Minnow Traps

Background

Fish surveys are a big part of NFC’s Holistic Stream Assessment/Restoration methodology. This includes NFC sponsored trapping and netting, and agency sponsored electro-fishing where NFC assists. These surveys are usually performed under a Scientific Collection permit issued by a state fish and game agency.

Goals 

Minnow traps are a cheap, non-lethal, effective, and efficient method for surveying fish. Unlike sein and cast nets which have to be actively maintained, minnow traps can be set and left in place for a period of time.

Policy

Below are the rules pertaining to the use of minnow traps:

  • Administrative

    • Chapters should obtain a scientific collection permit before setting traps

      • Do not operate under the guise of legal bait trapping as that is not what we are doing

    • Where applicable, landowners should be notified in advance of your intent to trap with a request for permission to do so

      • Municipality owned land

      • State-owned land

      • Organization owned land

      • Business owned land

      • Private land

  • Equipment

  • Deployment

    • Traps should have a20-foot dull colored sinking rope attached to them

      • Ropes should be tied off to a tree, root, bush, or tent stake before throwing the trap in the water to prevent loss

        • If a trap is accidentally lost it needs to be retrieved immediately to prevent stress and accidental mortality

      • Excess rope should be coiled up and strapped so that it does not get in the way of humans or animals

    • Traps should have an NFC tag affixed to them for identification - see below

  • Location

    • Traps should be set away from traffic areas where possible

    • Traps should be set near inlets and outlets

    • Traps should be set in deep and shallow water

  • Duration

    • Traps should be set for no more than 24 hours to lessen the chance of stress or mortality

  • Miscellaneous

    • Dead, visibly stressed, and diseased fish should be removed from the trap and disposed of properly

    • Fish trapped should be identified, measured, and photographed for reference

    • Like sized fish of the same species do not need to be photographed more than a couple of times

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Internal NFC 2Bob MallardComment