BLACK CRAPPIE 
PER CENT OF CATCH 
7.5 
8.0 
1950 FALL TEST—NETTING 
SEPT. 26—OCT. 10 
589 FISH MEASURED 
——-—-— 1951 FALL TEST—NETTING 
SEPT. 29—OCT7.5 
204 FISH MEASURED 
8.5 9.0 
TOTAL LENGTH IN INCHES 
Fig. 13. -- The size distribution of black crappies caught in 
Lake Chautaugua in the falls of 1950 and 1951. 
Bluegill 
In 1950 and 1951, bluegill fishing at Lake 
Chautauqua was best during the late spring and 
summer months, table 3 and fig. 7. 
It may be noted in fig. 14 that the rate of catch 
of the bluegill varied from week to week during the 
spring and summer of 1950 and 1951. The weekly 
changes in fishing apparently were not directly 
telated to water levels but to some other factor. 
Possibly this factor was the spawning activities of 
the bluegill. In 1951, bluegills spawned in Lake 
Chautauqua from late May through early August. 
The number of bluegills actively engaged in spawn- 
ing and the number of males guarding nests will 
vary during the season. We believe there may be 
some correlation between spawning activity and 
the peaks of bluegill catches. Our creel-census 
data indicate that during the periods of the best 
bluegill fishing the anglers’ catches were composed 
to a large extent of males that were in spawninz 
condition. 
A cane pole rig and a can of red worms are the 
l-inch-mesh wing nets at 
usual tackle for catching bluegills. However, for 
successful bluegill fishing at Lake Chautauqua we 
recommend the addition of a small spinner to the 
usual tackle--plus a few simple techniques. 
The pole used for bluegill fishing in buck- 
brush is about 7% to 8 feet in length. The pole 
that provides the most sport for open water fishing 
is light in weight and does not exceed 10 feet in 
length. These two types of bluegill poles are rig- 
ged with either a nylon or a silk line, a No. 10 hook 
for buckbrush fishing or a No. 8 hook for open water 
fishing. A small double-blade spinner is attached 
to the eye of the hook. A lead sinker is secured 
above the spinner. Anglers usually prefer to use 
heavier sinkers on their lines when fishing in the 
buckbrush than in open water. The heavy sinkers 
enable them to free entangled hooks more readily. 
The bobber should be of the type that the angler 
can slip up or down the line so as to adjust it for 
different water depths. The bluegill rig described 
here is pictured in fig. 15. The hook is baited with 
three red worms in the manner shown. 
The bobber is so adjusted that the worm- 
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