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| Message Subject: DNR/Saginaw Bay 2004 Trawl Results. | |||
walleye express |
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 Member Posts: 2680 Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Just received this fresh news from my DNR biologist bud, and thought I'd share it with anybody interested in the Saginaw Bay. It's kind of a mixed bag of good news/bad news for the future walleye and perch fishery on the Bay. This survey is conducted each September by the DNR Fisheries Division. Trawling is performed by the R/V Channel Cat from the Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station and Gillnetting by the R/V Chinook from the Alpena Fisheries Research Station. Trawling collects mostly juveniles of game species and smaller prey species. Gillnetting samples some juveniles and adults of game species. Together they provide good coverage of the overall fish community. These initial impressions are based on field observations by the research biologists involved (Dave Fielder and Mike Thomas). Actual data analysis and additional lab work has yet to take place and final conclusions may differ from these preliminary impressions. The record 2003 year class of walleye first measured as young-of-the-year (YOY) last year in the bay were not nearly as abundant this year. The corresponding catch rate in the gillnets suggested that they were only as abundant as the previous record year class (1998) but no more so. The 2003 walleye year class is still very large and will greatly benefit the fishery, but unfortunately appears to have suffered considerable mortality since first measured in 2003. The 2004 walleye year class (as measured this year at the YOY stage) is also very abundant. This constitutes the third strong walleye year class in a row (since 2002). However, the average size of these YOY walleye was very small this year. This means they will be vulnerable to more over winter mortality, especially if the coming winter is harsh. The record yellow perch year class first measured as YOY last year in the bay were vastly reduced in number this year (measured as yearlings). Their numbers were more than 90% less than last year. Like the walleye, they appear to have been diminished by mortality. The 2004 yellow perch year class (this year’s YOY) were again very abundant although not as great as last year. However, they also appear to be small in size and will potentially experience high over winter mortality. Adult perch were not widely abundant but those that were present were very large and fat. Adult walleye numbers appeared typical of recent years. Young-of-the-year alewives were very scarce in this year’s survey. Normally Saginaw Bay is one of the principal nursery grounds for alewives in Lake Huron. Their near absence this year suggests that the Lake Huron alewife population will likely get little boost next year (at least not from the Saginaw Bay source). Overall prey numbers of bay-resident species such as spottail shiners and trout-perch remain very abundant (in the bay). Round gobies continue to be found throughout the bay in large numbers. Whitebass YOY numbers in 2004 were high for the second consecutive year after an extended period of low catch rates in the trawls. Overall, we see the fish community of Saginaw Bay continuing to experience very strong percid (perch and walleye) production (since about 2002). The strong perch and walleye year classes still bode well for the future of those fisheries in the bay. Unfortunately, the resulting year class strength is not nearly as large as first indicated by last years sampling. Analysis of the data collected this September will continue this winter and these observations will be refined into quantitative descriptions. Emphasis will be placed on understanding what factors are limiting percid survival. I'd also like to add that the DNR, the clubs and people involved in the artificial rearing ponds around the state, planted a new record of 2,176.062 (pond raised) fingerlings in the Bay this summer. Hopefully, I'll soon have the breakdown of just where and how many each area around the Bay got. If I do, I'll post it. Edited by walleye express 10/1/2004 3:37 PM | ||
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| sworrall |
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Location: Rhinelander | Thanks for the report, sir. I like that fishery but am not able to get there much. I used to fish Bass while the Walleye anglers were out during the tournaments I attended there, and really did well. | ||
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| walleye express |
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Member Posts: 2680 Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | Steve. I agree. The Bass numbers of both Smallies and Large Mouth have been stedily on the rise for the last few years on the Bay. But Bass fishing itself, is still done by only a few dedicated enthusiests. Kinda like the way Canadians feel about perch. They just dont understand the interest we have in them. It's the same with our local residents around the Bay concerning bass. Edited by walleye express 10/1/2004 7:24 PM | ||
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| walleye express |
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Member Posts: 2680 Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | I'll say one thing about my DNR bud. When you ask him a question, he really goes out of his way to answer it. Example Below. I also want to personally thank Dave Fielder (my friend) and all the fisheries and DNR people, along with local and other area walleye club volunteers who keep our walleye fishery alive. >>> Dave. Could I get a record of where you guys planted the fingerlings this past summer? And have you guys ever done and or have a study, on the impact of the Zebra Mussels? I mean, have they removed so much of the zooplankton and other micro food organisms from the water column, that the good natural reproductions we are getting from the 2002 precids along with this years production, are starving to death or being stunted because of it? I'd also like to see a picture of a trout perch you mentioned on the trawl report. I never heard of such a thing in all my 52 years fishing the Bay. Dan. First in answer to your other question about where the fingerlings were stocked. Yes we have that recorded but I don't have immediate access to it. I'd have to go looking for it. They all went into the bay from Tawas all the way around to Bay Port (I think), at least Fish Point for sure. I don't assign much significance to where they were acutally released because (1) they will spread out and move away long before the become big enough to keep and (2) they don't really home back to their stocking site much. Consequently, as far as fishing goes, the exact release site will have little impact. With regards to zebra mussels. Yes there has been studies but not many specific to Saginaw Bay. My best guess, however, is no, I don't think zebra mussels are at the heart of the first year mortality because these fish were already big enough to be well past dependence on zooplankton. The walleyes for example were well into eating prey fish even by that first fall (last year). The yellow perch were still small enough that some of them may not have been fully onto a prey fish diet. A common problem with yellow perch populations is that to achieve good growth (and hence good survivial) they often have a period of transition when zooplankton are no longer enough and yet they are not big enough to fully eat prey fish yet. Its during that stage that they do best if they can have a ready supply of very large invertebrates. That most often is Hexigenia (mayfly larvae), but there are others possibilities too. Saginaw Bay's mayfly population is not well recovered to historic proportions. On the whole, the bay is still heavily over grazed on its invertebrate resources (zooplankton and other larger organisms too) principally because of the over abundance of planktvorous fishes in the bay. Zebra mussels have not helped this situation, but I don't think we can hang the whole thing on them either. The overgrazing is principally attributed to the abundance of alewives in most years. You will recall that one of our main walleye recovery objectives is to get predation rates up to help crop down the abundant planktivores, partly so as to help with perch. The R/V Channel Cat crew did grab some zooplankton samples this fall. We're thinking too that we may sample some more next spring and summer. There's no question that zooplankton abundance can be an important factor. My best guess is that both the walleye and yellow perch 2003 year class suffered considerable over-winter mortality. This is the time period that always claims the most young-of-the-year fish due to the thermal stess. That's normal to an extent and not unexpected especially when you have a big year class as that elevates competition. Last winter was harsher than many that we have had in recent years. There's an outside chance that with such high densities that the young perch and walleye out migrated to parts of the bay or main basin that was outside our survey area but I really doubt that. This data raises new questions with implications for our recovery objectives. Its unusual events like the record walleye and perch production of 2003 that allows us to 'test' the system and see it respond in new ways. I've learned that no one ever figures out Saginaw Bay completely. If you think you do, something always changes and its like a whole new puzzle. Still, the 2003 walleye and perch year classes are strong (at least the walleye still is) despite the apparent reductions. Its also good to remember that the 2002 year class was pretty decent for walleye and the 2004 walleye year class is decent. It may be that progress is best made by steady recruitment as opposed to giant leaps. The 2004 yellow perch year class is again enormous. So we'll get another chance to see what can happen for perch. There's still more reasons to be optimistic than pessimistic. Many of the 2003 walleyes will be reaching 15 inches by next year so we'll see them enter the fishery, some as early as next spring. Here's a couple of links to see what a trout-perch looks like; http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife...id/trtperch.htm http://www.rook.org/earl/bwca/natur.../percopsis.html http://www.fisheries.org/AFSmontana...Trout-perch.htm http://www.gen.umn.edu/research/fis...rout_perch.html The interesting thing is that although they are extremely abundant in the bay, very little will eat them. They are the perfect size prey and no spines but still we rarely see them in the diet of any predators. They must taste bad or something. -Dave Edited by walleye express 10/3/2004 9:07 AM | ||
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