NorthAmerican Journal of Fisheries Management 4:75-83, 1984 ¸ Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 1984 Evaluation of the Commercial Entanglement-Gear Fishery in Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake, Kentucky t CHARLES R. BRONTE 2 AND DONALD W. JOHNSON3 Hancock BiologicalStation Murray State University Murray, Kentucky 42071 ABSTRACT The second year of a renewednet fishery in westernKentucky reservoirs was monitored by catch report analysis of data obtained by onboard observers describing gear effectiveness, species caught, and length group structure of the catch. Twenty-nine permit fishermenremoveda total of 651 metric tons of commercial species valued at more than $370,000. Total landingsincreased 65% overthe first year. Reported paddlefish (Polyodon spath#la) landings decreased 58%--from 15 to 4% of the catch by weight and from 26 to 2% of the value. Buffalofishes (Ictiob#s spp.) and catfishes (Ictal#ridae) comprised 56 and 21% of the catchby weight,respectively. Trammel nets (89-114 ram) were foundto be mosteffective for harvesting buffalofishes while gill nets were used selectively for catfishes. Catch per effort of experienced fishermen was 49% higherthan for inex- perienced fishermen. Daily catchreports provided a reliable estimate of total harvest whenmoni- tored and filed. The Kentucky portionsof Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley were opened to entanglement gear usage in 1979 to harvestpreviouslyunutilized food fishes-- common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and buffalofishes (Ictiobusspp.). A net fisheryhad existed from 1963 to 1975, but opposition of sportsmenand introductions of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) by the State of Kentucky led to its elimination. Reviews of the 1979-1980 catch indicated that this valuable food resource could be croppedand provide an economic incentive to commercial fishermen. There wasno evidence of any impact on sport fishes in 1979-1980. Selective fishing pressure and landingsof paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) with large-mesh gill nets in 1979-1980 led to a maximum mesh-size restriction of 114 mm in 1980-1981 and an initiation of an inves- tigation on the status of populations of that species in western Kentucky. The commercial fisheries in Lake Barkleyand Kentucky Lake are impor- • This work wassupported in part by fundsprovided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky Federal Aid Proj- ectNo. 2368-R-1 with the cooperation of the National Marine Fisheries Service. 2 Present address: Department of Fisheries Manage- ment, Red Cliff Band, Lake SuperiorChippewas, Box 529, Bayfield, Wisconsin 54814. 3 Present address: Center of Environmental Studies, Biology Department, Memphis State University, Memphis, Tennessee 38152. tant to the westernKentucky economywith a harvestof approximately910 metric tons worth more than 1 million dollars annually to the re- gionalfishing industry. In 1980, investigations into the population structure of the harvest, effectiveness of har- vesting methods, and regulation compliance were initiated. Objectives wereto assess the biological and economical impact of the fishery and to pro- vide information on fish population trends and effectiveness of harvesting methods.Collection of such data can assist agencies in establishing regulations to meet the needs of consumers and commercial fishermenwhile protectingnontar- get species. This paperpresents the results of a monitoring effort that we hope will be useful to managers contemplating opening lakesto commercialhar- vest with entanglement gear. Gear type, mesh sizes, and desirable fishing pressure are just a few of the components to consider when initiating a commercial fishery and will vary depending upon management objectives. In some cases, experi- mental fishingusinga variety of gears is carried out by biologists in an attempt to determinethe populationcomposition and effectiveness of har- vest methods. This approach may be inappro- priate for several reasons, one being that most fisherybiologists lack the expertise of the sea- soned commercial fishermen to sample target fishes at levels of maximum harvest. 75