Comparison of Tandem Baited Hoop Net Catch Rates, Size Structures, and Turtle Bycatch by Month and Bait Type in Two East Arkansas Lakes

Tandem baited hoop nets (TBHN) are the most efficient gear used to evaluate channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) populations in reservoirs. However, sampling month and bait used in TBHN have varied among collections in Arkansas and in published studies. Understanding how catch rates and size structure might change by season or bait type will help inform standard sampling protocols used by management agencies. We evaluated catch rates, size structure, and turtle bycatch of TBHN in two lakes in eastern Arkansas (Lake Greenlee and Lake Des Arc) using ZoteTM soap and cheese logs monthly from May to October 2022. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) with cheese logs significantly exceeded CPUE with ZoteTM soap (Z = -15.26, P < 0.001). Using ZoteTM soap, June and July yielded significantly greater CPUE than other months of the study. Cheese log CPUE in July was statistically greater than every month except June (Z = 2.12, P = 0.61), and June CPUE was greater than every month except July and August (Z = 3.13, P = 0.07). Nets baited with ZoteTM soap captured channel catfish with significantly longer mean length than nets baited with cheese logs (Z = 14.56, P < 0.001) and the length distributions of fish collected varied by bait type in both lakes. Mean turtle bycatch by bait type was significantly different, with ZoteTM soap catching significantly fewer turtles than cheese logs (Z = -3.01, P = 0.003). Due to differences in CPUE and size structure of channel catfish collected by the different bait types, TBHN samples collected with ZoteTM soap and cheese logs should not be combined for analysis. Because we detected higher CPUE for both bait types during summer months, we recommend sampling during June–July, though variation existed between our lakes suggesting that other months such as August could be considered.