REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF FISH 

 CONSERVATION 



The number of California anglers continues to grow but at a decreas- 

 ing rate. In 1940 the number of licenses sold was 388,742 as compared 

 Avith 960,146 in 1948 and 991,914 in 1949. It is obvious that the big surge 

 is over for the time being but the increase is still substantial. If continued 

 for another 10 years at the present rate the total number added will be 

 approximately 300,000, more than the total number licensed in 1930. 



In 1948 the increase in the price of an angling license from $2 to $3 

 brought an immediate increase of 50 percent in revenue. This change has 

 only partially been reflected in the money made available for the work of 

 the Bureau of Fish Conservation. In 1940 and 1948 the bureau received 

 for expenditure about $1 for each license sold and in 1949-1950 the 

 budget provided about $1.43 for the bureau's use in serving each angler. 

 A similar ratio is expected for the next fiscal year. So far the Wildlife 

 Conservation Board has in addition provided $3,800,540 for capital im- 

 provement, which is being expended over a period of years. It is obvious 

 that the service that can be rendered to each angler for $1.50 is very 

 limited. As will be seen from the report that follows, the work of the 

 Bureau involves a wide range of activities. 



From the angling catch estimates based on carefully handled and 

 tested postal card surveys it appears that in 1949 there have been very 

 few statistically significant changes in the total number of fresh-water 

 and anadromous fish taken as compared with 1948. The numbers of 

 various categories in 1949 are shown in Table 7. 



TABLE 7. 1949 CATCHES OF LEADING SPORT FISH 



Total 



Mean catch 

 per angler 



Trout 



Striped bass 

 Black bass.. 



Crappie 



Sunfish 



Catfish 



Salmon 



16,700,000 

 1,750,000 

 1,160,000 

 2,430,000 

 4,020,000 

 3,930,000 

 298,000 



38.7 

 10.6 

 10.0 

 23.1 

 35.3 

 24.4 

 4.4 



As derived from the Opinion Research Center Survey of 1949 the 

 interest in different types of fishing is as follows on a percentage basis : 



Trout and salmon 50.7 percent 



Striped bass 13.0 percent 



Warm-water species 16.4 percent 



Marine 15.3 percent 



No preference 4.6 percent 



All interesting by-product of the angling catch estimates is the 

 probable number of licen.se buyers resident in each county. Trinity 



(72) 



