Standardized Fish Sampling in the Midwestern USA: Lessons from the Implementation of Standard Methods to Collect Catch per Unit Effort, Length, Weight, and Growth Data

State agencies rely on biological data collected in annual surveys to make informed fisheries management decisions.  For these data to be spatially and temporally comparable, fish sampling methods must be standardized; however, there are different degrees of standardization in natural resource agencies in the Midwest.  Although standardized by agency-specific methods prior to 2010, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) have since adopted sampling methods outlined in the book, Standard Methods for Sampling North American Freshwater Fishes, edited by Bonar et al.  Throughout the process of adopting these standard methods, KDPWT and ODWC have addressed issues associated with new sampling regimes, including comparisons with previously-collected non-standard data and evaluation of newly-adopted standard methods.  These evaluations have demonstrated benefits of standard sampling and enabled fine-tuning of methods, including sample size estimation and addressing potential gaps in sampling data.  Although South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks (SDGFP) has not currently adopted standard protocols outlined by Bonar et al., substantial study into these methods (e.g., standard gear evaluations, correction factors for nonstandard data) has been conducted by SDGFP to examine the potential of standardization. These evaluations will encourage discussion toward the goal of statewide standardization.