4. Composition of the anglers’ catches had 
changed since 1941 and 1942, when the bluegill 
and the yellow perch predominated in the catches. 
In 1950 and 1951, the white crappie, the freshwater 
drum, and the bluegill predominated. 
5. The success of fishing at Lake Chautauqua 
was affected by fluctuations in water levels, by 
seasons, and by changes in the relative abundance 
of the various species of fishes. 
6. .Two years of creel censusing showed that 
a larger harvest of sport fishes would have been 
made if more anglers had known how to fish 
the lake. 
7. Instruction in methods of still fishing with 
cane poles and live bait is a form of fishery man- 
agement recommended for the lake. Instruction was 
given infishing techniques suitable for the common 
species of fishes. 
8. The white crappie population in 1950 and 
1951 was dominated by the 1948 brood or year- 
class. In the fall of 1950, individuals of this 
year-class reached a size large enough to furnish 
good fishing, and they continued to furnish good 
fishing through 1951. The white crappie is a short- 
lived fish and possibly the 1948 brood will be 
greatly reduced by 1953. The majority of the 1948 
brood will be lost to anglers through natural mor- 
tality. With the reduction of the 1948 year-class, 
white crappie fishing in the lake will decline until 
a new large brood is spawned. 
9. Whenever the white crappie population is 
low or is not biting, anglers should fish for black 
crappies in the buckbrush. 
10. In 1950 and 1951, bluegill fishing at Lake 
Chautauqua was best during the late spring and 
summer months. 
11. The yellow perch fishery at Lake 
Chautauqua declined in the decade ending in 1950. 
This decline may have been related to the virtual 
disappearance of aquatic plants from the lake fol- 
lowing 1943. 
12. Channel catfish and freshwater drum bit 
best in 1950 and 1951 when the water level was 
tising or was at a high stage. 
13. Yellow bass were caught in much greater 
numbers in 1950 than in 1951. The best catches 
of yellow bass in these years were made in late 
April and early May. 
14. White bass recently became abundant 
enough in Lake Chautauqua to furnish good fishing. 
These fish are short-lived, and anglers should fish 
for them while they are abundant. 
15. A still-fishing rig baited with large chubs 
30 
was a successful tackle for largemouth bass at 
Lake Chautauqua in 1950 and 1951. 
16. Seasonal restrictions on largemouth bass 
were set aside at Lake Chautauqua in 1950 and 
1951 and length restrictions in 1951. In 1950 and 
1951, the largemouth bass removed by anglers dur- 
ing the normally closed spring season amounted to 
19.8 per cent of the 2 years’ total catch of these 
bass. In 1951, bass under 10 inches in length rep- 
resented approximately 33 per cent of the catch of | 
bass of all sizes. 
We 
valley, as demonstrated at Lake Chautauqua, pro- 
vide good fishing waters for thousands of anglers. 
Acknowledgments 
We wish to express our sincere appreciation to 
the following persons for the excellent co-operation 
they have extended to us in collecting creel-census 
data: Mr. James Bridgeman, Mr. Frank Kuntz, 
Mr. John Lane, Mr. Paul Riddle, Mr. and Mrs. Harry 
Rudolph, and Mr. Burt Sperry. 
We wish to thank Mr. Louis Ellebrecht, former 
tefuge manager for the United States Fish and Wild- 
life Service at Lake Chautauqua, for his help in or- 
ganizing the fishery research program and Mr. Lyle 
Schoonover, present refuge manager, for his co- 
operation on various phases of the program. 
We appreciate the technical suggestions we 
have received from Dr. George W. Bennett and Dr. 
Donald F. Hansen of the Illinois Natural History 
Survey. Also, we appreciate the splendid co- 
operation, in conducting the Lake Chautauqua 
program, we have received from Mr. Sam Parr of 
the Illinois Department of Conservation. We thank 
Mr. William Bain, formerly assigned to the Lake 
Chautauqua program by the Illinois Department of 
Conservation, for collecting certain of the 1950 
data. To three members of the Natural History 
Survey staff who helped in various ways we express 
our thanks: to Mr. James S. Ayars for editing the 
paper, to Mr. James W. Curfman for making the 
graphs, and to Mr. William E. Clark for taking most 
of the photographs, including that of Mr. Herbert L.. 
Rigdon of Mason City, on the cover. 
We have received splendid co-operation from) 
successful Lake Chautauqua anglers in telling us: 
the secrets of their hobby, fishing. We are: 
particularly indebted for information on fishing to 
Mr. Robert Doren of Pekin (bluegills), Mr. J. F.. 
Gregory of Glasford (crappies), and Mr. A. T. Peara: 
of Havana (largemouth bass). 
Bottomland lakes of the Illinois River ) 
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