34 



DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 



Mr; 







^•^i 



How many did they catch? Parfial answers come from post card surveys 

 and creel checks. 



INVESTIGATIONS 



There is a serious need for more information about 

 California's inland fisheries. Only wise regulations 

 based on facts, not opinions, are going to protect them 

 from skyrocketing angling pressures and the other 

 effects of the state's growth, such as pollution and in- 

 creasing water use. 



Knowledge of practical ways to increase angling 

 by improvement of natural habitats also is in short 

 supply. It offers the only hope for meeting ever- 

 increasing demands for good angling recreation. 



\\'ithout exception, the department's inland fish- 

 eries investigations are aimed at learning how to im- 

 prove and regulate important sport fisheries. They are 

 therefore among the branch's most practical, down-to- 

 earth activities. 



Generally speaking, they fall into two groups: rou- 

 tine surveys or inventories of transient or local im- 

 portance; and basic or long-range research projects 

 whose results have a more far-reaching use. 



Under the reorganization plan, data for the first 

 type usually is gathered by regional personnel while 

 the more basic work is performed by the staff. As 

 the biennium progressed, more and more of the long- 

 range studies were funnelled into the Federal Aid pro- 

 gram. 



Sfate-wide Angling Surveys 



Intensive analyses of state-wide sport catch and 

 angling trends have been made periodically since 1936 

 on the basis of postal-card surveys. The number of 

 sports anglers in California continues to skyrocket, and 

 in 1953 license sales established an all-time high to lead 

 the nation. The 1,187,357 licenses sold represented an 

 8 percent increase over 1952 and a 17 percent increase 

 over 1951 when the last state-wide angling survey was 

 made. 



On the basis of answers received from a random 

 sample of license holders, California anglers in 1953 

 had the greatest year in history. The increase in an- 

 glers was reflected in almost all phases of sport fishing. 

 See Table 22, Appendix. 



Some 530,000 anglers caught trout, a gain of 24 per- 

 cent over the 1951 survey. Successful salmon anglers 

 increased 40 percent; black bass, 50 percent; striped 

 bass, 15 percent; catfish, 32 percent; sunfish, 30 per- 

 cent; and crappie, 76 percent; as compared to the 1951 

 survey. These estimates do not include those anglers 

 who fished unsuccessfully. 



The 1953 survey catch-estimates were up for all 

 species, surpassing previous records for all freshwater 

 and anadromous fish, except striped bass and catfish. 

 The black bass catch was 84 percent greater than 1951; 

 catfish, 59 percent; crappie, 50 percent; and sunfish, 

 29 percent greater. Major increases were in the warm- 

 water catch, and reflect the additional angling pres- 

 sure and improved water conditions. 



Ocean Fishing Second 



The survey indicates ocean fishing was second to 

 trout in popularity. An estimated 340,000 people fished 

 in the ocean or gathered shellfish. 



Trout anglers reported they averaged 42 fish last 

 year for a record total of 22^ million, an increase of 

 20 percent over the 1951 survey estimate of 18^ mil- 

 lion. Salmon anglers reported a catch of 640,000 fish 

 for an all-time high as this sport continues a deserving 

 increase in popularity. For the first time information 

 was gathered separately on steelhead trout. An esti- 

 mated 310,000 were caught by 56,000 anglers. 



Questionnaires further showed that 1,590,000 striped 

 bass were taken by 166,000 anglers. The striper catch 

 has remained fairly constant in recent years but the 

 number of anglers catching these fish has increased 15 

 percent in the last two years. All warmwater species 

 showed considerable increases as compared to the 1951 

 survey. Most notable was the reported catfish take of 

 7,470,000 and the black bass catch of 2,300,000. 



California anglers spent an estimated 15/4 million 

 days fishing last year, almost a third of which were for 

 trout. Black bass and other warmwater fish accounted 

 for 3,700,000 days or 24 percent and striped bass an- 

 glers 2,000,000 days or 13 percent. Ocean fishing 

 enthusiasts spent 3| million days angling or 22 percent 

 of the total days reported by respondents. The aver- 

 age angler spent about 14 days in pursuit of his sport. 



STREAM AND LAKE SURVEYS 



Fisheries management personnel spent considerable 

 time gathering and interpreting information about the 

 various waters of the State and their fisheries resources 

 as a basis for management plans and regulations. Subse- 

 quently, they followed developments in the various 



