Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
Date of this Version
2009
Abstract
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) organized the second intensive effort targeted towards sampling pallid sturgeon in reproductive condition in the upper channelized Missouri River. Volunteers were solicited from area universities, colleges, and state and federal agencies to assist Game and Parks personnel from Monday, April 6 through Saturday, April 18 (excluding Easter weekend).
Sampling crews targeted areas around the confluence of the Platte and Missouri Rivers (River Mile [RM] 595.0) to Peru, NE (RM 542.0). With the additional help from volunteers, crews were able to span a total of 43 river miles and sample 25 different river bends.
Sampling was conducted using 200-foot trotlines with 40 hooks per line baited with worms. Similar to previous efforts, trotlines were a valuable gear in the collection of pallid sturgeon broodstock. Overall, trotlines collected a total of 160 pallid sturgeon in 15 days of sampling, while traditional sampling gears (i.e., gill nets) were excluded from this year’s intensive effort due to variable catches and the large amount of effort associated with using these gears.
Comments
Published by Nebraska Game and Parks (2009) 4 pp.