Summary
Three modified hoop-net designs were tested in the Gasconade and Osage Rivers of Missouri to determine their ability to reduce turtle bycatch without reducing the capture of targeted catfish. The three designs included an excluder net with tightly spread mesh and a sewn in ring, a chimney-set design and a loose-weave design. The chimney-net design was the only one that significantly reduced turtle bycatch (84%), while not decreasing the number of average size of flathead catfish.