I have capture recapture data over 4 years collected at approximately the same season each year. The encounter histories were set up at 1 week intervals and so far the data indicate that survival is constant and high (as assumed) however, the catchability is variable and time dependent.
My question is… Can the data be set up so that the sample periods are of variable length such that sampling continues until a given number of newly marked fish are released?
For example: sample until 10 newly marked fish are released and the sample periods would then range from a couple days to a couple weeks depending on where that time period falls in the spawning period (the bell curve). I cannot find specific references to statistical violations, but I know that they may be there.
The main issues causing the inter-annual variation are net set locations and fish movements in relation to spawning specifically temperature regime which changes among years despite consistent starting and duration periods.