“…Given the above findings, it is clear that the data collected by fish monitoring programs in the Bay‐Delta need to be corrected for incomplete capture to properly inform decision making. Like many monitoring programs across the world (Budy et al, 2015; Duarte et al, 2021; Kéry et al, 2010; Sadoti et al, 2013; Van Strien et al, 2013; Whitlock et al, 2020; and many more), occupancy models are increasingly being used to accomplish this for fishes in the Bay‐Delta despite sampling designs not explicitly considering occupancy models when many of these monitoring programs were established (Goertler et al, 2020; Mahardja et al, 2017, 2021; Peterson & Barajas, 2018). However, one of the long‐term monitoring programs used to monitor the distribution and relative abundance of Delta Smelt ( Hypomesus transpacificus ) in the Bay‐Delta, the Spring Kodiak Trawl (SKT), lacks temporal replicate surveys (Newman et al, 2017).…”