6/4/2007

Creel surveys to be conducted on Lake Belle Taine and Little Mantrap Lake

Creel surveys to be conducted on Lake Belle Taine (Hubbard Co.) and Little Mantrap Lake (Hubbard/Becker Co.)

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Park Rapids will be conducting open water creel surveys on Lake Belle Taine and Little Mantrap Lake from May 11 until September 30, 2007.

Anglers fishing these lakes will likely be contacted by a DNR creel clerk and asked to participate in a survey. The interview process takes a few minutes. The interview includes measuring harvested fish and questions about the fishing trip. The creel clerk will also travel around the lake periodically to count the number of fishing boats.

This will be the first such survey of Lake Belle Taine. The survey information will be used to help evaluate the bass fishery and other key sport fish populations. In addition to the creel survey, fisheries crews from the Park Rapids Area Fishery office will be completing a fish population estimate on Belle Taine in 2007. This includes night electrofishing for bass in the spring and a regular game fish survey in August.

During spring electrofishing on Belle Taine, largemouth and smallmouth bass will be tagged with yellow markers. These numbered tags will be found anchored below the dorsal (top) fin on the back of some bass.

The DNR asks that you do not remove the tag from released fish. Tag reports of harvested or released fish can be reported to the Park Rapids Area Fisheries Office. Tag numbers and fish lengths are appreciated. Little Mantrap Lake was creel surveyed in 2002 and 2003 as well as 1995 and 1996. These open water creel surveys have been conducted to help evaluate management activities for largemouth bass. An experimental regulation on bass has been in place on this lake since 1997. All bass from 12 to 18 inches in length must be immediately released. Spring electrofishing and an August game fish survey are also scheduled for Little Mantrap.

Information gained from creel survey data includes an estimate of the total number of hours being fished on a lake, how long it takes to catch different types of fish, and the sizes of fish being kept or released. In addition, these surveys are an opportunity for the Fisheries Office to solicit opinions from all types of anglers visiting a particular lake.

To report tags or for more information, contact Doug Kingsley or Edie Evarts, DNR Fisheries at (218) 732-4153 or edie.evarts@dnr.state.mn.us.