PFRS 2020 Annual Report

The primary objective of the 2020 field season was to continue to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of 3 commercial-type fishing gears in capturing predatory fish. Predatory fish included black basses, catfish, Striped Bass, and sunfish. One “active” gear, a beach seine, was deployed, pulled through the water, and retrieved by field staff. Two “passive” gears, hoop traps and fyke traps, were placed in the water to collect predatory fish and then retrieved 24-48 hr later. Field work typically occurred 4 days per week between 10/8/2019 and 3/12/2020 with 2-3 gears conducted each day. A fourth gear, a Kodiak trawl net, was planned for use, but delays in receiving a feasible net and early cancellation of field work due to the novel coronavirus pandemic precluded its use.