between the two seasons. The average 

 weight by sex (2.3 pounds for males and 

 3.6 pounds for females) showed no signifi- 

 cant difference between the two seasons. 

 The smallest fish appearing in the catch 

 were 2-year-old males which averaged 

 11.2 inches in fork length (range 10.7-11.8) 

 and 0.8 pounds in weight (range 0.7-0.9). 

 The largest fish appearing in the catch 

 were 7-year-old females which averaged 

 19.8 inches in fork length (range 17.8-21.2) 

 and 4.6 pounds in weight (range 3.8-6.1). 



graph, figure 3. The catch decreased 

 from 35,600 in 1944 to a low of 12,400 

 in 1950. Between 1951 and 1956 the catch 

 fluctuated from 13,400 to 19,900. The peak 

 catch of 35,600 in 1944 was associated 

 with increased fishing effort since the 

 state-controlled area data shows 18,913 

 total hours fished during that year com- 

 pared to 8,033 hours fished in 1943 and 

 10,103 in 1945. Both 1957 and 1958 pro- 

 duced high catches, reaching a peak of 

 38,570 in 1958. 



ESTIMATED SPORT CATCH, 1941-56 



X 



m 



Catch data for the state -controlled ^ 



o 



area were made available by the Con- g '° 

 necticut State Board of Fisheries and Game j 

 for each year since 1941. Fishermen using o 

 this area are required to purchase a ^ 

 permit for each day's fishing from the i 

 custodian of the area. At the end of the < ,0 

 day's fishing trip, the permits are returned 

 and the custodian checks and records each 

 catch. Records are collected by the same ° 

 personnel and in the same manner each 

 year. During the 2-year creel census, 

 catches for the area were copied from 

 the custodian's logbook. 



The state -controlled area catch to- 

 gether with the 1957 and 1958 creel census 

 results were used to calculate total sport 

 catch from 1941 through 1956 using the 

 method of ratio estimate described by 

 Cochran (Snedecor 1956). In this study, 

 the ratio estimate (R) is the weighted 

 mean of the ratio of the known catch at 

 the state -controlled area (Y) and the esti- 

 mated total catch of the Connecticut River 

 sport fishery (X). Using the 1957 and 

 1958 data, the following value was obtained: 



rY _ 9.348 + 10,585 

 rX 34,310 + 38,570 



0.2735 



which indicates that an average of 27.35 

 percent of the total catch was made at 

 the state -controlled area. Ninety -five per- 

 cent confidence limits on the ratio esti- 

 mate were tO. 0000122. The ratio between 

 the catch at a state-controlled area and 

 the total catch was relatively constant 

 for the 2 years sannpled: 0,2724 in 1957 

 and 0.2744 in 1958. 



The estimated sport catch for years 

 1941-56, using the ratio estimate 0.2735, 

 was determined as shown in table 8 and 



Figure 3.- -Estimated total sfX'rt catcli, Connecticut River, 

 1941-58. 



On the basis of the following data, 

 it is assumed that no change occurred 

 in conditions which would affect the ratio 

 between the catch at a state -controlled 

 area and the total catch for years 1941 

 to 1956. The 1950 creel census by the 

 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Massa- 

 chusetts waters revealed that the catch 

 was 2,927 shad, which represents approxi- 

 mately 24 percent of the calculated total 

 catch by ratio estimate for the same 

 year. This compares very closely with 

 the 1957 and 1958 results in which 27 

 and 28 percent, respectively, of the esti- 

 mated catch was made in Massachusetts. 

 In 1956 it was estimated by the Connecticut 

 State Board of Fisheries and Game that 

 the number of shad caught by sport fisher- 

 men in Connecticut waters was 18,823, 

 This represents approximately 94 percent 

 of the estimated total catch by ratio esti- 

 n-iate for the samie year and is comparable 

 to the 1957 and 1958 findings. Additional 

 evidence is shown by the consistency of 

 the between-area catch ratios in 1957 

 and 1958 (tables 2 and 3), From the data 

 available it appears that the between-area 

 catch ratio has remained relatively con- 

 stant. 



10 



