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| Jump to page : 1 2 Now viewing page 2 [25 messages per page] Walleye Fishing -> General Discussion -> New Culling Poll |
| Message Subject: New Culling Poll | |||
Rick Larson |
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| Jerry, here is a link to a workshop attended by various fisheries bioligists discussing live release tournaments (read the heading paragraph). Please scroll down a bit and you will find Report 6 issued by Kendall Kamke of the Wisconsin DNR. This report is the findings of a study on live fish that were put through the process of a tournament weigh-in, then studied in a controlled enviroment. You will be shocked to learn that all but one tournament caught fish lived past the study. http://ws3.coopfish.siu.edu/walleye_tech/sum2000mtg.htm Hgmeyer, I am ready to quit this discussion. Its getting old to read how you and others are interpeting my post as 'against' tournaments instead of culling. One last final thought and this is over for me: The most important number in this equation is the fish. With no fish there would be no fisherman, no license sales, no bait sales, and no boat & motor sales. And finally, no tournaments!!! Edited by Rick Larson 6/8/2004 9:03 PM | |||
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| tyee |
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Member Posts: 1406 | Rick, Thanks for posting this it sheds some light on Walleye tournaments! Although Culling is not really the issue in the report but the results of Catch and release are very interesting, It is nice to know that our DNR is now activley able to control some of these issues and generate more data regarding this subject. Good Luck Tyee | ||
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| Sunshine |
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Member Posts: 2393 Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Here’s the report that Rick References: Walleye tournaments in Wisconsin. Kendall Kamke, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, [email protected] To assess delayed mortality for tournament caught walleye on the Winnebago system, two groups of tournament fish were held for 4-5 days after two tournaments, as well as a control group. One group of tournament fish was “fizzed” while the other was not. Control group fish were captured using electrofishing gear the day following the tournaments. Fish were held in live cages in the lake for one tournament and in DNR stocking trucks for the second tournament. During the 1st 48 hours for the cage-held fish, the “not fizzed” group had better survival than the “fizzed” group (78 vs. 24%). The control group had 96% survival for this same time period. However, past this columnaris developed in all three groups. By day 5, all but 1 fish from each of the two tournament groups was dead, and the control fish had suffered 44% mortality. Algae accumulation on the webbing of the cages was also a problem. The results from the stocking truck held fish were different. After 48 hours, both tournament caught groups had only 6% mortality, but the control group had suffered over 44% mortality. Past 48 hours, columnaris again developed and was a problem. Final mortality after 4 days for truck held fish was 18% for “not fizzed”, 39% for “fizzed”, and 56% for control. The experiment will be repeated again next year with changes in the number of fish held, different procedures, and better equipment to see if more reliable results can be obtained. Yea Rick, I am shocked that by day 5, all but 1 fish from each of the two tournament groups was dead. But I was also shocked that the control fish (captured using electrofishing gear) had suffered 44% mortality. It looks/reads to me that there was a major problem with columnaris and algae accumulation. This report is difficult to accept as valid because of the control group mortality. I’m sure that you are not proclaiming that the DNR should stop using electro-fishing gear after seeing a 44% mortality rate. Looks to me like there may be a valid argument for NOT having the lay person fizz fish. This does not surprise me at all. I question the use of the holding pens. Looks like the results from using the stocking truck are more acceptable. After 48 hours, both tournament caught groups had only 6% mortality, this seems acceptable. But the control group had suffered over 44% mortality AGAIN. What’s up with that? It would be interesting to know the depth and water temperature in the holding pen. Anyone know what causes columnaris? Is handling the problem regardless of how the fish were captured? I hope that Kendall is around and reads this thread. I’d like his take on this report. It always helps to get the perspective from the expert. | ||
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| Richfish |
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Member Posts: 540 Location: Milw, WI | The shocking of fish for surveys has along history of fish kills. Many lakes have lost many large fish to these surveys. Once again walleyes sink to the bottom when dead and it is really never known how many pass away from this practice. It will be controversial as long as it is used, and not publicly expossed to the hazards of this practice. There was one case that made headlines a few years back , up in northern WI. The day after the survey a amount of large walleyes blew up on shore due to heavy winds. The fish were dissected and cause of dead was due to the electro shocking. The current introduced to the water cause the muscles to violently spasm. This causes the fish to swim to the surface, to be collected. Small tears(torn muscles and brain tissue) accure and the fish are brused to death. One thing that this studys #'s proves is that the DNR needs to re-think its collection methods. By the way the WWA's must have been catch and kills this past weekend because those fish in the photos look like they were dead for awhile, bet there was not a good release % this past weekend. | ||
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| Sunshine |
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Member Posts: 2393 Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Rich, Thanks for the info. Your explanation is great food for thought. | ||
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| jerry |
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Member Posts: 2567 Location: Manitowoc, WI | Very nice reply Dennis to Rick's post. That is some very interesting information regarding the holding of fish. Sounds like any study with regards to fish mortality where fish are held for a period more than 36-48 hours has some hidden variables. This would lend credence to the thought that fish mortality is actually lower than origianlly found by the DNR. Sounds like a need for a better device to study these post-tournament fish exists, at least, in Lake Winnebago. | ||
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| Rick Larson |
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| Sunshine, Anything that wastefully kills gamefish is unwarranted. Electro-shocking is needed as a means to gather information, and as such, is not a waste. Much different than poorly handled fish being bounced around in the livewell for a half-day and released, probably to die, and then replaced by a fat spawner fish for the table. Not sure what others think, but my opinion is that smaller fish have a much higher chance of being a male, and any larger fish a female. Culling will have many continuing to fish, after they have a limit of small fish in the livewell. As the fishers continue fishing, these smaller fish will be replaced by the larger. It is clear, culling will lead to more harvesting of larger fish. As for tournament anglers? Sure, alot of fish die. Whether this study is valid or not, I haven't a clue. I have only done the research to find it. However, do think it should be discussed as many tournament anglers are glib (showing little thought or concern) to believe they do not kill fish. But hey, as long as there are plenty of fish, and not to many large boats disturbing the other users, then I have no problems with tournaments. Matter-of-fact, they are very exciting and think anyone who wants to, should be able to experience this thrill. | |||
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| hgmeyer |
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Member Posts: 794 Location: Elgin, Illinois | Rick... Dennis... and others... Seems like I may have some information about columnaris... It occurrs often in pen raised fish. It may have many conributing factors related to water quality and handling... However (see http://srac.tamu.edu/479bfs.pdf) it appears that overcrowding and pen/cage abrasions is the leading cause. That fits with the statistics in the report cited by Rick. It would seem that the open water pens made of soft netting in the study referred to by Jack Dunn in the other thread are a better method (only 6% mortality after three days). | ||
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