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Abstract
Understanding the relationship between anglers and fish is important to the management of angling fisheries. We compared angler catch rates estimated from creel surveys with (1) population density estimates of age-3 and older walleyes Sander vitreus based on mark–recapture and (2) mean growth of walleyes aged 4–6 in Oneida Lake during 1957–1959, 1997, and 2002– 2003. We also compared walleye catchability to walleye population density. Angler catch rates were not related to walleye population density; however, by combining population density and walleye growth, we were able to explain 97% of the variability in angler catch rates, perhaps because growth rates were related to prey abundance. Catchability of walleyes decreased as population density increased. Consideration of these effects should improve our understanding of angler–fish dynamics and allow fishery managers to better predict the effects of management actions.