in 

 1937 was excellent. 



However, soon after this, Tennessee began restricting commercial fish- 

 ing. First, the state prohibited the commercial fishing of largemouth bass, 

 then regulations on other species became increasingly restrictive until in 

 1955 commercial fishing was abolished.'"*^ 



During the period 1937 to 1958, as small fish were given more protection 

 in Tennessee, the growth rate for bluegills and other centrarchids at 

 Reelfoot Lake decreased. By 1953, anglers had increased almost 100-fold, 

 yet they were catching only about 21 pounds of fish per acre.^^ However, 

 had they been taking as many pounds per fisherman as in 1937, their 

 catch would have approached 153 pounds per acre. The commercial 

 fishing yield in 1953 was 21 pounds per acre instead of the 1937 yield 

 of about 36.5 pounds per acre. No report is available on numbers of fish- 

 eating birds on the lake in 1953, but since the number of fishermen in- 

 creased 100-fold, it is doubtful that cormorants, egrets, and herons were 



