IDFG Steelhead Report #6 released

[SalmonRiverID]

IDFG's Weekly Steelhead Report #6 was released today. The area upriver from The East Fork produced 43 total fish caught, more than the combined total of 38 fish caught in three sections (16-17-18) between North Fork and The East Fork.

Meanwhile the numbers of anglers checked and total fish caught continues to decline in Sections 15-16 between the Middle Fork and the Lemhi River.

http://www.salmonriveridaho.net/2013/03/...ort-6.html
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[Huntsman]

I learned a long long time ago to take the IDFG harvest reports with a very small grain of salt. I've seen too many reports that claim fishing was great, when in actuality the water was unfishable. I've also been on holes where fishing was wonderful, only to have the guys present give false data as no one wants the secret out of where the fish are...
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[SalmonRiverID]

[quote Huntsman]I learned a long long time ago to take the IDFG harvest reports with a very small grain of salt. I've seen too many reports that claim fishing was great, when in actuality the water was unfishable. I've also been on holes where fishing was wonderful, only to have the guys present give false data as no one wants the secret out of where the fish are...[/quote]

Thanks, that makes sense to me. I mean fishermen are notorious for the tales they tell. If you google "do fishermen lie?" you come up with a lot of fun stuff. I guess the best lie of all time would be the statement: "Fishermen don't lie." I'm sure we would all agree on that one--everything fishermen say is the Gospel Truth...right?
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[FindFish]

Another way those creel surveys get skewed is the IF&G will just set up a reporting station and have people voluntarily stop by and give reports rather then searching them out. This lends itself to having a heavier influx of reports of anglers that had success and the ones that got skunked just pass it by. As such, I usually divide the hours per fish they report by a reasonable factor to get a better idea of the fishing.

In the end it is another data point which is always great but I'd use it along with stream flows, weather, fish counts, time of year, etc. and not as a sole source for when to get out.
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[SalmonRiverID]

[quote FindFish]Another way those creel surveys get skewed is the IF&G will just set up a reporting station and have people voluntarily stop by and give reports rather then searching them out. This lends itself to having a heavier influx of reports of anglers that had success and the ones that got skunked just pass it by. As such, I usually divide the hours per fish they report by a reasonable factor to get a better idea of the fishing.

In the end it is another data point which is always great but I'd use it along with stream flows, weather, fish counts, time of year, etc. and not as a sole source for when to get out.[/quote]

I really appreciate your comment!! I have asked several times this season for a copy of the "survey protocols & procedures." I've also asked for a copy of the data form. I've asked for a photo of the creel survey Staff. So far, none of my requests for this information have received a reply. Don't get me wrong, I am not being critical of IDFG, I'd just like to get a better handle on the statistical aspect of the weekly surveys.

For almost six years, my wife and I served as volunteer "Secret Shoppers" for the Forest Service. They sent us to over 50 National Forest in 25 states to pose as tourists and go through exit interviews. Our task was to evaluate the interviewers and determine if they were following prescribed "survey protocols & procedures."

That's why we have a vested interest in trying to learn and understand how IDFG administers the creel surveys.

As Mark Twain supposedly said, "There's three kinds of lies: Lies; Damned Lies & Statistics."

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lies,_damne...statistics
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[FindFish]

That's a great Twain quote! I'll remember that one.
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