Comparison of Four Gears for Sampling Glacial Lake Littoral Fish Assemblages with An Emphasis On Age-0 Yellow Perch

We compared glacial lake littoral fish assemblage structure as represented by four gears (beach seine, benthic sled, drop net, and push trawl), assessed whether the gears provided redundant or complementary fish assemblage information, and determined which gears are appropriate for sampling age-0 yellow perch Perca flavescens, a recreationally and ecologically important species in northern Great Plains glacial lakes.  Fish assemblages were sampled in two northeastern South Dakota glacial lakes during August 2011.  Fish assemblage structure differed significantly among gears (P = 0.01), with the drop net providing a dissimilar representation of fish assemblage structure compared to the beach seine, benthic sled, and push trawl.  Differences in gear operational effort (i.e., the time required for set-up, deployment, and fish sorting for each gear) and age-0 yellow perch density, length frequencies, and sampling precision were also observed among sampling gears.  Results indicate differential representation of fish assemblage structure and of age-0 yellow perch catch characteristics among the gears we considered.  In consideration of our study objectives and sampling conditions in concert with all analysis metrics, we recommend use of the beach seine or benthic sled for sampling littoral fish assemblages and age-0 yellow perch in northern Great Plains glacial lakes.