A creel census yields valuable information on angling pressure, catch rate and harvest. Catch cards or voluntary creel census cards are a good method of keeping records and can be purchased from the Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1474. Fill out creel cards regardless of how long anglers fish or how much is caught. If the report is a group report, record the size of the group and total group fishing hours. Some effort will be needed to measure and record the lengths of all fish.
Good fishing is maintained with cooperation among anglers.
The following is a suggestion for implementing a creel census. Drive a steel post in a conspicuous point at a major access to the pond. Bolt two mailboxes to a board mounted to a steel post. One mailbox contains pencils and blank creel cards and the other completed cards. Mount a water-resistant poster between the mailboxes informing the anglers of the creel census and any special fishing pond regulations.