Accelerated Walleye Stocking

[primetime49]

The Minnesota Dpartment Of Natural Resouces{DNR]implemented an Accelerated Walleye Stocking Program {AWP} in 2000 to increase the amount of Fingerlings stocked.The program has undergone several changes since 2000 such as an increase in statewide targets,purchase of fingerlings from private aquaculture,andseveralresearchprojects./// Each lake is managed individually as detailed in the Fisheries Lake Management Plan.The plan is based on the historic information available for that lake.Some of the key factors include lake size,community habitat,and response to previous management actions.The plan describes the specific actions that will be done for the next 5 to 15 years.Specific actions identified may include stocking,special surveys,habitat projects,regulations,and the next planned survey that will be used to update the plan. /// Walleye stocking is one of the tools available to improve fishing on some lakes.Through the AWP,there isan oppurtunity to try increase stocking rates and frequency on some lakes. Of course,walleye stocking is not right for every lake,and where stocking is done sometimes fry produce better results than fingerlings./// Fry are newly hatched,less than about fibe days old.Fry are less expensive and their availability is usually mors certain than fingerlings.Fry stocking is generally most effective in larger lakes that warm up rapidly in spring and have relativity low abundance of panfish.Some examples of lakes that respond well to fry stocking include,Island [near Northome],Round [near Squaw Lake],Splithand,Troutlake,Swan,Jessie,Deer[near Effie],Grave,Little bowstring,and Spider.Each of these lakes also has some NATURAL REPRODUCTION. /// Some lakes have excellent walleye natural reproduction and do not need to be stocked.Some of these include Bowstring and Moose Lake ,these lakes have not been stocked since the early 1990s and continue to produce good year -classes that supportexcellent walleye fisheries.There are several other lakes that are currently stocked that could probaly support a good fishery solely through natural reproduction,however additional evaluation is necessary before that decision is made./// The AWP is focused on FINGERLING stocking.Fingerlings are fish that have one summer of growth in ponds before they are stocked.Shallow ponds are stocked with fyr in the spring,the fish are left to fend for themselvesand are trapped in fall as fingrlings that may be 4 to 8 inche in length and weigh 10 to 40 fish per pound./// Fingerlings are stocked into lakes that have adequet prey,particularly yellow pearch,to support a walleye popultion.These lakes may be large or small.The larger lakes are Generally Clear Lakes that may have suitable spawning substrates,but since they warm more slowly because of their depth and clarity,fry survival is low.The smaller lakes stocked with fingerlings are those that typically have abundant populations of panfish.Stocking fry in these lakes may not work because the small panfish prey on the newly stocked fry.Some examples of fingerling stocked lakes include Wabana,deer, Pokema, ,North Satr,Turtle,Little Turtle,Little Jessie,Shallow,Siseebakweet,Bass,Ruth Islandand Balsom. /// In the past two years prior to AWP there were 15 lakes that received fingerlings and a total of about 2000 pounds were stocked each year.Since the AWP began,the number of lakes stocked with fingerlings has increased to 30 lakes and about 8000 pounds are stocked annually.In the past ,more lakes were stocked every other year and some were stocked one in three years.Most lakes are still syocked every other year,howver some lakes are now stocked annually,others are stocked at a higher rate and very few are stocked on a three year rotation. /// The DNR stocking programm is a syatewidw program.Each fish management area operates some rearing ponds.The Grand Rapids Area Operates about 10 ponds each yaer and produce about 1500 to 2500 pounds per year.Some of the fisheries stations in the south and west produce more fingerlings than their local needs and those fish are tranferreto stations that cant produce their needs. /// Statewide,the annual fingerling stocking goal is about 160,000 pounds.State run ponds produce about 120,000 pounds per year.The difference is made up through contacts with private growers. /// A very important question is,does the AWP work?Although the program has been around 6 years we dont have an answer yet.As more surveys are completed on the lakes a two-phaze evaluation will be completed.One phaze will be to determine if their are common characteristics that led to success or failure of increased stocking.The other phaze will be lake specific and will be used to guide future management activitys on that specific lake. /// For more information on the managemant plan for a lake please fell free to contact The Grand Rapids Area Fisheriesoffice,Grand Rapids Office,1201 east Highway 2,Grand rapids Mn,55744.///This study was published by Chris Kavanaugh from this office and I have talked to him on matter as part of my study on Predation and Fish community also using studies that explained which fish live and thrive in what communitys.

[primetime49]

the local scene,In speaking to Bruce Gilbertson several times and going throughhis records he gave me the information that follows,1999[15.6 fpn]2000[9.9fpn]2001[7.83fpn]2002[6.25fpn]2003[9.4fpn]2004[6.7fpn]2005[4.4fpn]2006[9.6fpn]fpn is fish per net during electro fishing.At this time they were getting real promising electro fish counts as high as13.5 fpn in 2006.This local fisheries has about18 ponds for walleye that also were holding a lot of carryover[young walleye fish over one to two seasons of age.The amount of carryover was due to mild winters and higher water levels that didnt allow winter kill.At that time he told me that even though things were looking good about one year ,the 2007 electro fish netting would be needed to get more accurate count.We had applied for a permit to stock more fingerlings and possibly some carryover through West Central Bait and growers ,persons that I have personally known for ovar 30 years.That permit was not endorsed and it doesnt seem to have been needed as far as fisheries supervisor was noting.This year with winterkill the DNR can again start their fingerling production and hope that they share studies with the statewide AWP report and use information such as other fisheries as I dont believe Green Lake in Spicer should be allowed to be a study on its own.I used to have or see Lake Minnewaska Lakes Association and others promote private stocking,and they still do it,they told me that they were just tired of not getting more Walleyes in the lake and had to simply take action to see that it was done.Read Corys articles in Alexandria section of this and talk to persons that fish Minnewaska and it is encouraging the fish year classes and sizes and numbers really have increased .Lets not let this lake be a study,because I believe its fingerling stocking not fry needed here.Skipping a year to start dye netting fish,fry,sunfish food doesnt make sense.As a fingerling grows in ponds it learns the things needed to make its survival and gives you a much higher return in deeper, cleaerer ,panfish ,pearch filled,lakes that warm more slowly.

[Smacker]

wow... thats alot of words!

[J'sBait&Sport]

Man primetime49,

you are giving me a headache, were you bore or something? felt like reading homework or a term paper for school.Wow.

[primetime49]

J its a lot shorter than the whole study ,but it does take somewhere between 15 to 30 lakes like Green to make this study as we dont have another like it here.I just thought that if study was published just like it was written it would be better than not.After all I dont know something do I?Some neat facts are coming up on local fisheries dropping out of accelerated stocking even though supposedly thier was money here and plans to continue it.They want to stop stocking and dye fry,I guess they could stop stocking fry and keep stocking fingerling as thay are about 8 inches bigger in one year.Should be able to tell the difference without dye,tape measure anyone.Lets stock.

[slotlimit]

Stock it up!!!!!!!!!

[primetime49]

If anyone is going to Walleye meeting read this before going .Dethlaefs center Green lkae mall Spicer 10:00 today saturday.

[castindad]

primetime was unable to attend the meeting due to weather. your synopsis off it sounds like sternberg is ou salvation? dnr has many unanswered questions? castindad

[primetime49]

castindad,actually I was dissapointed as he basically didnt get out of bass vss walleye thing.Core group that started this has never let up on it.He told them what they wanted to hear .In so much recnt study the only thing he said that I totaly agree on is lakes average walleye count per electro fishing is way low being it includes averages when we basicaly have no walleye.They think quota has been met a couple times if they jit 9 fish per netting.He stated that 20 or as high as 30 fish per net would be a standared to acheive.Restocking at 2 fish per pound has been in paperwork for many years.If fisheries gets to 9 fish they feel they have acheived their goal.it will take 3 fish pounds per acre to acheive 13 to 15 fish in 5 years.The number of fish per pound was also a highlight of his study,but we have a lot more larger fingerling available here after rest of state gets their quotas filled.we have a very large amount of carryover also which is expected to be available for here.He also stated that if we get to 20 fish per net that we would be in a more real goal to reach.It was good but think it is only start.Reclassification and higher goals to acheive would be savior of walleye.I am going to couple meetings outside of area both fisheries and lakes that stock private besides DNR and see if they have learned anything that isnt in DNR paperwork.I would publish these bass vs walleye things that In Fishermen and Wisconin DNR and privates have shown but really dont think anyone here will here it as once again this group used it as no one other group is finding it.

[searchinforeyes]

primetime, you were there but you must not have been listening.dick sternberg's study so far has come up with this. the natural reproduction of the lake is non-existant right now. this is because of the chara algae in the lake. this stuff looks like a mat of weeds. (all the seaweed that washes up on shore is chara algae). this stuff covers most of the spawning areas the walleyes use. it suffocates the eggs resulting in no natural reproduction. crawfish EAT chara algae. SMALL MOUTH BASS eat crawfish. seems to me it's pretty hard to get away from the bass thing. bruce now finally now is admitting that the bass have had a very large factor in this mess. sternberg did say that he believes the crawfish are on the rebound now so the main thing is to agressively stock the lake until it can naturally reproduce on it's own. dick sternberg has gathered many facts on the green lake issue including talking and listening to fisherman. what he presented to us was all fact, no opinion. he did give us his opinion on how he thought this unnatural swing could be taken care of and i think we should listen to his opinion. he did not bash bass in any way, he just told us pretty much what we already knew, but he told us why it was happening, not just what caused the end result.

[primetime49]

searchin I was listening all the way.Maybe Dick had algaes confused.As two other studies show ta partial reason for Green Lake becoming clearer.Clara can grow from 4cm to 20 meters.excessive growth[later in season can cause depletion in oxygen]However it is valuable protection for spawn and young fish.Another study saysthat these form of algaeChara and Nittela may cover the entire bottom of lake and are considered in most cases to be benificial promoting water clarity,ENHANCED FISH HABITAT,bottom sediment stability.and crowding out less desirable species .I read this from several different studies.The action of starve out comes generally in ponds that are of shallow depths and dont contain other substrates like those found in Green lake.What I got from his study was that the large amount of sunfish,rock bass and a continualy growing crappie population was eating fry.He also said perch were really disapearing .I dont notice that perch were dissaperaring as fer as actual ly it looks like they are doing ok ,but netting shows a perch dissent.Sorry its just my opinion and other studies.keep it up as like your input.

[searchinforeyes]

prime, i do not think that sternberg, being a senior biologist, got his algaes mixed up. the part about all the little mouths eating the fry does make sense.when he was using the s.m. bass as an example on how they clean up the nest before laying the eggs makes perfect sense since they are blowing away all the chara algae off the nest. if the algae is so great for their nests, why do the bass get rid of it? (and the sunfish)he also stated that this algae covers a large percentage of the littoral acres of green lake(covering the walleye spawning areas as well)this is why we need the crawfish back.

[Dr. Walleye]

I was at the meeting, but maybe I missed this if it was said. I wondered about this after the meeting. How was it determined there is more chara in the lake? How much was there before? How much is there now? Where is it now that it was not before? The statement was made there is a lot more chara, but how was this actually determined?

[fish-4-fun]

I wonder why the recent growth and spread of chara. How do they figure green will just bounce back if this chara is taking over then? I am very confused now so many people are saying different things and I don't know what is actually happening now. Can chara be controlled or eliminated? Is this spreading in the lake? Why the sudden spread? And I would think that this would make for a good spawning bed? Except if the crawfish are thriving in the stuff too. Darn I really wish I made that meeting now.

[searchinforeyes]

the chara is spreading because there are no crawfish in the lake to eat it. this is the crawfish #1 food source.

[castindad]

J what is happening on n long by hawick crappies or sunnies started yet in the bays castindad

[J'sBait&Sport]

well, what I heard it's too cold yet, may be by this weekend things start picking up.

J.

[basssmasher*]

J get ur boat ready and we will hit the pond SOON!

[J'sBait&Sport]

It's up and ready.........give me a jingle

J.