July, 1955 
rate of the nets with leads and that of the 
nets without leads was not great enough 
to be statistically significant. 
Data from the survey indicate that 
l-inch-mesh wing nets with leads were the 
most efficient entrapment gear used for 
crappies and bluegills. That small-mesh 
wing nets were effective during the sur- 
vey in taking sport fishes is shown in table 
5. With or without leads, 1-inch-mesh 
wing nets were effective in catching pred- 
STARRETT & BARNICKOL: COMMERCIAL FISHING DEVICES 
347 
The species composition of the 1944 
catches in the 1-inch-mesh wing nets 
(without leads) and that of the 114-inch- 
mesh wing nets were quite similar, fig. 
11 and table 5. The catch per net-day of 
the 114-inch-mesh nets, however, was less 
than that of the l-inch-mesh nets. The in- 
creased mesh size of one-half inch tended 
to reduce the take of small fish. 
The wing nets of 114-inch-mesh took, 
per net-day, fewer sport fishes of all sizes, 
Table 14.—Catches of entrapment devices used in fisheries survey of the Mississippi River 
between Caruthersville, Missouri, and Dubuque, Iowa, 1944 and 1946. For each device is given 
the percentage of the catch represented by each of the various classes of fish: commercial, 
sport, predatory, and forage. 
Oo © O on 
BeAKE a ZA + + 9 Ne + Ne) No 
le | s&s Es Ea | eh] eh] 2h] 3] eh] eh] & 
ES a le 5 le 5 lan Pale tg CRP Ulin. We > Se, eae ae ET 
Greor |= [ae \ebtieesiee |Se\ee|se|ee|sel\se| ae 
ee eget aD BD is 1 Oe: 1 | St 1 fa 1 5) 
Be see Slee sieesi/ Se |e (oe | es las la es 
| we let OO ple — 2 lel Ve Hs) — N A a 
ad |S az Sez 8laz5| Ss | Se | Se | Te | SE | SS | eS 
} — — 
Commercial. .| 84.9 | 61.0 | 52.3 | 38.6 | 35.2 | 66.5 | 94.8 | 97.3 | 81.6 | 98.8 | 98.81 95.6 
eres. | 0.0.) 36.2 | 26.8 53.4 | 404) 98.51} 24) 19)104) 04 0.8 |~ 4 
eswemmer | bs.) 2) 1298 8 137 3.7 |) O81 0.8 | 48 O45 OO: 20:0 
Forage...... MOO) Sa | 4.6.) 10-/7-) 1:9) .7°| 0.0 |--3:2 | oa so. alee 
ial... 100.0 |100.0 \100.0 \100.0 |\100.0 100.0 |100.0 |100.0 \100.0 \100.0 100.0 100.0 
ator and forage fishes, particularly gars 
and gizzard shads, table 5. 
In table 11 are listed, for each of nine 
species, the mean of the total lengths of 
individual fish and the size range of fish 
caught in 1944 in the 1-inch-mesh wing 
nets with leads and in similar nets with- 
out leads. The mean of the total lengths 
of black crappies caught in the nets with- 
out leads was slightly, but significantly, 
larger than that of black crappies caught 
in the nets with leads. With respect to 
each of the other species of fish, the dif- 
ference between the mean of the total 
lengths of fish caught in the nets with 
leads and that of fish caught in the nets 
without leads was not great enough to be 
statistically significant. 
Larger catches, per net-day, of carp- 
suckers were made with the small-mesh 
nets than with any of the other entrap- 
ment devices tested. The species of carp- 
suckers were considered together because 
of difficulty in separating them in the field. 
Most 114-inch-mesh wing nets used in 
test-netting were fished without leads. 
table 5, significantly fewer crappies of 
usable sizes, and significantly fewer chan- 
nel catfish of commercial sizes, but sig- 
nificantly more carp and flathead catfish 
of commercial sizes, than did the nets of 
l-inch mesh, table 12. The numbers of 
bigmouth buffalos caught were too small 
to permit valid comparisons to be made 
between the two mesh sizes. No small- 
mouth buffalo of commercial size was 
caught in the 1!4-inch-mesh nets. The 
catches, per net-day, of freshwater drums 
and bluegills were about the same in the 
nets of l-inch mesh as in those of the 
larger mesh. 
The mean of the total lengths of the 
carp caught in nets of each of the mesh 
sizes was about 15 inches, table 13. 
As indicated by the mean of the total 
lengths of individuals of each species, the 
sizes of freshwater drums, channel cat- 
fish, flathead catfish, and white crappies 
were greater in catches of 114-inch-mesh 
wing nets than in catches of the nets of 
smaller mesh, table 13. The mean length 
of black crappies was greater in the nets 
