01-29-2008, 09:58 AM
Pike Program 2007
The nets were set in Bantam on 4/3/07 and ran them through 4/18/07. Biologists did make an effort to get a population estimate for Bantam Lake's pike this year. After the broodstock were collected netting continued and marking additional fish called a Capture-Mark-Recapture Survey. In total 204 northerns (129 males and 75 females) were netted. Fifty-five of these fish were used as broodstock and were released into either the Cemetery or Experimental marshes.
The condition of the trap netted fish was excellent and on par with previous years, but there was a noticeable absence of larger fish. Only 21 of the 204 were greater than 30", and only 3 females were 10 lbs or greater. Many fishermen have also noted an absence of larger fish, but our year-round creel survey on Bantam this year will help to determine if this decline is real or perceived. Biologists estimate that there should be a little over 1,000 pike in Bantam that are at least two years old.
Two Bantam marshes (Cemetery and Experimental) were used in 2007. The two Bantam marshes started out looking perfect with good water levels and good temperatures. As with the east, both our marshes flooded in mid-April. The flooding was some of the worst seen in the past 20 years. Following the floods however, excellent numbers of pike fry were seen.
The adults spawned roughly 2-3 weeks later than in the east, so the floods did not appear to impact the numbers of fry because they had not hatched yet. Machowski said there was very poor production in both marshes this year. Following the wet early spring, there was little substantial rain in the west causing water levels to drop dramatically and by the time the drawdown began on 6/25, water levels were extremely low in both marshes.
_________________
Remember to share your love of the outdoors with a kid. Take a kid hunting or fishing today. The kid you take today may just be the vote that is needed in years to come to protect our rights to hunt & fish. Share the experience and your knowledge.
[signature]
The nets were set in Bantam on 4/3/07 and ran them through 4/18/07. Biologists did make an effort to get a population estimate for Bantam Lake's pike this year. After the broodstock were collected netting continued and marking additional fish called a Capture-Mark-Recapture Survey. In total 204 northerns (129 males and 75 females) were netted. Fifty-five of these fish were used as broodstock and were released into either the Cemetery or Experimental marshes.
The condition of the trap netted fish was excellent and on par with previous years, but there was a noticeable absence of larger fish. Only 21 of the 204 were greater than 30", and only 3 females were 10 lbs or greater. Many fishermen have also noted an absence of larger fish, but our year-round creel survey on Bantam this year will help to determine if this decline is real or perceived. Biologists estimate that there should be a little over 1,000 pike in Bantam that are at least two years old.
Two Bantam marshes (Cemetery and Experimental) were used in 2007. The two Bantam marshes started out looking perfect with good water levels and good temperatures. As with the east, both our marshes flooded in mid-April. The flooding was some of the worst seen in the past 20 years. Following the floods however, excellent numbers of pike fry were seen.
The adults spawned roughly 2-3 weeks later than in the east, so the floods did not appear to impact the numbers of fry because they had not hatched yet. Machowski said there was very poor production in both marshes this year. Following the wet early spring, there was little substantial rain in the west causing water levels to drop dramatically and by the time the drawdown began on 6/25, water levels were extremely low in both marshes.
_________________
Remember to share your love of the outdoors with a kid. Take a kid hunting or fishing today. The kid you take today may just be the vote that is needed in years to come to protect our rights to hunt & fish. Share the experience and your knowledge.
[signature]