"Will Schultz" said:
[quote="Duke"][quote="MattG_braith"]Wouldnt using Thornapple as a broodstock lake be difficult when collecting eggs from the GLS plants with all of the Northerns already in there?
I'm sure you're right and it will complicate things a bit, but a lot of the current muskies have been pit-tagged, which will help. They might fin-clip the new ones too I wonder?
All of the GL MUS going into the broodstock lakes will be PIT tagged so there is no question.
What about when they raise some GLS at Wolf Lake and use them to plant more in Thornapple? Can they PIT tag a YOY fish? Or won't they ever put fish in Thornapple that weren't adults harvested from LSC?
"hemichemi" said:
[quote="Will Schultz"][quote="Duke"]
I'm sure you're right and it will complicate things a bit, but a lot of the current muskies have been pit-tagged, which will help. They might fin-clip the new ones too I wonder?
All of the GL MUS going into the broodstock lakes will be PIT tagged so there is no question.
What about when they raise some GLS at Wolf Lake and use them to plant more in Thornapple? Can they PIT tag a YOY fish? Or won't they ever put fish in Thornapple that weren't adults harvested from LSC?
No adults are being removed from St Clair and put inland, it will be an egg take only. Yes, it is no problem PIT tagging the fall fingerlings.
"Will Schultz" said:
[quote="hemichemi"][quote="Will Schultz"]All of the GL MUS going into the broodstock lakes will be PIT tagged so there is no question.
What about when they raise some GLS at Wolf Lake and use them to plant more in Thornapple? Can they PIT tag a YOY fish? Or won't they ever put fish in Thornapple that weren't adults harvested from LSC?
No adults are being removed from St Clair and put inland, it will be an egg take only.
Duh. I knew that. Brain fart… 🙄 I need more coffee!
"Will Schultz" said:
No adults are being removed from St Clair and put inland, it will be an egg take only. Yes, it is no problem PIT tagging the fall fingerlings.
Except the cost & manpower for installing PIT tags in all those little fish that are not going to survive… Even if those PIT tags are dirt cheap there still is a better way. Fin clips, or just choose some fresh lakes to start with so you don't have to tag them until they are growed up.
"Jim" said:
Agreed that the Minnesota strain doesnt necessarily mean "spotted", but in his article, he specificall said the spotted, or "Leech Lake" strain vs barred or "Wisconsin" strain.
Exactly! What I mean is that the "Leech Lake" strain is not the GLS!!! This is all understandably quite confusing. I gotta double check but I don't think Genson talked about Green Bay fish?- these would be the only GLS fish that he might have compared.
"Duke" said:
[quote="Will Schultz"]No adults are being removed from St Clair and put inland, it will be an egg take only. Yes, it is no problem PIT tagging the fall fingerlings.
Except the cost & manpower for installing PIT tags in all those little fish that are not going to survive… Even if those PIT tags are dirt cheap there still is a better way. Fin clips, or just choose some fresh lakes to start with so you don't have to tag them until they are growed up.
The cost an manpower really isn't much of a concern, it's not like it will take a team of five people a week to place tags.
Are you suggesting that the PIT tag would cause mortality? As I'm sure you know, fin clips can be done wrong and therefore aren't perfect. Freeze brands also aren't perfect.
"jasonvkop" said:
…what age are the fish going to be when inserted with the PIT tags? I think Duke is saying we are going to waste a ton on PIT tags if we insert them into fish at a young age as only a small percentage of fish make it a decent size.
They will be PIT tagged as fall fingerlings – so basically as 8-12"ers. PIT tagging had a history of higher mortality in the past, especially out west with salmoniods. But they've really figured it out pretty well nowadays. Still some room for operator error in handling small fish, but I'd guess that losses will be minimal. If the fish tech really knows what they are doing then fin clipping or freeze banding would be good, but our crew doesn't have much experience with that unfortunately. And because they are so panicked about genetics, PIT tags are the best route to ensure no screw ups. Well, actually I guess that isn't true…a fresh broodstock lake would eliminate screw ups from the get go.
Jason's got it.
No concern with the tagging being the cause of mortality. Although… you know what I bet the handling during the process might do in a few right off the bat, but I doubt enough to matter.
I understand the reasons, but it would still be great to just start fresh with a new lake! But using Thornapple will provide some entertainment (at least for a geek like me) when they begin pulling out some dark green, faintly marked GLS fish. I'm betting some biologists might be saying "I thought these were spotted fish!!???"
"Duke" said:
Jason's got it.No concern with the tagging being the cause of mortality. Although… you know what I bet the handling during the process might do in a few right off the bat, but I doubt enough to matter.
Ohhh…I see. Yeah, that is one helluva valid concern. I suppose the temporary PIT tagging of turtles, hungry fish and herons probably isn't the best use of fisheries' bucks!
"Pete" said:
[quote="Duke"]Jason's got it.No concern with the tagging being the cause of mortality. Although… you know what I bet the handling during the process might do in a few right off the bat, but I doubt enough to matter.
Ohhh…I see. Yeah, that is one helluva valid concern. I suppose the temporary PIT tagging of turtles, hungry fish and herons probably isn't the best use of fisheries' bucks!
Yes I would agree, there's no need to throw away a thousand dollars.
Dale Hey what is up man!!!
You know we musky fishermen have always have the solution. So if they are married to Thorn for the GLS broodstock, all we have to do is net all the fish out and do a nice and easy adult transplant. Then the GLS can go in without competing with the established NMUS hogs!!!! viola. In fact I'll bet we could even supply all the manpower- DNR just lend the nets and the trucks! Good times
"Jim tenHaaf" said:
Not a really big lake by any means at only 350 acres. We should be sure to note the already unsatisfied people who fish there so in 15 yrs they can't blame it on the muskies. <url url="[Permission to view this media is denied]
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Great point.
…Note the significant walleye stockings over the last 25 years – ugh.
I suppose an existing spearing-ban trumps all.
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