Hook-and-Line Catch in Fertilized and Unfertilized Ponds

The objective of the pond fertilization measure the effect of certain fertilization practices on sport fishing for largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede), and bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque, in small ponds located in a region of relativelv unproductive soils. From catch records gathered over a 6-year period, 1947-1952, from three fertilized ponds and three unfertilized or control ponds, we have been able to compare the sizes of the fish caught, the annual hook-and-line yields, and the catch rates in terms of fish per fisherman-hour. The six ponds used in the experiment are located at the University of Illinois College of Agriculture Dixon Springs Experiment Station in Pope County, southern Illinois. The fertilization program used at Dixon Springs was of apparent benefit to bluegill fishing but of doubtful benefit to bass fishing; any benefits derived from direct fertilization of ponds were in addition to benefits that may have resulted from fertilization of the pond watersheds. Comparison of yields from the fertilized and unfertilized ponds at Dixon Springs shows that the greater yields of fish from the fertilized ponds were obtained at costs estimated to range from $0.71 to $1.18 a pound. Whether the improvement in the quality of bluegill fishing attributed tofertilization was great enough to be detected by fishermen is questionable for at least two of the three fertilized ponds.