Catégorie : Biologie

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Egg Collection – Week 4

Wil Wegman
<°))))><
Resource Management Technician
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Aurora District- 905-713-7730

May 13, 2016

Slowly but surely the 2016 trapnetting crews on Gloucester Pool are gaining confidence that they will  reach their goals of capturing muskie and collecting 3 families worth of eggs for the hatcheries.  This confidence however has not come easily, as crews have experienced a very trying season on the Pool thus far.  As ardent muskie anglers love to say ‘This is the fish of a thousand casts’ … and so too are the crews on Gloucester now saying “this is the fish of a thousand net sets’…

To date we have maximized our efforts since Monday April 18 when we deployed 6 trap nets during a 23C heat wave, only to fish those same nets a week later when temps had fallen 23 degrees during a significant snow storm.  We then experienced crazy formations of green filamentous algae that covered some of our nets, and made our jobs doubly difficult and messy.

This net above was our worst case scenario situated in a proven muskie spot we like to call ol stumpy. It and others have since been cleaned-up. trapnetting_023

Most filamentous algae prefer stagnant, nutrient rich, warm waters. Spirogyra however, is one species that flourishes more in cooler spring and fall months. They are found to dominate the littoral zones where we put our nets (the shallow, near-shore area where sunlight can penetrate to the bottom allowing aquatic plants to grow). During other years, we seldom have more than a few days when water temps remained in the single digits but this year, we had almost two weeks’ worth … optimizing the conditions for this algae to flourish.  Thankfully, during week four, as water temperatures finally began to rise – pushing 14 C, much of the algae began to die off, and crews spent extra time cleaning off the nets.

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The beginning of week 4, began with Muskies Canada volunteer Terry Barrett who witnessed some tremendous channel cat catches like the one he holds here.

Week 4 began with Mel and Wil opening the nets on a chilly Sunday, followed by a day of low catches the following Monday.  Muskies Canada volunteer Terry Barrett however sill enjoyed himself and witnessed some great channel cat catches in a couple of our nets.  On Tuesday, we saw another (or the same individual as last week) bald eagle which we figured had to be a good omen and was, as the very next day we captured our very first muskie of the season – a ripe male.

This individual muskie was getting on in years and was one we had used for a muskie egg collection in 2006 when it was also sampled, tagged and released. Interestingly enough, it was originally caught at the site # 3 and was also recaptured at site # 3. In 2006 it measured 1050mm  and weighed 11kg … but on Tuesday, 10 years later it measured 1090mm and weighed about 8.2kg (based on length girth formula).  The fish was in good shape so he was held overnight in the hopes that on Thursday, our last day to collect eggs for the hatcheries this week, would supply a ripe female from one of our six nets.  Alas … this was not to be, so the tagged muskie was set free to possibly contribute another day to our worthy cause.

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This old male muskie was our first lunge of the 2016 trapnetting season. Pictured, Brent Shirley (Midhurst MNRF)  left, Adam Chalice (Aurora MNRF) and Kate Gee (Midhurst)

This week we also saw our very first Musk … or ‘Stinkpot’ Turtle. We definitely don’t see as many of these “Species of Special Concern’ turtles as we do of the more common Northern Maps, so they are always cool to see … and even smell – as their musky odor does have a certain, shall we say ‘ Je ne sais quoi’ odor to them. It was only fitting that Aurora District biologist Carolyn Hann was on the muskie trapnetting boat the day the stinkpot was captured.

She has acquired a wealth of turtle knowledge in her career spending many years volunteering for Turtle S.H.E.L.L Tortue helping to rehabilitate injured turtles, install turtle crossing signs, and providing education and outreach on our native turtle populations and habitat. She has continued by working on various Species At Risk  projects including Wood Turtle Research in Nova Scotia, and helping Biologist in Kejimkujik National Park with their Blanding’s Turtle Research.

Biologist Carolyn Hann with her special catch … A Stinkpot Turtle

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So … to learn even more about this fascinating turtle, turtle aficionado Carolyn Hann provided us with the following:

Stinkpot Fun Facts

  • Unlike many turtles the musk turtle rarely leaves the water except to lay eggs. This turtle is fairly secretive and spends a lot of its time resting on the soft lake bottom, foraging for food and basking in the sun under floating aquatic vegetation in shallow water.
  • This species is generally a poor swimmer and will walk along the Lake Bottom rather than swim.
  • This turtle has a great little defensive tactic in that when it is disturbed it will quickly emit a foul smelling odour from its musk glands giving it the famous name ‘stinkpot’. These little guys are also fairly aggressive and won’t hesitate to bite!
  • Nest close to water and therefore are very vulnerable to changes in water levels.
  • Lay 2 to 7 eggs that are elliptical in shape and vary in size. A little bigger than a quarter. Eggs are laid between May and early July with hatches anywhere from 60 to 90 days later.
  • Diet: molluscs, plants, small fish, insects, and  carrion
  • The barbels on this turtle’s chin and throat are sensory organs which allow the turtle to feel for prey resting on the bottom of the water body.

Threats to the species:

  • Habitat destruction
  • Changes in water levels
  • Heavy recreational boating
  • Fisheries bycatch
  • Depredation

 

 

The champion turtle crew, each with their own stinkpot- left to right: Kate, Mel Shapiera and Brent

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Eva Bobak (MNRF Aurora) with one of her favorite species … the longnose gar. Brent in background collecting data.

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Brent Armstrong (Midhurst) with a nice healthy pike

 

Moving on To Week Five:

Getting back to our piscatorial pursuits and all that is muskie, both Midhurst and Aurora District staff are confident that this coming week before the Victoria long weekend will more than make up for the cool waters and cool reception G Pool’s muskie have provided so far. We have however enacted extra measures not normally within scope of this program in order to maximize our chances for a successful egg collection next week.

First, as of yesterday (Thursday May 12)we left the nets open and will fish them for by-catch (not muskie) on Saturday. Come Monday, we will be out in full force, expecting to collect eggs. With the warm latter part of this week leading up to a stormy and cooler weekend, followed by warmer temps again next week … we finally believe all the stars are aligning perfectly to help guarantee success.

Stay tuned for  next week’s report … and have a good pike opener for those of you chasing these toothy critters this weekend.

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Egg Collection – Week 3

Wil Wegman
<°))))><
Resource Management Technician
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Aurora District- 905-713-7730

May 6 2016

Ok … Sometimes Mother Nature throws us a curve and I swear wants to test our fortitude … and that’s exactly what continued week 3 of our muskie trapnetting/egg collection program on G Pool! As outlined last week, in order to maximize our staffing resources and net-fishing time, we conducted only 2 net check days this week instead of 4. Although this was unorthodox – the extremely poor catches of most other species, the low water temps and with the lack of any muskie, we felt the move was warranted.

With all this in mind, our report this week is rather short – so you’ll see more photos than text.

On Tuesday we were encouraged by the water temps as they had finally risen to above the single digit range and were now into the high 10’s and low 11’s, but unfortunately no muskie were found. A couple nets had real good catches while others were still well below par. The highlight of the day was seeing a beautiful mature bald eagle take off from a big pine near  one of our net sights … as if watching over it while we weren’t there.

That same day, we did catch some outstanding channel catfish at one net in G Pool – including this one with the unusual white markings.

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Aaron Law of the Aurora District Office above and Melanie Shapiera of Aurora below, each with their own channel cats

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We ended the week on Thursday with temps warming slightly but still not in the low –mid teens.  With today’s Friday) air temp already at 22 and sunny – and even warmer weather forecast for the weekend, we are very optimistic about our chances at seeing muskie in week 4. Mark Newell … the ace hatchery manager at Fleming College who has been so instrumental in the success and growth of the muskie stocking program, reminds us that, “In 2014, it was a late start and we got eggs May 12, 13 and 15 … and that all ended up good.”

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MNRF Conservation Officer Intern Michael Evers of Aurora District was able to gain some valuable hands on experience with the crew on Thursday and holds one of several nice largemouth bass caught and released from the trap nets. Below Graham Findlay of Midhurst with a nice smallmouth

 

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Eva Bobak of the Aurora MNRF office  with a good sized smallmouth bass, while Brent Shirley (Midhurst) fills in the data collection sheets

 

 

 

One constant with this muskie netting program is a steady number of northern map turtles of various sizes that we see and catch. Below are Aaron and Mel – one with the turtle and another with a largemouth bass. I trust I don’t have to explain which is which.

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This Sunday, May 8th …  Melanie and I will open nets … and crews will be fishing them for the full four days all of next week. Expectations are high for week 4 so we hope this time next week the Muskie Trapnetting  Update will be full of great news.

Have a great Mother’s Day Weekend!

 

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Egg Collection – Week 2

Wil Wegman
<°))))><
Resource Management Technician
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Aurora District- 905-713-7730

April 29th

Oh my! Another rather uneventful week on the Pool.  Much to our dismay, the weather continues to play havoc with our efforts to not only collect muskie eggs, but to even capture any muskie in our nets. If you recall from Update 1, we began our program on a real high note Monday April 18th and set our six trap nets during a 23 C heat wave as water temperatures were on the rise. Jump forward just one week though, and our dedicated MNRF crew along with a real trooper – Jim Crocker of the Orillia Fish and Game club, checked nets in a cold and blustery snow storm that more or less set the stage for the rest of the week.

Here volunteer Jim Crocker makes a quick count of the fish he just scooped from the trap net before returning them to the lake. Some days this job means crews are challenged by what Mother Nature can throw at them, but invariably it’s a day well spent and one for the memory books.

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On Tuesday we had strong winds forecasted, so had to cancel  the day. We hoped a 48 hour set would increase our catch rates for Wednesday, but that really didn’t materialize except for an outstanding largemouth bass catch in one of our Little Lake sets that we affectionately call ‘stumpy’ . It is in an area is loaded with stumps and has accounted for many muskie over the last few years

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Brianne Brothers (left) and Kate Gee show off some beautiful largemouth bass from our ol’ stumpy set 

 

 

 

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Brent with a nice smallmouth bass and Brianne with her largemouth
 

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A net full of largemouth is never anything to be too upset about as long as they’re all released in great shape says Wil – the self- diagnosed bass-a holic from Aurora District. He is flanked from behind  by Brent (left) and Steven Sucharzewski of Midhurst

 

 

 

Interestingly enough, despite the low single digit temperatures that prevailed for most of the week, water temps stayed in the 8C range all week.  Other years we have caught muskie during these low temps, but the big difference those years was usually that the barometer was rising steadily, and so too were water and air temps.

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One of the highlights for the current Muskie netting crew is having the chance to be re-acquainted with former members  who were so instrumental in previous years. This was the case on Wednesday when Brent Shirley from Midhurst welcomed back Emily Funnell from Aurora District – who is now a biologist working on many Species At Risk Files for her district. Here Emily proudly hold a large Northern Map Turtle – A “Species of Special Concern” that was caught and released unharmed from one of our nets.

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A familiar face for many Muskies Canada members … Aurora District’s own Gabby Gilchrist shows one of several small (spawned out) northern pike caught from the trap nets this week. “At least it’s an esocid” she said!

As we head into week three of this program the MNRF crews from Midhurst and Aurora had to discuss their plan of attack and contemplate what the weather forecast would mean for the week. To compound their efforts, a 3rd week of netting looks to be not much better than the first two weeks.

Planning for Week 3:

As you can see the lows at night are still predicted to be in the single digits and even the day time highs remain well below seasonal norm. The chances therefore that we begin to see water temps rise over and above single digits does not look great. With this in mind, for week three, Kate and Wil will be begin by opening the nets on Sunday as usual, however from there crews will only be checking nets every other day. This will not lessen our ability to catch as many muskie as we normally would with 24 hour sets, however will maximize our resources as we prepare for full out success the following week and … if need be, perhaps even consider the week after.

So with just two days on the water checking nets in week 3 (Tuesday and Thursday … Fridays we never fish nets as the Health Lab is unable to accept eggs for disease testing), I’m sure you can appreciate the challenges we’ve had juggling schedules – both with MNRF staff and the dedicated volunteers from Muskies Canada and Orillia Fish and Game. Right now, we’ve made some changes, contacted all the players and are set to go … still hoping that in Week 3 that the weatherman will be wrong and water temps begin to rise steadily so that those mighty G Pool muskellunge begin to grace our presence once again.

PS:  A Muskie Related Highlight:

Just to end this somber update on a high note, on Thursday April 28th, we had our 2nd night of electro fishing the Holland River. On Wednesday, we saw the typical warm water species associated with this river. It was a long and very cold night – where landing nets actually froze to the metal guard rails when the crew was done at 2:00am.  On Thursday things heated up – many more fish were seen, including one very nice looking muskie that was just out of reach of our anodes (that send the electrical current into the water) and subsequently did not entertain being captured by our landing nets. This muskie was in the meter long range and was clearly seen and identified by myself and two other crew mates.   In the same general area another ‘possible-likely’ smaller muskie was seen, however our crew was not as confident as the first one.  None the less, it was an exciting way to end the night and our week on the water.

Thanks everyone for your patience and stay tuned for another report this same time next week.

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We sure don’t get many frogs in our nets, let alone big bubba’s like this seldom-seen brown phased bullfrog.  Brent was tempted to give this one a big kiss in hopes that it would turn into the big beautiful muskie princess that he’s only been dreaming about.

 

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Ask the Biologist

This information never gets old !

Originally published in the May/June Release Journal 2012.

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Steve Kerr – MNR Biologist

Steve Kerr is a senior fisheries biologist with Fisheries Policy Section of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. He has worked as a biologist at various locations in the province for more than 35 years. Steve has had a long involvement in cooperative projects with Muskies Canada and has published several papers on muskellunge. In 2010 he was inducted into the Muskies Canada Hall of Fame.

 

Do vertical holds really harm a muskellunge or is this a myth?

Amazingly, there have been few, if any, well designed scientific experiments which have examined this issue. The consensus amongst numerous experts (Butler 2004, Ramsell 2004, Landsman and Thorpe 2008), however, is that vertical holds should be avoided.

The body of a muskellunge is supported by water under normal conditions. When out of the water, large fish need to have their body supported. Vertical holds can lead to a number of problems including:

  • separation of the vertebrae
  • injuries to soft body tissues
  • damage to the operculum and connective tissues in the head and gills
  • organ displacement or damage
  • internal haemorrhaging
  • stretched or torn muscles

If necessary to remove a large fish from the water, do it quickly in a horizontal position and support the fish’s body mass with one hand or arm positioned near the mid section of the fish.

Instead of vertical weight measurements, muskellunge anglers should lift the fish (preferably in a cradle or knotless net) and weigh the fish while having its weight supported by the net.

Note: You can also use a weight calculator – based on length and girth.

What are some of the most important things to remember for a successful release?

There are several key factors to keep in mind:

      • quickly play and land the fish
      • remove hooks quickly
      • keep fish in the water as much as possible
      • do not touch the fish’s gills
      • use a horizontal hold (supporting the fish’s body mass) for photos
      • minimize the amount of air exposure
      • spend as much time as required to revive a fish

Does catch-and-release angling work?

Absolutely. There is considerable evidence to indicate that the quality of Ontario’s muskellunge fisheries is due to protective size limit regulations and an increase in catchand-release angling practices.

References:

Butler, M. 2004. Vertical holds of larger fish: not the best choice for catch and release. Muskie May:4-7.

Landsman, S. and M. Thorpe. 2008. Blending science and proper handling practices for a better release. Muskie. October:15-17.

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Muskies Canada Inc. 1999. Effective release techniques for muskellunge. Queen’s Printer for Ontario. 7 p. Ramsell, R. 2004. Muskie handling techniques to improve the chances of survival for your released catch

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Spring Egg Collection – Week 1

Every year  the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry conducts a spring egg collection in and around the Gloucester pool.  Trap nets are set to capture ripe females and males to provide eggs and milt. The fertilized eggs then go to Fleming College and two Ministry hatcheries to provide the fingerlings that will be raised and released in October for the Lake Simcoe Muskie Restoration Project.

These mini-reports will give you an idea of how the work is progressing as well as a feel for what it’s like to work on the front lines with experienced MNRF staff.

Wil Wegman
<°))))><
Resource Management Technician
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry
Aurora District- 905-713-7730

Well week one is behind us and another exciting muskie trapnetting and hopefully another successful egg collection season is upon us. Also, back by popular demand, are these little end of week updates from our time on the water.
We deployed six trap nets on Monday April 18th 2016. This is a full week earlier than last year, when they were set Monday April 27th. With early ice out and incredibly warm temps for 4 full days prior to the 18th, we reckoned things could happen sooner than later so instead of taking any chances and missing an early opportunity at collecting eggs, we anxiously set the nets despite less than ideal water temps that were hovering just below the 7C mark.

That Monday though, air temps were 23C … and it was a hot sweaty deal for the crews from Midhurst and Aurora District as they made sure each net was perfect for fishing … and checking come Tuesday morning.Tuesday morning came … and despite the warm air temps the previous day, water temps remained cool. Ideally we’d like to see over 8 before we see much in the way of ripe muskie. We weren’t there yet … and neither were the muskie even present in our nets, let alone ripe. In fact, we saw extremely low catches all around in all of our nets that first day and subsequently the same could be said for the remainder of the week.

On Wednesday afternoon, after 2 days of zero catch at one particular set, the MNRF crew of Brent Shirley, Kate Gee and myself, elected to move that net 100 metres away to an area where last year’s pencil reeds would not impair the effectiveness of the main lead – which draws the fish into our nets. This decision was not taken lightly as during our first couple years for this program we caught A LOT of muskie here … and it has saved our bacon many times with successful egg collections. As Muskie anglers will appreciate though, lakes and conditions change and the amount of pencil reeds here has become so great, that proper net sets are just no longer feasible. We set the new ‘hot spot’ along the edge of this significant pencil reed bed … and have high hopes for success.

Thursday, we welcomed our first Muskies Canada volunteer … Dave Cunningham of Ajax who is with the Toronto chapter. He was a fine rep for MC and enthusiastically assisted the MNRF crew of Brent and Carolyn Hann. Our nets were slightly more productive than earlier in the week … and a good variety of species were caught, including largemouth and smallmouth bass, pumpkinseed sunfish, brown bullhead, northern pike, yellow perch, rock bass, black crappie and a few northern map turtles. After checking the nets, they were all closed off – so as to not fish Friday or Saturday (the health lab at Guelph University cannot accept samples for disease testing on Fridays). Encouraging news on Thursday afternoon was that water temps were beginning to rise as they pushed the 8.5C mark in several areas. This Sunday Kate and Brent from Midhurst will zip up to G Pool and snip open the funnels .. allowing them once again to fish – and hopefully catch muskie for week two.

On a side note, it was great to welcome long time MC member (and member of our Lake Simcoe Fisheries Stakeholder Committee) Jim Kelly to our electro fishing night on Wed April 20. Jim joined a couple of other volunteers from Ontario Streams and the Aurora Bassmasters as they helped MNRF staff electro-fish the Pefferlaw River. The primary goal of the evening was to monitor the walleye run … and of course to keep our eyes open for muskie. The mightiest of freshwater predator fish was not found, but we did capture 9 beautiful big walleye that were sampled, tagged and released. A couple of those were recaps from previous years … so that was interesting. Of interest to MC members as well no doubt, was an earlier in-the-week electro fishing exercise by MNRF and MOECC staff on the Talbot River when a total of 6 beautiful muskie were captured sampled and tagged. Five of those were ‘new’ fish, but one had a prior record … captured last year and tagged by our crew. As you may recall, those fish all turned out to have Kawartha strain genetics – not those of our stocked Georgian Bay Strain. We’ll see what DNA results say about the 2016 catch.

Unfortunately … early weather predictions for week two on G Pool are not the greatest … with even a touch of snow flurries forecast. We’ll cross our fingers though and hope for the best and we’ll happily report our findings to you a week from today. We’ll begin the week with MC volunteer Jim Crocker who will join MNRF staff Brent and Carloyn.

Have a great weekend everyone … and happy trout opener.

I’m sure I’ll see the usual friendly MC volunteers tomorrow at the annual Huck Finn Kids Fishing event in Uxbridge.

 

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The Wednesday night electro fishing crew with an average sized walleye sampled tagged and released from the Pefferlaw River. From left to right: MNRF biologist Adam Challice, former MNRF biologist Scott McGill, MC member Jim Kelly and Aurora Bassmaster Des Barnes.

 

 

Northern Map Turtles of various sizes and ages are a common by catch … and are always found in great shape and happily released … but sometimes they do become the centre of attention and pose for a couple of photos first. Here Kate Gee (left) and Brent Shirley display these species of special concern on day two of the program.

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Muskies Canada volunteer Dave Cunningham left holding a nice smallmouth bass, with MNRF  biologists Carolyn Hann right and Brent Shirley in background.trapnetting_002

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Did You Know ??

Pre-Spawn Chomp

Originally published in the Muskies Canada Release Journal –  March April 2008

From many angler observations, it appears female muskellunge will usually feed up in April before spawning activities start in early May. This behavior is witnessed by their presence at perch, crappie and other panfish runs and aggregations during the month of April.

This anecdote is passed on by Rob Cruise, the coordinator of a Muskies Canada telemetry project on the Madawaska Reservoir in the mid 1990s.

“Late last April, one of the radio collared muskellunge, a bruising 44 inch female( nicknamed Bess), was tracked to a location near a walleye spawning site just below the up stream dam and she remained there until after May 8.

This seemed strange because there was no typical muskie spawning habitat within miles. Concurrently the Arnprior Fish and Game Club were carrying out their annual walleye spawning bed census usually at night with spotlights, visually counting walleyes using the known spawning reefs on the reservoir.

One night in very early May, they reported seeing a large muskie ( with the external tag) stationed on the middle of a spawning reef surrounded by dozens of walleye. My guess is that Bess wasn’t there to lap up fresh spawn, but more likely to chomp down an amorous walleye or two.

Shortly after May 8th, Bess gave the trackers the slip for about a week. When she was finally found again she had moved 6 miles downstream to a large shallow flat, where ironically one of the tagged males had been residing for some time.

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2016 Hugh C. Becker Muskie Symposium

50 Years of Co-operation

March 13-15, Minneapolis, MN

Registration is now open. 

Download the schedule of speakers (.xlsx File – 17 KB). 

Abstracts for all talks and poster sessions

Keynote Speakers

Trophy Muskellunge Populations and Fisheries Can Be Sustainable

John M. Casselman*, Queen’s University, Department of Biology – Kingston ON

Jonah L. Withers, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

Thomas J. Howson, Trent University, Peterborough, ON

The Muskies Inc. Lunge Log Database . . . 370,000 Muskies and Growing

Kevin Richards*, Muskies Inc., Henley, MO

Juris Ozols, Muskies, Inc., Apple Valley, MN

Randy Lowewecke, Muskies, Inc., Rockford, IL

Jim Bunch, Muskies, Inc., Rochester, MN

 Anglers, Science, and Management

Going Wild: Canada’s Path to Sustainable Muskellunge Populations

Peter Levick, President, Muskies Canada Inc., Papineauville, QC

 Ontario’s Muskellunge Angler Log Program – 1979-2015

Dan Taillon*, Fisheries Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON

Davin Heinbuck*, National Research Director, Muskies Canada Inc., St. Mary’s, ON

 Characteristics of the Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) Fishery Based on Angler Diaries in the St. Lawrence River, Quebec (Canada).

Philippe Brodeur*, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, direction de la gestion de la faune Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec, Trois-Rivières, QC

Rémi Bacon, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, direction de la gestion de la faune Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec, Trois-Rivières, QC

Daniel Hatin, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, direction de la gestion de la faune Estrie-Montréal-Montérégie-Laval, Longueuil, QC

Volunteer Guides as a Novel Source of Data Collection for Riverine Muskellunge Populations in Northwest Wisconsin

Max Wolter, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Hayward, Wisconsin

 Muskellunge Stock Assessment in Two North-Central Minnesota Lakes Aided by Angler Participation.

Matthew C. Ward*, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Walker Area Fisheries, Walker, MN,

Loren M. Miller, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research, and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

Doug W. Schultz, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Walker Area Fisheries, Walker, MN

Carl A. Pedersen, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Walker Area Fisheries, Walker, MN

The Saint John River Muskellunge Tagging Project, 2006-2015.

Steven J. Kerr*, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (retired), Ennismore, ON.

Brandon Jones, Saint John River Chapter, Muskies Canada Inc., Upper Kingsclear, NB

Maintaining Momentum in Ohio’s Stocked Muskellunge Fisheries through an Angler Agency Partnership

Scott Hale*, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Columbus, OH

Kevin Page, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Hebron, OH

Curtis Wagner, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Akron, OH

A Management Tool for Biologists and an Online Fishing Resource for Anglers: An Introduction to the Ohio Muskie Angler Log

Curtis Wagner*, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Akron, OH

Kevin Page, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Hebron, OH

Edward Lewis, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Findlay, OH

  1. Scott Hale, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Columbus, OH

Integrating Voluntary Angler Catch Reports with Mark-Recapture Data to Model a Muskellunge Fishery in Clear Fork Reservoir, Ohio

Kevin Page, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Hebron, OH

Edward Lewis, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife, Findlay, OH

Assessment of a Riverine Muskellunge Population in Minnesota

Owen Baird*, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Brainerd, MN

Andrew J. Carlson, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Brainerd, MN

Loren M. Miller, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research, and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

Muskellunge Habitat

Spawning Habitat for Muskellunge Is Far More Variable Than We Ever Expected – Even 2 Years Ago.

Jim Diana1*, Kyle Battige1, Paul Cunningham3, Patrick Hanchin2, Cleyo Harris2, Terry Margenau3, John Molenhouse1, Joe Nohner1, Nick Popoff2, Dave Rowe3, Ashley Rust1, Mike Thomas2, and Sarah Zorn1.

1School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 2Michigan Department of Natural Resources

3Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Fine-Scale Features of Muskellunge Spawning Grounds in Georgian Bay

Dan Weller*, Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Patricia Chow-Fraser, Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

 Index of Nursery Habitat Suitability for Muskellunge in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron

John Paul Leblanc*, Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Patricia Chow-Fraser, Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

 Effects of Water Level and Substrate Slope on Availability of Suitable Habitat for Young-of-the-Year Muskellunge in Georgian Bay

Patricia Chow-Fraser*, Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

Dan Weller, Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON

 Habitat Use by age-0 Muskellunge in the Upper Niagara River, New York

Derek P. Crane*, Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC

Kevin L. Kapuscinski, School of Biological Sciences, Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

 Spring Flow Variability Associated With Muskellunge Recruitment on the Upper James River, VA

Daniel B. Goetz*, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Farmville, VA

Scott M. Smith, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Forest, VA

 Evaluating Spawning Habitat and Natural Recruitment of Great Lakes Spotted Muskellunge in Green Bay, Lake Michigan

Kyle Battige, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Fort Collins, CO

Jim Diana, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources, Ann Arbor, MI

David Rowe*, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fitchburg, WI

Muskellunge Population Dynamics 

St. Lawrence River Muskellunge and Effects of Invasive Species and VHSV: Population Indicators and Potential Effects of Emerging Viral Variants

John M. Farrell*, State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY

Rodman G. Getchell, Cornell University – College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY

Emily R. Cornwell, Cornell University – College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY

Die-Off of Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) in the Upper St. Lawrence River Caused by Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia, 2005–2008: Impacts and Consequences

John.M. Casselman*, Queen’s University, Department of Biology, Kingston, ON

Tom Lusk, Parks Canada, St. Lawrence Islands National Park, Mallorytown, ON

John.M. Farrell, State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY

Colin Lake, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Ontario Management Unit, Glenora Fisheries Station, Picton, ON

A Modeling Evaluation of Multiple Threats to Lake St. Clair Muskellunge

Jason Smith*, Little Travers Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Harbor Springs, MI

Daniel Hayes, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Mary Tate Bremigan, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Michael Thomas, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station, Harrison Twp., MI

Effect of Stocking and Biotic and Abiotic Factors on Muskellunge Recruitment in Northern Wisconsin Lakes

Todd S. Caspers1, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

Michael J. Hansen2*, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

Steven W. Hewett, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries Management, Madison, WI 

1Present address: North Dakota Game and Fish Department, Devils Lake, ND

2Present address: U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station, Millersburg, MI

Electrofishing Catchability of Juvenile Muskellunge in Northern Wisconsin Lakes

Janice Kerns1,2*, Daniel Isermann1,3, and Timothy Simonson4

1Fisheries Analysis Center, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

2Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

3U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

4Bureau of Fisheries Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI

Muskellunge Population Responses to Angler Catch and Release Practices in Escanaba Lake, WI, 1987 – 2015.

Lawrence D. Eslinger*, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries Management, Woodruff, WI

Greg G. Sass, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Science Services, Escanaba Lake Research Station, Boulder Junction, WI

Steven P. Newman (retired), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Science Services, Escanaba Lake Research Station, Boulder Junction, WI

Effects of Consumption-Oriented Versus Trophy-Oriented Fisheries on Muskellunge Population Size Structure in Northern Wisconsin

Matthew Faust1*, Fisheries Analysis Center, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

Michael Hansen2, Fisheries Analysis Center, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

1Present address: Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Sandusky, OH

2Present address: U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station, Millersburg, MI

Haters Gonna Hate (Esox edition): User-group Conflicts and Vigilante Justice in the Age of Social Media

Brian R. Murphy*, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Sasha S. Doss, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Can They Play Nicely? Creating and Managing A Two-Predator System

Sasha Doss*, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Joe Williams, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Blacksburg, VA

Brian R. Murphy, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Vic DiCenzo, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Leandro Castello, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

Muskellunge Biology, Ecology, and Life History

Feeding Habitats and Diet of the Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy): A Review

Steven J. Kerr, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (retired), Ennismore, Ontario

Tiger Muskellunge Diet and Effect on Target Prey Species in Curlew Lake, Washington

Marcus J. Divens*, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane, WA

William P. Baker, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Colville, WA

Bruce D. Bolding, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, WA

Seasonal Movements of Muskellunge in North Bend Lake, West Virginia.

Scott F. Morrison*, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Parkersburg, WV

Lila H. Warren, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Beckley, WV

West Virginia Muskellunge: Findings from Recent Telemetry Studies

Lila H. Warren, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Beckley WV

Movement of Muskellunge in the St. Croix River System

Joel Stiras,East Metro Area Fisheries Office, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN

A Field Portable Non-Lethal Muskellunge Tissue Sampling Device for the Analysis of Harmful Environmental Contaminants

Justen Poole*, Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Vincent Bessonneau, Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Jonathan Grandy, Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Janusz Pawliszyn, Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Genetics

A review of Muskellunge population genetics: implications for management and research directions

Loren M. Miller.1*, John M. Farrell2, Kevin L. Kapuscinski3, Kim Scribner4, Brian S. Sloss5, Keith Turnquist6, Chris C. Wilson7

1 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

2State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY

3School of Biological Sciences, CRW225, Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

4Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
5College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

6Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

7Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Trent University Peterborough, ON

 Genetic Insights into Wild Muskellunge Populations in Ontario

Chris Wilson, Aquatic Research Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Trent University, Peterborough, ON

Population Genomics of Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) in the St. Lawrence River and the Inland Waters of Québec (Canada): Impact of 47 years of Stocking and Management Implications of a Trophy Fishery

Anne Carrier*, Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, QC

Anne-Laure Ferchaud, Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, QC

Philippe Brodeur, 2Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, direction générale du secteur central, direction de la gestion de la faune Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec, 100 rue Laviolette, bureau 207, Trois-Rivières, G9A 5S9, Canada

John M.Farrell, State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY

Louis Bernatchez, Département de Biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes, Université Laval, Quebec, QC

Muskellunge Genetic Integrity and Structure in the Great Lakes: Implications for Propagation Programs

Keith Turnquist1*, John M. Farrell2, Kevin L. Kapuscinski 3, Loren M. Miller4, Kim Scribner5, Brian S. Sloss6, Chris C. Wilson7

1Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

2State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY

3School of Biological Sciences, CRW225, Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

4Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

5Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

6College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

7Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Trent University Peterborough, ON

Curtis P. Wagner1*, Illinois Natural History Survey, Kaskaskia Biological Station, Sullivan, IL

Max H. Wolter2, Illinois Natural History Survey, Kaskaskia Biological Station, Sullivan, IL

Corey S. DeBoom, Illinois Natural History Survey, Kaskaskia Biological Station, Sullivan, IL

Matthew J. Diana, Illinois Natural History Survey, Kaskaskia Biological Station, Sullivan, IL

Michael J. Weber, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

David H. Wahl, Illinois Natural History Survey, Kaskaskia Biological Station, Sullivan, IL

1 Present address: Ohio Division of Wildlife, Akron, OH

2 Present address: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Hayward, WI

Water wolves and tigers: testing for directional hybridization and introgression between Northern Pike (Esox lucius) and Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy)

Cait Nemeczek*, Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON

Joanna Freeland, Department of Biology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON

Chris Wilson, Aquatic Research Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Trent University, Peterborough, ON

Muskellunge Assessment Techniques

Using Long-term Mark-Recapture Data to Assess Muskellunge Population Characteristics: Application to Two Illinois Reservoirs
Neil P. Rude1*, David C. Glover2,William D. Hintz3, Shawn Hirst4, Rob Hilsabeck4, Wayne Herndon4, and Gregory W. Whitledge1

Presenting author email: nrude@siu.edu

1Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

2Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

3Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

4Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Murphysboro, IL

 A Comparison of Muskellunge Weight Estimation Equations to a Modified Length-Girth Technique

Jonathan R. Meerbeek, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Spirit Lake, IA

The Birth of a Muskie Lake: A Strategy for Assessing Survival, Age and Growth

Jordan G. Weeks, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Management, La Crosse, WI

Understanding Muskellunge Growth Using PIT-tag Recapture data in Lakes in Northwestern Wisconsin

Timothy Parks*, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Science Services, Spooner, WI

Jeff Kampa, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Management, Spooner, WI

Gene Hatzenbeler, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Management, Spooner, WI

Martin Jennings, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN

Assessment of Leech Lake Strain Musky Stocking in Lake Wissota, WI

Joseph Gerbyshak, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Management, Eau Claire, WI

A General Assessment of a Southern Riverine Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) Population

Jason M. Hallacher*, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Region 4 Aquatics, Verona, VA

Brad Fink, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Region 4 Aquatics, Verona, VA

Steve J. Reeser, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Region 4 Aquatics, Verona, VA

Population Estimate of Adult Muskellunge in Lake Bemidji

Anthony J. Kennedy, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Bemidji Area Fisheries Office, Bemidji, Minnesota, MN

Andrew L. Thompson,, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Bemidji Area Fisheries Office, Bemidji, Minnesota, MN

Andrew P. Wiering*, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Bemidji Area Fisheries Office, Bemidji, Minnesota, MN

Gary C. Barnard, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Bemidji Area Fisheries Office, Bemidji, Minnesota, MN

Regional Management Approaches

130 Years of Muskellunge Management on Chautauqua Lake

Christopher Legard, New York Department of Environmental Conservation, Buffalo, NY

Ontario’s Approach to the Management of Muskellunge

Dan Taillon, Fisheries Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON

Managing and Monitoring Muskellunge Populations in Eastern Georgian Bay and the North Channel of Lake Huron- A Twenty Year Retrospective

Arunas Liskauskas, Upper Great Lakes Management Unit, Lake Huron Office, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Owen Sound, ON

Managing Muskellunge in MN: Deliberate Steps to Better Fishing in the Next Two Decades

Mike Habrat*, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Detroit Lakes, MN

T.J. DeBates, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, MN

Steve Mero, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Grand Ripids, MN

Jim Wolters, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Fergus Falls, MN

Trends in Muskellunge Fishing Tournaments in a North Central Wisconsin County

Dave Seibel, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Management, Antigo, WI

Managing Muskie on the Fringe: An Examination of Nebraska’s Efforts to Provide Quality Fishing Outside the Native Range

Keith Koupal, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Kearney, NE

Muskellunge in Eastern South Dakota

Brian G. Blackwell*, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Webster, SD

David O. Lucchesi, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Sioux Falls, SD

Matthew J. Ward, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, Blue Dog State Fish Hatchery, Waubay, SD

Muskellunge Propagation and Stocking

Realized Effects of Implementing a Genetic Broodstock Management Plan for Muskellunge in Wisconsin.

Justin A. VanDeHey*, Fisheries Propagation Science Center, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

Zeb Woiak, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Center, Whitney Genetics Laboratory, 555 Lester Avenue Onalaska, WI 54650

Brian L. Sloss, Fisheries Propagation Science Center, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

Paternity Analysis of Pooled-Milt Spawning Practices for Muskellunge Broodstocks

Loren M. Miller, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Research, and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

Growth, Condition, and Short-term Survival of Age-0 Muskellunge Reared Using Two Different Techniques

Michael F. Vaske1*, Justin A. VanDeHey1, Dan J. Dembkowski1, Brian L. Sloss2, Tim D. Simonson3, Richard A. Klett4

1Fishery Propagation Science Center, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

2U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

3Bureau of Fisheries Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI

4Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wild Rose, WI

 An Overview of the Lake Simcoe Muskellunge Restoration Project

Gabrielle Liddle, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Aurora District, Aurora, ON

Poster Session

Influence of Habitat Additions on Survival, Growth, and Condition of Extensively-Reared Muskellunge

Daniel J. Dembkowski*, Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Fish Propagation Science Center, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

Steven Fajfer, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery, Wild Rose, WI

David Ewald, Fishiding Reclaimed Artificial Fish Habitat, Wonder Lake, IL

David Rowe*, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fitchburg, WI

Mike Rennicke, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fitchburg, WI

Scot Stewart, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Fitchburg, WI (retired)

Predicting Abundance of Adult Muskellunge in Northern Wisconsin Lakes

Janice Kerns1,2*, Daniel Isermann1,3, Timothy Simonson4, Joseph Hennessy4, and Thomas Cichosz4

1Fisheries Analysis Center, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

2Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

3U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

4Bureau of Fisheries Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI

Long-Term Changes in Wisconsin’s Muskellunge Fishery

Timothy D. Simonson, Bureau of Fisheries Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI

Effects of a 40-inch Minimum Length Limit on Muskellunge in Wisconsin Lakes

Timothy D. Simonson, Bureau of Fisheries Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI

Development of a cooperative relationship with the Wisconsin Department of Resources (WDNR) for the purpose of side by side research of differential species of Muskellunge Stocking.

Winston John Hopkins, Capital City Muskies Inc., Madison, WI

Brood Source Identification and the Effects of Supplementation on Muskellunge in the Great Lakes

Patrick Hanchin1*, Brian L. Sloss2, Keith Turnquist3, Kevin Kapuscinski4, John Farrell5, Loren Miller6, Kim Scribner7, and Chris Wilson8

1Charlevoix Fisheries Station, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Charlevoix, MI

2College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

3Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI

4School of Biologial Sciences, CRW225, Lake Superior State University, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

5State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY

6Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Department of Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

7Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

8Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Trent University Peterborough, ON

Publié le

The Saint John River Muskellunge Tagging Project, 2006 – 2015

January 2016 – Steven Kerr and Brandon Jones

A Saint. John River Muskellunge
A Saint. John River Muskellunge (Muskies Canada photo)

Executive Summary

This document has been prepared to summarize results of a muskellunge tagging project which has been conducted on the Saint John River, New Brunswick, from 2006 to 2015 (inclusive).  During that period of time, 691 muskellunge have been angled, tagged and released by members of the Sait John River chapter of Muskies Cnada Inc.  a total of 64 (9.3%) tagged muskellunge were recaptured by angling.  an additional four tagged fish were captured at the Mactaquac Dam fishway.

Most muskellunge were observed to establish discrete summer home ranges from which there was little, if any, movement.  Transitional movements are believed to occur during the spring and fall associated with spawning and the establishment of summer and winter ranges.  Muskellunge movements which were documented in this study occurred in both upstream and downstream directions in almost equal proportion.  Muskellunge also demonstrated the ability to move long distances both upstream and downstream including passage over/through the Mactaquac dam.

Results regarding muskellunge behavior and movements from this study, to date, are generally consistent with observations (small home ranges, males more sedentary than females, movements seasonal in nature, capable of long distance movements, etc.) reported from similar tagging studies in other North American jurisdictions.

It is proposed that future efforts be directed to obtaining more information on recaptured fish.  With additional recapture information, a more detailed analysis of muskellunge in the Saint John watershed can be completed.

Read the full report by clicking the link below (pdf)

St. John River Tagging Project , 2006-2015 (Final)

 

Publié le

Feeding Habits and Diet of the Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy): a Review of Potential Impacts on Resident Biota

January 2016 – Report prepared by Steven J. Kerr for Muskies Canada Inc. and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Executive Summary

The Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) is known as a voracious apex predator.  In instances where muskellunge are extending their range, either through intentional or inadvertent introduction and natural range extension, concerns have been identified about the potential negative impacts on resident fishes and aquatic biota.  This review has been conducted to assemble information on muskellunge predatory habits and diet as well as interspecific competition with other species.

Muskellunge prey on a wide variety of organisms but prefer other fishes.  Predation is based largely on whatever species in available at the preferred size.  There is a considerable amount of evidence to indicate that Muskellunge prefer soft-rayed fishes and the availability of soft-rayed prey cound determine the degree of predation on other species.

Generally, there a few definitive studies to quantify impacts (if any) of Muskellunge on other fish species.  There is very little evidence to indicate that Muskellunge have a significant negative impact on populations of other popular sport fish species including Walleye, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass.  In fact, there are numerous instances where these fish species successfully co-habit the same waterbody.  Since Muskellunge seldom occupy coldwater habitats, their interactions with coldwater fishes (i.e. salmonids and coregonids) are poorly understood.  This is an area which requires future study.

Potential negative impacts of Muskellunge on other fish species are probably related to the size of waterbody and the composition of the resident fish community.  Larger waterbodies and those waters having a diverse forage fish community seem to be relatively unaffected by the presence of Muskellunge.  The presence/abundance of soft-rayed fish species likely reduces the predation on other resident fish species.

Other fish species can have negative impacts on the Muskellunge.  Northern Pike are known to have a competitive advantage over Muskellunge where they coexist.  Young Muskellunge are also subject to predation by other fishes including Largemouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Rock Bass and Walleye.

Based on this literature review several recommendations are offered.  These are related to initiating more quantified studies to document impacts (if any) when Muskellunge are introduced or become established in new waters, utilizing  new state-of-the-art techniques to determine diets and predatory-prey relationships amongst a broader range of fish community types (including salmonids and species at risk), and developing efforts to improve the public perception of Muskellunge.

The full report is available by clicking the link below.

Feeding Habits and Diet of Muskellunge (Final)

 

 

Publié le

The Lake Simcoe Muskellunge Restoration Project

Introduction

Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy; « muskie ») are native to Lake Simcoe and were once quite common.  Lake Simcoe had a commercial fishery for muskie in the 1800s, which closed in 1904.  The muskie population started to decline in the 1930s due to a number of factors, including harvest, habitat loss, and changes to the Lake Simcoe fish communities.  The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and forestry (MNRF) socked the lake with fry and fingerlings during 1936 0 1969.  The brood stock was taken from the Kawartha Lakes and this introduction proved unsuccessful, possibly because this strain was not able to co-exist with northern pike.   The recreational fishery for muskie on Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching closed in 2005.

lsmrp_017
Brent Shirley from MNRF Midhurst District (left) and Wil Wegman from MNRF Aurora District with one of the muskie from Gloucester pool used for egg collections in the spring of 2015

By the early 2000s, a feasibility study and a habitat inventory determined that restoring the native muskie fishery to Lake Simcoe was a feasible fisheries management goal.  The study noted that efforts towards habitat restoration include broader benefits for the entire aquatic community.

Why Stock Muskie?

Muskie are a highly prized game fish.  They were once a significant member of the native fish community in Lake Simcoe and the goal is to make that happen once again.  The objective of the Lake Simcoe Muskellunge Restoration Project (LSMRP) is to re-establish a self-sustaining muskie population which does not rely on continuous stocking efforts.   To reach this objective, MNRF is stocking muskie to facilitate natural reproduction, evaluating the muskie population in Lake Simcoe through time, and enhancing muskie spawning and nursery habitats.  The Georgian Bay strain, which utilize similar spawning habitats and co-exist with northern pike, is seen to be a goo fit for Lake Simcoe stocking.  Although other populations around Lake Simcoe were tested for genetics, Gloucester Pool (near Port Severn) was the lake chosen as the most feasible source of Georgian Bay strain muskie for egg collections.

Muskie Stocking

The LSMRP began in 2005 and continues through to 2015 with support of key partners including Muskies Canada, Fleming College, Orillia Fish and Game Club and the Ontario Federation of anglers and Hunters.  During the fall of 2015, approximately 4,000 muskie were stocked; more than in any other year previously.  this brings the total number of young, hatchery-raised muskie fall fingerlings into Lake Simcoe through the LSMRP at 15,673.  Locations for the 2015 stocking included: Barnstable Bay, Talbot River, Talbot River mouth area, south side of Georgina Island, Cook’s Bay east and Cook’s Bay west.

Raising Muskie

Typically, there are two hatcheries where the fish are raised -= Fleming College in Lindsay and MNRF’s Blue Jay Creek on Manitoulin Island.  However, one of the key reasons we were able to stock more muskie in 2015 was the addition of MNRF’s Harwood Fish Culture Station.  Staff here offered to raise 700 surplus muskies (from Fleming College) and they did a great job raising these fish which contributed to the overall total stocked.  All three hatcheries experienced excellent success.  Muskie raised in these hatcheries are marked with Coded-Wire Tags.  If encountered during monitoring efforts, these Lake Simcoe muskie can be scanned with a device by MNRF staff that tells them if the muskie is stocked or or natural origin.  Genetic tests will also confirm their origin.

2015 Egg Collection

The spring eff collection on Gloucester Pool in 2015 was extremely successful.  Staff from MNRG’s Aurora and Midhurst Districts (both are responsible for managing Lake Simcoe) combined efforts once again to set six trap nets to capture muskie for the egg collection.  Staff captured 11 muskies and enough eggs were collected (~60,000 eggs) to fill both hatcheries to capacity.  All muskie captured in the nets are quickly sampled (measured, scales and spine taken for aging) and then tagged before they are carefully live released.

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Of course other species of fish are captured in the trap nets as well and staff record their numbers before they are live released. Below are the results of the bi-catch for both 2014 and 2015

Species 2014 2015
Yellow Perch 71 21
Rock Bass 77 199
Pumpkinseed Sunfish 221 239
Bluegill Sunfish 6 22
Black Crappie 198 210
Northern Pike 150 249
Longnosed Gar 4 57
Common Carp 2 8
Brown Bullhead 1,195 1,106
Channel Catfish 3 14
Smallmouth Bass 83 132
Largemouth Bass 115 216
Walleye 0 216
Round Goby 1 0
White Sucker 1 0
Northern Map Turtle 12 26
Stinkpot (Musk) Turtle 1 3
Bowfin 7 19
Total 2,050 2,509

Total 2,050 2,509

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Muskies Canada began an Adopt A Muskie Program in 2015 that allows donors to pledge $20.00 to help pay for the expenses of raising these your fish.

During the course of the year staff from all three hatcheries network regularly with one another, which helps maximize their efforts to raise healthy young muskie.  This year, Mark Newell, the manager of the Fleming Hatchery even developed a Facebook page set up for stakeholders and the public to follow the process in his hatchery of raising muskie from eggs to 7-12 inch fall fingerlings.  Muskies Canada began an Adopt A Muskie Program in 2015 that allows donors to pledge $20.00 to help pay for the expenses of raising these your fish. To learn how you can adopt your own muskie visit:  Adopt A Muskie

Notables

  • Over the years, lessons learned from the hatcheries help build a strong science-based approach to wild muskie rearing for the Province
  • Muskie eggs, feeder fish, and a small percentage of fingerlings are tested annually for diseases including Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS). Once again, all fish came back disease free in 2015
  • In November, 2011 the Lake Simcoe Muskie Restoration Project was selected as the winner of the Canadian Fishing Hall of Fame, Conservation Award

Lake Simcoe Muskie Monitoring

MNRF has several ongoing monitoring and habitat enhancement programs in place through Aurora District and Lake Simcoe Fisheries Assessment Unit.

Prior to 2014, 1998 was the last year MNRF caught and sampled a muskie on Lake Simcoe.  In the spring of 2014 however, MNRF utilized an electro-fishing boat to target historical known spawning areas and captured, sampled, tagged and released five muskie.  DNA testing afterwards proved these fish were of Kawartha lakes strain – not the stocked Georgian Bay strain.  These individual fish likely came through the Trent System but were obviously thriving in Simcoe.  During the spring of 2015, three additional muskie were caught electro-fishing, but these to were of Kawartha origin.

Over time, MNRF has documented some anecdotal evidence of the occasional muskie catch from anglers who inadvertently caught (and released) muskie when targeting other species.  For example in 2015, a bass angler in Cook’s Bay caught and released a muskie.  This location is on the opposite end of the lake from where the Kawartha Lakes strain muskie were sampled.  Between this sighting and others that have been reported, there is a possibility that this elusive fish of the Lake Simcoe or Georgian Bay strain could be surviving in Lake Simcoe one again.

In 2016 MNRF staff and partners look forward to another successful year for the Lake Simcoe Muskie Restoration Program. Until then a BIG thank you to all the organizations who have supported this project over the years:

• Muskies Canada

• Fleming College

• Orillia Fish and Game Club

• Twin Lakes Conservation Club

• Lafontaine Fish and Game Club

• North Simcoe Hunters and Anglers

• Georgian Bay Hunters and Anglers

• Georgian Bay Bassmasters

• Gloucester Pool Cottage Association

• The Sexsmith family

• Ontario Streams

• Toronto Region Conservation Authority

• Department of Fisheries and Oceans

• Aurora Bassmasters

• Environment Canada

• Wisconsin DNR

• Midhurst District (MNRF)

• Aurora District (MNRF)

• Upper Great Lakes Management Unit (MNRF)

• MNRF Fish Policy Section

• Blue Jay Creek Fish Hatchery (MNRF)

• Harwood Fish Culture Station (MNRF)

• Lake Simcoe Fisheries Assessment Unit (MNRF)

• …AND OTHERS!