Yellow bullhead (Ictalurus natalls) 



The yellow bullhead was uncommon in the collections and has been 

 taken only from the three lower pools: Alton, LaGrange, and Peoria 

 (Table 20). 

 Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) 



Prior to 1973, the numbers and pounds of channel catfish taken ap- 

 pear to be unrelated to water levels. Channel catfish were taken in 

 Marseilles Pool for the first time in 1974 (Table 21) . The largest 

 number and pounds of fish were also taken in the entire river in 1974. 

 Most channel catfish were taken below Beardstown (river mile 88.5). 

 Channel catfish were taken occasionally from the main channel by 

 trawling. On 13 November 1964, 68 young channel catfish averaging 

 3% in. in total length were taken in 53 minutes of trawling in the 

 channel at mile 156. 



Channel catfish have declined in the Illinois River since 1899 as 

 evidenced by the following commercial fishing statistics for the entire 

 Illinois River: 241,000 lbs in 1899; 105,554 lbs in 1950; and about 

 98,000 lbs in 1964 (Mills, et al. , 1966), and 45,000 lbs in 1973 

 (Personal Communication, December 1974, Mr. Larry Dunham, Fishery 

 Biologist, Illinois State Department of Conservation, Aledo, Illinois). 

 At present, channel catfish bring the highest market price of all the 

 commercial species. 

 Flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris) 



Flathead catfish are a desirable commercial species and often at- 

 tain weights of 20 to 40 lbs. Flathead catfish were never abundant in 

 the electrof ishing collections and were taken only in the lower two 

 pools (Table 22) . An 18-lb individual was taken in LaGrange Pool. 

 The following numbers of one- and two-year-old flatheads were taken 

 from the five stations in Alton Pool and the six stations in LaGrange 

 Pool: (mile 18.7), 2 (mile 24.0), 1 (mile 26.0), 2 (mile 29.3), 

 (mile 57.5), 3 (mile 86.2), 1 (mile 94.3), 3 (mile 106.8), 

 (mile 112.8), (mile 147.3), (mile 154.5). 



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