Is there any research that dwells into what percent of “catchable” fish get caught on our average Mississippi pool.
Also is this percentage the same for a lake?
Yes I know it depends on the lake, but take an average metro area, Brainerd area or similarly fished lake.
I am looking at bass that are of 12″ and larger.
(I just used 12″ as an example and a point which to call them catchable)
Really just curious??
Depends on skill of the angler. When I am around its low enough to be rounded to zero.
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Depends on skill of the angler. When I am around its low enought to be rounded to zero.
In the 35+ years I have been fishing the River I have noticed swings in body size of the fish (And me!) depending on what kind of forage year it is.
Lakes do not have near (In my opinion) the forage base as the river does. The river will have bugs, shad, minnows of MANY varieties, craw fish, etc…Lakes may be a little more limited. Shad are a super protien rich fish providing us with faster growth rates, where the lakes may have to rely on more of a panfish forage. So maybe river fish attain that “Catchable Size” as you refer to it faster than their lake brethren.
This year should be interesting. I do not see near the shad we have seen the last two years! 
Cool Spring??? Who knows. But one thing is for sure, fish are a lot more catchable when there are fewer shad and shiners in the system. 
Don’t know if that comes anywhere near answering your question… 
It’s all speculation…I have not seen anything in print that addresses it. You can shoot an email to the “Contact Us” on the MN DNR website. They are very good about finding and providing that kind of info. 
Send it to WCCO’s “Good Question”. Maybe Ron Schara could fill in for the segment.
Isn’t Ron KARE 11? 
I’d contact the DNR Area Fisheries Supervisor for Pool 4. Think that’s Lake City? Otherwise, Tim Brastrup in Brainerd would be a phenomenal bet as well. These guys could probably give you an estimate that’s the most scientifically rigorous.
Joel
I did some trout stream survey work with the WI DNR a few years ago. We were surveying a stretch of water that I expected to hold few, if any, catchable trout.
I was absolutely dumbfounded when I saw the dozens upon dozens of nice browns and brookies that would boil the surface when exposed to the electroshocker probes.
So, my guess is that anglers catch a very small percentage of the adult fish that are present in any given body of water.
Going out on a limb here, but I would guess a larger percent(of the total available) get caught in a lake, for the simple reasons Tuck mentioned. Their forage area is much more limited in a lake, than in a river system. I remember as a kid, on the lake, if you wanted to “really” catch bass (why ?) you would run up the inlet or outlet, that’s where they were concentrated basically I swear I have caught every bass in the lake growing up
big G 
I have very limited experience, no doubt.
When the bite slows on P4 near the dam and a person thinks the area is fished out take a camera and look around. There’s a bajillion sauger and walleyes down there yet.
If I were to guess and it’s only a guess, I doubt that 1/4 of the fish are taken.
So I understand the question, do you mean for example.. if there are 100 bass in a pool on the mississippi and 100 bass in a lake, what percentage of catcheable actually get caught ? In other words if 90 of the 100 are caught on a lake and 60 on the river, then the lake would be a higher percentage… I think this is what you meant, hence my answer. Reading it, I even confused myself…
big G 
Well, when I’m I’m fishing, it’s a 100% of the dumb one’s, and about 1% of the real high IQ one’s!
big G
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Well, when I’m I’m fishing, it’s a 100% of the dumb one’s, and about 1% of the real high IQ one’s!
I have to agree with this statement in my past fishing experiences
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So I understand the question, do you mean for example.. if there are 100 bass in a pool on the mississippi and 100 bass in a lake, what percentage of catcheable actually get caught ? In other words if 90 of the 100 are caught on a lake and 60 on the river, then the lake would be a higher percentage… I think this is what you meant, hence my answer. Reading it, I even confused myself…
big G
Yes, If there are 100 bass in a lake of what I have deemed “catchable size” what percent get caught?
Same question for the river.
I am not asking which one has a higher percent, but if this gets to that answer as well that is fine. My guess is that the lake has a higher percentage caught. Again this has to be in comparison to the amount of pressure they both get…
Am I making any sense yet?? 
If I read your question correctly, it sounds like comparing creel sensus information. But i think you would need to compare or evaluate an individual body of water. Each ecosystem can vary so much.
As an example, looking at a small lake around the Milwaukee area of WI. You have Lake X at 800 acres. Of the 800 acres, only 250 are “Suitable Habitat” for mature bass. Based on DNR studies of creel sensus and netting, they determined the bass density or population to be 7.1 per acre or 1,775 mature bass in the lake. Then apply the estimated 1.1 million man hours spent fishing on that body of water to establish what a estimated catch ratio is. Because all the other factors involved, I don’t think there is a simple way to find an answer to your question.
I heard of this study a few years ago and found it very interesting. Not that it is going to answer your question.
http://aces.illinois.edu/node/243
Four years of fishing and 200 of the 1700 fish were never caught.
While one dumb one was caught 16 times in one year
Slider – that was an interesting read!
I know this year for me it has been about 1%.
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