352 
19. The 214-inch-mesh hoop nets were 
less efficient in taking commercial-sized 
bigmouth buffalos than were the 214-inch- 
mesh wing nets, table 21. The catch per 
net-day of smallmouth buffalos in the 
21%4-inch-mesh hoop nets was identical 
with that in the 244-inch-mesh wing nets. 
Freshwater drums often frequent wa- 
ters too deep and swift for wing nets. 
However, such waters are usually suitable 
for hoop net fishing. Perhaps that is why 
Ittinois NATURAL History SuRvVEY BULLETIN 
Vol. 26, Art. 4 
in 1946 the weights and numbers, per net- 
day, of commercial-sized drums were 
higher in the 214-inch-mesh hoop net 
catch than in the 244-inch-mesh wing net 
catch, table 21. The mean of the total 
lengths for drums caught in 1946 in 214- 
inch-mesh wing nets was greater than for 
drums caught in the 214-inch-mesh hoop 
nets, table 22. 
The test-net survey data indicate that 
the 214-inch-mesh hoop nets are not efh- 
Table 21—Composition of catches of commercial-sized or desirable-sized fish taken in 
2',-inch-mesh wing nets and in 24,-inch-mesh hoop nets, both types without leads, in fisheries 
survey of the Mississippi River between Burlington and Dubuque, Iowa, 1946. 
214-Incu-MeEsu Winco Nets 
(421.75 Net-Days) 
214-Incu-Mesu Hoop Nets 
(730.42 Net-Days) 
Cui- 
Kinp oF FisH SQUARE 
Pounds Number | Pounds Number VALUE 
per Number per per Number per 
Net-Day Net-Day | Net-Day Net-Day 
Gr aictioes hives 1.76 172 0.41 1.10 150 0.21 Sinwee 
Bigmouth buffalo. ..| 0.31 44 0.10 0.19 45 0.06 5915 
Smallmouth buffalo.| 0.21 35 0.08 0.19 59 0.08 0.002 
Freshwater drum.... 0.22 47 0.11 0.34 152 0.21 15°29" 
Channel catfish. .... 0.01 1 0.002 0.01 2 0.003 0.014 
Flathead catfish..... 0.11 4 0.009 0.84 58 0.08 24.82* 
Beery diac -- 0 — oe 0 = a 
White crappie...... — 6 0.01 — 3 0.004 3.40 
Black crappie....... — 2 0.005 — 1 0.001 1.13 
* Denotes a significant difference, in numbers of commercial-sized or desirable-sized fish taken, between the two 
types of nets at 0.05 level with 1 degree of freedom. 
Table 22.Size ranges and means of the total lengths of fish taken in 2!4-inch-mesh hoop 
nets and in 2!4-inch-mesh wing nets, both types without leads, in fisheries survey of the 
Mississippi River between Burlington and Dubuque, Iowa, 1946. 
2144-Incu-Mesu Winc Nets 
214-Incu-Mesu Hoop Nets 
td fe 
Kinp or Fisp [? 7 ss aon So Sm & raat gy ) 
od alse! & Bsleosiueslsal § B5/33] a 
OHl1e.8| os Me | 8815s] 5.8 Bes wo iS eae = 
Peo?) ¢P] ot 1S S|. 2 ol BA) ¢ |) Gc eee 
0 Ua|5>| Yo NE Solos) s=!| 45 We So] Ww > 
MESA SH] HS |HnAlWsalzc|/ so] BE wWAalane| u 
Barpeuste.. 23h 100.0} 172) 20.28/15.4-31.8] 2.83) 99.3) 151) 21.28/14.6-31.6|3.31] 160} 2.897* 
Bigmouth buf- 
Bloc chan 97.8) 45) 17.14)13.8-20.1) 1.52) 84.9 53] 16.8413.2-22.9/2.07| 48] 0.825 
Smallmouth 
Duttalo. Sos. 07, 68.6) 51) 15.74/12.4-26.0) 2.30) 66.3 89} 15.35/10.0-20.0/1.97) 66) 1.016 
Freshwater drum} 100. 47; 15.40/11.4-18.8! 1.41] 100.0) 152) 14.66)11.5-18.9|1.39| 84) 3.156* 
Channel catfish..| 50.0 2) 14.25) 5.7-23.0])12.37| 66.6 3) 17.67| 6.6-21.99.03 1] 0.336 
Flathead catfish.| 100.0} 4) 28.75/18.8-37.0) 7.15} 95.1 58) 26.19/11.8-39.516.33} 14) 0.698 
Bluegill.........) — oO} — — — — oO} — — aes =— 
White crappie...| 100.0} 6} 10.42) 8.6-13.0} 1.85} 100.0 3) 10.83)10.6-11.3)0.29 6} 0.531 
Black crappie. ..| 100.0} 2) 10.50) 9.1-12.2} 2.21] 50.0 2) 8.25) 7.7- 8.81.06 1} 1.299 
* Denotes a significant difference, in sizes of fish taken, between the two types of nets at 0.05 level for degrees of 
freedom indicated. 
