08-25-2008, 02:11 PM
Jim, I replied to several of the questions or comments within a few replies in this thread, but we did stock the tigers hoping they will utilize burbot. Glad you didn't fall asleep during the "winded" commentary. I replied to a few more of your comments below.
I'm curious about the kokanee population guesses. Is that from hydroacustics done recently, or from some other method of estimating their numbers?
Those population abundance estimates are generated from hydroacoustic/trawl sampling performed in September of 2007. That's performed annually with the next sampling event planned this week, during the night of the new moon. I'm hoping for an increase in kokanee abundance, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.
Both samples taken together, however, should be more representative of the population as a whole. Unfortunately, the only "stomach" samples I ever get are tails sticking out the throats of caught fish, and that's only about one in 25 that we catch most of the year, and about one in six or eight during a brief spring period after you guys feed 'em! I have yet to see a burbot tail in one.
You're right, the ol' saying "it takes a community to raise a child", well it takes about the same to monitor or manage a fishery. All the information is important, and the resource agencies can only do so much throughout the year. In a perfect world we would be out there once a month, tracking diet, abundance, condition, etc. but we all know that's not logistically feasible.
We netted over 200 macks lakewide during a 2 week period this spring. Big fish continue to show good condition, which is what you're seeing. There was a slight decrease in condition for macks smaller than 25 inches and we'll be watching to see if that trend continues next spring. I suspect burbot could impact those smaller macks, because they too utilize crayfish. Some macks are making a living off burbot (angling reports), but for the most part they are persuing kokes and bows.
I hope the long term plans are to continue to pay for, raise, and stock kokanee and rainbows in sufficient numbers to BOTH provide a fishery and feed the macks. That's the only equation I ever see working, especially with the new fish on the block.
We're already moving there. Somewhere around 500K kokanee were stocked this spring by the Fish and Wildlife Service, UDWR, and WYG&F. That number is variable from year to year, but in the future we're hoping to stock 1 million. It's historically been dependent on the intensity of Strawberry Res. runs in Utah. This fall, eggs will be taken from the Sheep Creek and possibly Henry's Fork runs, to be raised and re-stocked back into FGR. We had a good run in Sheep Creek last fall, and hopefully that occurs this year, providing a good egg take.
About 450K Eagle Lake rainbows are stocked annually by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Starting next year, those quotas will creep up, until 1 million bows are stocked. They'll eventually be about 1/2 Eagle Lakes and 1/2 Kamploops.
Currently we have the zooplankton in the reservoir that will support such a stocking effort. We'll monitor zooplankton densities along with kokanee and rainbow trout condition on an annual basis, so we can refine the stocking quotas if needed.
Hope it helps, Ryno
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I'm curious about the kokanee population guesses. Is that from hydroacustics done recently, or from some other method of estimating their numbers?
Those population abundance estimates are generated from hydroacoustic/trawl sampling performed in September of 2007. That's performed annually with the next sampling event planned this week, during the night of the new moon. I'm hoping for an increase in kokanee abundance, so we'll keep our fingers crossed.
Both samples taken together, however, should be more representative of the population as a whole. Unfortunately, the only "stomach" samples I ever get are tails sticking out the throats of caught fish, and that's only about one in 25 that we catch most of the year, and about one in six or eight during a brief spring period after you guys feed 'em! I have yet to see a burbot tail in one.
You're right, the ol' saying "it takes a community to raise a child", well it takes about the same to monitor or manage a fishery. All the information is important, and the resource agencies can only do so much throughout the year. In a perfect world we would be out there once a month, tracking diet, abundance, condition, etc. but we all know that's not logistically feasible.
We netted over 200 macks lakewide during a 2 week period this spring. Big fish continue to show good condition, which is what you're seeing. There was a slight decrease in condition for macks smaller than 25 inches and we'll be watching to see if that trend continues next spring. I suspect burbot could impact those smaller macks, because they too utilize crayfish. Some macks are making a living off burbot (angling reports), but for the most part they are persuing kokes and bows.
I hope the long term plans are to continue to pay for, raise, and stock kokanee and rainbows in sufficient numbers to BOTH provide a fishery and feed the macks. That's the only equation I ever see working, especially with the new fish on the block.
We're already moving there. Somewhere around 500K kokanee were stocked this spring by the Fish and Wildlife Service, UDWR, and WYG&F. That number is variable from year to year, but in the future we're hoping to stock 1 million. It's historically been dependent on the intensity of Strawberry Res. runs in Utah. This fall, eggs will be taken from the Sheep Creek and possibly Henry's Fork runs, to be raised and re-stocked back into FGR. We had a good run in Sheep Creek last fall, and hopefully that occurs this year, providing a good egg take.
About 450K Eagle Lake rainbows are stocked annually by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Starting next year, those quotas will creep up, until 1 million bows are stocked. They'll eventually be about 1/2 Eagle Lakes and 1/2 Kamploops.
Currently we have the zooplankton in the reservoir that will support such a stocking effort. We'll monitor zooplankton densities along with kokanee and rainbow trout condition on an annual basis, so we can refine the stocking quotas if needed.
Hope it helps, Ryno
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