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Anglers do harvest sizeable numbers of fish but the extent of this harvest is unknown. Some anglers and conservation agents have reported that the sizes of blue catfish caught have declined in recent years, possibly indicating that growth overfishing is occurring. In the future the Department may want to implement special regulations on this catfish species in Mark Twain Lake in order to improve or maintain the quality of the fishery.
This study will provide baseline data on blue catfish population characteristics as well as current angler exploitation rates. Beginning in spring of 2014,all captured blue catfish were measured for total length and weighed. Blue catfish 15 inches and larger were tagged with uniquely numbered tags with reward values of $25 or $100. Tagging efforts ended in spring of 2016. Tags contain all contact information and reward value.