CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Vessel, gear, and methods 1 



Fishing effort 3 



Species composition of trawl catches 4 



Discussion by basin 5 



Western Basin 5 



Central Basin 8 



Eastern Basin 9 



Discussion by species 11 



Yellow perch 11 



Rainbow smelt 11 



Ale wife 12 



Freshwater drum 12 



Carp 12 



Gizzard shad 12 



Miscellaneous species 12 



Summary and conclusions 12 



Literature cited 13 



Figures 



1. The Great Lakes RV Kaho of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries Branch of Exploratory 



Fishing and Gear Research 2 



2. Fishing sites occupied by RV Kaho during 1962 Lake Erie explorations (Cruises 2 and 4) . . . 3 



3. Fishing sites occupied by RV Kaho during 1963 and 1966 Lake Erie explorations (Cruises 11 and 



36) 3 



4. Map of Lake Erie showing basins and geographic locations mentioned throughout text 4 



5. Percentage species composition of alewife, smelt, and yellow perch in exploratory trawl catches 



by basin and year in Lake Erie 5 



6. Species composition of exploratory trawl catches by year in Lake Erie 5 



7. Typical mixed catch of Lake Erie fish from the western basin; catch was dominated by carp, 



sheepshead, yellow perch, and alewife 8 



8. Typical catch offish from the central basin of Lake Erie, consisting of nearly equal amounts of 



yellow perch, smelt, and alewife 10 



9. Typical catch offish from the eastern basin of Lake Erie. Catch was composed of about 75% 



smelt and 25% alewife 



Table 



1. Species composition of 245 trawl catches by RV Kaho in Lake Erie, 1962-66 



Appendix Tables 



1 . RV Kaho fishing log — trawl stations in the Western Basin of Lake Erie 14 



RV Kaho fishing log — trawl stations in the Central Basin of Lake Erie 15 



3. RV Kaho fishing log — trawl stations in the Eastern Basin of Lake Erie 17 



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