Catch and Harvest by Fishing Guides Compared with Other Anglers in Five Central Minnesota Lakes

Abstract

Popular opinion assumes that guides and guided anglers are more successful in catching and harvesting fish than other anglers are. Using creel survey data obtained during 1999-2000, we compared the fishing success of guides and their clients with that of other anglers targeting walleyes Sander vitreus on five lakes managed for walleyes near Brainerd, Minnesota. Effort from guided trips ranged from 1.0% to 4.6% of the total angler-hours in each lake, resulting in 5.2-22.6% of the total walleye harvest. Guided-trip catch rates were 2.6-4.7 times greater than catch rates of unguided trips made by walleye anglers, and harvest rates for guided trips were 2.5-5.8 times greater than those of unguided trips. The consequences of guided harvest on these fisheries are unknown at this time, but this study provides insight into the success of guided trips and the potential effects exerted by a relatively small segment of the angling population.