walleyemaxx
10-16-2010, 10:50 AM
Hi everyone,
Here is some excellent news. I found this article in the SAWYER COUNTY RECORD
Tribal Fish Hatchery stocks 13,000 walleyes in Big Chip
The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Fish Hatchery had another successful production year in 2010.
According to Fisheries Biologist Paul Christel, a total of 13,012 extended-growth walleyes were raised at the hatchery on Jasek Road and were stocked in the Chippewa Flowage this fall.
“We basically put all our other management objectives on hold and threw everything we had at the Flowage this year,” Christel said. “The size of the fish we raised this year is significant,” he added. “Our walleyes averaged 8.32 inches, the largest average size we’ve had to date. This is almost three inches larger than the young-of-the-year (YOY) walleye that are out in the Flowage from natural reproduction (NR). NR YOY walleye out there are five and a half inches or so. The larger fish will have an edge for evading predators and catching prey.
“It’s noteworthy that there was evidence of some natural reproduction by walleye in the Flowage this season,” Christel added. “Boom shocking by Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) crews showed about five young-of-the-year walleye per mile of shoreline. While this is still very low, it is considerably better than the results of last year’s shocking, which showed less than one per mile.”
The Voight Task Force minimum figure for sustainable natural reproduction is 12 YOY per mile of shoreline, Christel said. Historically, the Flowage has averaged about 80 YOY per mile. Natural reproduction rates have only reached that average in one of the last seven years. The last “boom” year class was in 2005 (99 YOY per mile).
“This year is the third year in a row that I would consider a bust for natural reproduction,” Christel added.
“This level of stocking is helpful, but it’s really a band-aid measure,” he said. “Even with a little natural reproduction contribution this year, the stocking only gets densities up to around 60 percent of the minimum Voight goal of 12 YOY per mile.
“We need to come at this from every angle, not just stocking, to tip the balances back more in favor of the walleye,” Christel said. “This is a goal anglers should support whether you like to fish walleye or bass. Right now the high density of largemouth bass in the Flowage is having the double negative effect of greatly reducing the survival of YOY walleyes and reducing growth rates of the bass.
“The most promising long-term solution is overhauling the regulation setup for bass on the Chippewa Flowage and other waters with similar issues, to allow more largemouth bass to be harvested,” he said. “Unfortunately, regulation changes can take years.”
Christel said the LCO Tribe is looking into adding more production ponds at the LCO Hatchery, but that could take awhile, too.
He thanked the Chippewa Flowage Area Property Owners Association and Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin, which donated $11,000 to help with this years forage cost. .
He also thanked everyone who attended the Big Chip Fish Fest at The Landing in June and the Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin Ice Fishing Tournament on Lac Courte Oreilles last February — the organizations’ two primary fund-raising activities.
“With the early spring and the additional funds we were able to really pour the coals to the fish and get them up to the size we were looking for,” Christel said.
He also thanked the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility at Bayfield and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their help this season.
Thank you LCO. You truly are leaders in conservation. I urge everyone to support the LCO tribe in their efforts.
Walleyemaxx
Here is some excellent news. I found this article in the SAWYER COUNTY RECORD
Tribal Fish Hatchery stocks 13,000 walleyes in Big Chip
The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Fish Hatchery had another successful production year in 2010.
According to Fisheries Biologist Paul Christel, a total of 13,012 extended-growth walleyes were raised at the hatchery on Jasek Road and were stocked in the Chippewa Flowage this fall.
“We basically put all our other management objectives on hold and threw everything we had at the Flowage this year,” Christel said. “The size of the fish we raised this year is significant,” he added. “Our walleyes averaged 8.32 inches, the largest average size we’ve had to date. This is almost three inches larger than the young-of-the-year (YOY) walleye that are out in the Flowage from natural reproduction (NR). NR YOY walleye out there are five and a half inches or so. The larger fish will have an edge for evading predators and catching prey.
“It’s noteworthy that there was evidence of some natural reproduction by walleye in the Flowage this season,” Christel added. “Boom shocking by Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) crews showed about five young-of-the-year walleye per mile of shoreline. While this is still very low, it is considerably better than the results of last year’s shocking, which showed less than one per mile.”
The Voight Task Force minimum figure for sustainable natural reproduction is 12 YOY per mile of shoreline, Christel said. Historically, the Flowage has averaged about 80 YOY per mile. Natural reproduction rates have only reached that average in one of the last seven years. The last “boom” year class was in 2005 (99 YOY per mile).
“This year is the third year in a row that I would consider a bust for natural reproduction,” Christel added.
“This level of stocking is helpful, but it’s really a band-aid measure,” he said. “Even with a little natural reproduction contribution this year, the stocking only gets densities up to around 60 percent of the minimum Voight goal of 12 YOY per mile.
“We need to come at this from every angle, not just stocking, to tip the balances back more in favor of the walleye,” Christel said. “This is a goal anglers should support whether you like to fish walleye or bass. Right now the high density of largemouth bass in the Flowage is having the double negative effect of greatly reducing the survival of YOY walleyes and reducing growth rates of the bass.
“The most promising long-term solution is overhauling the regulation setup for bass on the Chippewa Flowage and other waters with similar issues, to allow more largemouth bass to be harvested,” he said. “Unfortunately, regulation changes can take years.”
Christel said the LCO Tribe is looking into adding more production ponds at the LCO Hatchery, but that could take awhile, too.
He thanked the Chippewa Flowage Area Property Owners Association and Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin, which donated $11,000 to help with this years forage cost. .
He also thanked everyone who attended the Big Chip Fish Fest at The Landing in June and the Walleyes for Northwest Wisconsin Ice Fishing Tournament on Lac Courte Oreilles last February — the organizations’ two primary fund-raising activities.
“With the early spring and the additional funds we were able to really pour the coals to the fish and get them up to the size we were looking for,” Christel said.
He also thanked the Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility at Bayfield and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their help this season.
Thank you LCO. You truly are leaders in conservation. I urge everyone to support the LCO tribe in their efforts.
Walleyemaxx