title: Large differences in catch per unit of effort between two minnow trap models.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about variation in catch per unit of effort (CPUE) in stickleback fisheries, or the factors explaining this variation. We investigated how nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) CPUE was influenced by trap model by comparing the CPUEs of two very similar minnow trap models fished side-by-side in a paired experimental design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The galvanized trap type (mean CPUE = 1.31 fish h(-1)) out-fished the black trap type (mean CPUE = 0.20 fish h(-1)) consistently, and yielded on average 81% more fish.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate that small differences in trap appearance can have large impacts on CPUE. This has implications for studies designed to investigate abundance and occurrence of fish using minnow traps.
authors.affiliation: Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. juha.merila@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Merilä
authors.forename: Hanna-Kaisa
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lakka
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eloranta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003116:Color; D003657:Decision Making; D017753:Ecosystem; D004867:Equipment Design; D005398:Fisheries / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D023701:Smegmamorpha