The private/rental boat - ocean 3 mile or less mode-area combination accounted for the 

 largest proportion (40 percent) of the catch in 1986. Approximately 71 percent of the total 

 number of fish was taken by anglers in the private/rental boat mode. Fourteen percent of the 

 total number of fish was taken in the ocean greater than 3 miles from shore. 



Average catch rates increased in 1986 from the 1985 rates for all modes. The 

 private/ rental boat mode had the highest catch rate (14.5 fish/ trip). The shore mode had the 

 lowest catch rate (4.0 fish/trip). 



An estimated 2.2 million residents of the Gulf coast States participated in marine 

 recreational fishing during I 986. Over 8 percent of the households contacted in the telephone 

 survey reported marine fishing activity in all waves of 1986. 



Spotted seatrout and red drum were the most highly sought species in 1986 as in 1983- 

 1985. These two species represented 34 percent of the responses to species sought. As in the 

 South Atlantic, the diversity of species sought was much higher than the North Atlantic and 

 Mid-Atlantic subregions. 



The coefficient of variation for the total number of fish caught was 3 percent in 1986. 

 The actual total catch in number of fish was between 122.8 and 140.9 million fish at 95 

 percent confidence level. 



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