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Later in spring, during the week of May 9, we again set trapnets to assess panfish populations. Trap net catch rates were high for black crappies, bluegills, pumpkinseeds, and brown bullheads. There were plenty of large black crappies and brown bullheads for anglers to catch. In contrast, bluegills and pumpkinseeds were on the small side. That has traditionally been the case at Frances Slocum Lake, probably because of competition with the lake’s abundant alewife population.
Finally, we assessed the largemouth bass population using night electrofishing gear on the evening of May 25. Largemouth bass catch rates were as follows: Total Catch 60/hour; Catch > 12 inches 38/hour; and Catch > 15 inches 16/hour. Catch rates for bass > 12 inches and > 15 inches were 2 to 3 times higher than average, indicating that Frances Slocum Lake is a great place to find big bass. Angler harvest of bass from Frances Slocum Lake is regulated by our “Big Bass” program: http://fishandboat.com/fishpub/summary/bigbass.html.Table 1. Number and size of fish caught (all gear combined) during the 2011 Frances Slocum Lake survey.
| Species | Number Caught | Length Range (inches) |
| Walleye | 76 | 8 - 27.9 |
| Largemouth bass | 62 | 7 - 20.9 |
| Chain pickerel | 1 | 13 - 13.9 |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 9 - 9.9 |
| Black crappie | 613 | 2 - 13.9 |
| White crappie | 1 | 13 - 13.9 |
| Yellow perch | 24 | 6 - 11.9 |
| Bluegill | 419 | 4 - 8.9 |
| Pumpkinseed | 359 | 4 - 7.9 |
| Brown bullhead | 403 | 8 - 16.9 |
| Yellow bullhead | 122 | 5 - 12.9 |
| White catfish | 21 | 12 - 16.9 |
| Common carp | 4 | 12 - 31.9 |
| White sucker | 1 | 18 - 18.9 |
| Golden shiner | 52 | 5 - 10.9 |
| Brook trout | 30 | Not measured |
| Rainbow trout | 6 | Not measured |
| Alewife | 1,440 | Not measured |
Figure 1. Length-frequency distribution of walleye caught by night electrofishing at Frances Slocum Lake on April 11, 2011.
Jake Precone with a nice walleye captured at Frances Slocum Lake
Biologist Reports -- PFBC Home
