2009 Annual Report of NYS DEC – Executive Summary (PDF)
RIT meeting concentrated more on central area of the lake plus general lake programs. Attendance roughly 120.
STOCKING: EMS impact is increasing. This is a Vitamin B deficiency which causes delayed growth and death. Chinook are treated in the hatcheries, but treatment didn’t go as well this year and 200K fish were affected in the hatchery. DEC responded with higher density rearing and feeding them a higher protein/fat diet. Worst case is that 12% of the target 1.76 million Kings may be affected. We can expect 1.583M Kings to be stocked this year.
MASS MARKING & PEN PROGRAM: Fin clipping began in 2008 via trailer. 350K were tagged in the snout. Each pen has a unique code. Program will run until 2013.
Preliminary glimpse of age-1 Kings: Overall 20% wild, 80% hatchery.
Going closer to Sal River hatchery results declined as they got closer to the hatchery:
Sal River survey – 38% wild, 61% hatchery
Beaverbrook dam survey – 11% wild, 89% hatchery
At the hatchery – 3% wild, 88% stocked & 9% strays
NOTE: This is very preliminary data and it will take more years of study to determine with a good level of confidence what is going on.
DEC knows King natural repo is happening on the Sal River & is happening much more there than anywhere else however they are not sure where else it may be happening. (my comment – loved the picture of the wild one – I recognized the floor of the boat & the tackle box – It was caught off the Genny. Fish this size have no problem covering the entire lake in a day.)
Pen projects raised 313K at 6 sites. 8 sites planned for 2010. Each pen will get 21-28K except the large pen at Niagara which will get 70K. Overall King stocking targets for 2010: SR- 330K; Oswego- 122K, Sodus-87K; Genny-160K; Oak Orch-170K; 18 Mile-134K (couldn’t write fast enough to get the others)
USF&WS is helping with Nat Repro studies & may have a truck out there trying to get data. DEC urges fishermen to help them if you can.
REGULATION CHANGES: There are no regulation changes this year for Lake Ontario or Lake Erie proper, this year. DEC is beginning the study period for angler suggestions for 2012. If you have any suggestions please go to web-site & submit them.
ANGLER SURVEY: Seasonal information every day from April thru Sept at 30 access points. Total effort was 77.9K boat trips which is up slightly. 62.6K trips targeted Salmon & Trout. Average 8.1 T&S caught by charters per trip. 2.8 T&S caught by non-charter. This is the highest on record. Catch per hour for non charter was .08. Internet exchange of information may have made fishermen better at catching fish.
Kings mean length was shorter and mean weight was lighter however fish are considered “average” condition.
Other Catch rates: B.T.s – delay in creel survey startup. Stlhd – Best fishing in last 2 years. Catch rate much higher than harvest rate due to length regulation change. LTs – “Blip” upward that was no surprise. Atlantics- Highest catch rate since 1994. 4th highest on record. Atlantic catch rate .12.
FORAGE FISH: Alewife “blip” downward. Comparable to 2003 level but higher than 2002-2006 average. 6.5” long Alewives were in good condition with an upward trend since 2006. Yearlings were a little below 2008. There was a cooler than average summer last year. Next year is predicted to have an “average to better than average” year class. Something is going on with alewife growth that is going to be studied because they’re in good condition. It may have to do with invertebrate population. IE Fleas, shrimp. Smelt had a “blip” upward but still very small population. Last year had a small year class.
Gobies had a major drop off in number index and weight index. It was below 2005 levels but is expected to go back up. Gobies near shore in summer & spawn multiple times. Gobies scatter & go out to 500FOW in winter. Study is planned to determine food energy content of Gobies. Goby population is just shy of Smelt population in Lake Ontario. Life expectancy of the Goby is felt to be relatively short IE 4-5 yrs, but it’s not really known.
Slimy Sculpins were a big question mark. Deepwater Sculpins are making a comeback. 14 were netted in 2007, 28 netted in 2008 and 103 were netted in 2009. (combined with MNR netting #s) These were generally netted in 500 FOW.
SALMON RIVER STUDY: Again mostly 3 & 4 yr olds studied. 3 & 4 yr old returns up just a little over 2008. Cohos – “lots but small.” King average wt of 3 yr old = 17 Lbs which is not as good as 2008 but better than 2007.
Nat repro weak when low October flow and high May flow. Nat repro strong when High October flow & High May flow. Question is where do all the fish go? Their predation study estimates Fall Fish ate over 5.7 million. Hatchery fish generally 1 month ahead of wild fish in growth by the time they hit the lake but Naturals catch up, if they survive.
I-BAY & SODUS BAY SURVEYS: Angler surveys taken on two embayments.
For I-BAY: 4/1/07 thru 3/30/08. Mean party was 1.8 anglers. Mean trip 4.8 hrs. Anglers from 19 NY counties. 167K angler hours. Comparable to Oneida Lake. 71K angler hours spent open water fishing, same effort (hours) spent ice fishing. No specific specie targeted for open water fishing rated highest. Ice fishermen definitely target perch. Night fishermen generally target bass. Very little effort targeting Northerns or Walleye. 96% of catch was perch. 610K perch caught & only 38% kept. 1/3 were caught thru ice. 90% of gamefish caught were LM bass but mostly catch & release. I-Bay has very good bass fishing and “is much better than rest of state.” DEC feels Walleye & N. Pike populations are very good on I-Bay but less caught. They think fishermen just don’t fish for them there. Neither walleye nor N. Pike caught thru ice.
For SODUS Bay: Little larger parties than on I-Bay with 44 counties represented by the anglers. Effort same as I-Bay however there was more effort ice fishing than open water fishing. LM Bass dominate. More N. Pike thru ice. Ice fishing target is perch as they were 96% of total catch. 619K caught with 1/3 kept. 93% of gamefish caught were LM bass. Sodus is also an underutilized walleye & N. Pike fishery.
Note: sturgeon in the Genny was an “informal” stocking” of surplus fish that is turning out well & they are doing good. (1 fisherman reported that he has reported 130 tags to USF&WS from lower Genny).
COMMORANT POPULATION: DEC has a proposal in for Federal grant to study diets. (my comment – topic not in depth as East end appears more affected)
CISCO REINTRODUCTION STUDY: Basis for this study is the Thiamine issue. The Cisco is a native fish that does not contain thiaminase. Many sub species in the family, but DEC investigating to find out which, if any, could alleviate the problem. The Chub is the leading favorite right now. It’s the deep water fish. The bloater is the shallow water fish. DEC looking for a prey link between the benthic and pelagic zones which will help complete the restoration plan. The Cisco will follow the Mysis which migrate from the bottom (500 fow) up to the thermocline at 100 ft depth), daily. Target is for a self-sustaining population within 25 years. This is a pilot project for 2010 that will research egg collection, culture, study diseases & genetics. Eggs are being obtained from Michigan and there may be an experimental stocking.
LAKE TROUT & LAMPREY WOUNDS: Alleghany has been shut down since 2005 due to IPN outbreak. LTs have come from Vermont to make up stocking stocking shortfalls. Federal stimulus money was approved to finish renovation project. Expect Alleghany to provide LTs for Lake Ontario in 2013. White River hatchery will continue supplying LTs until then.
500K spring yearlings stocked in 2009. Same number by Canadians. Strains included: Superior (“Lean lakers”), Senecas, Klondikes (new strain this year) and Lake Champlain. (Saulsbury) Survival index was upward, Net catch was upward however both still small numbers.
There have 15 consecutive years of netting nat repro Lakers although numbers have been very small. (Oglith study – sp) Adult abundance is lowest however yearly survival has increased slightly. Lamprey wounding is below target.
Nets are set at the 10C temperature then in 10 ft intervals below that. Most LTs come from the top two nets and the great majority of fish caught are LTs.
Sea Lamprey: 2005 & 2007 had very number of high A1 wounds on fish 17.5” and longer. There was a “blip” downward of A1 wounds in 2009 from 2008. Lamprey abundance index is downward. Sandy Creek (Rochester) & Marsh creek were treated last spring. DEC looking at other possible spawning sites that may have developed including: Johnson creek, Sodus, Red, Scriba, Fishcreek & Grindstone in 2010.
EASTERN BASIN: DEC predicts good Walleye fishing in Eastern basin for 2010. Bass in the 80’s reach 12” long at 5-6 years. They are now reaching 12” long at 3-4 yrs. The net catch for all ages is higher than the 2000-2004 average. Nets are designed to catch 12” and longer fish. The bass population may be recovering from the cormorant problem.
A couple years ago Bass fishermen had to change tactics in order to catch them. Fewer but larger bass were caught. This puzzles the DEC as the guys who changed tactics had problems finding the fish in 2009. In 2010, DEC will commence gillnet studies and initiate a SM bass angler diary program for the open water. In 2011 there will be an Eastern basin creel survey and they will continue the annual Eastern Basin gillnet assessment.
RESOURCE DAMAGE UPDATE: DEC has completed some projects from the payments from Occidental pollution of the Niagara river area with Mirex. Photos were shown. Most notable completions were the mass marking trailer, Lewiston boat launch & some money to pen rearing nets. (My comment – Lewiston looks really nice) Almost complete are Mud Bay car-top launch, Fish Island access, Wilson boat launch & Olcott Pier-East fishing access. They expect the last payment of $2.4 million this year. Many other projects to begin soon.
LAKE ONTARIO OBJECTIVES UPDATE: Last year, a questionnaire was filled out at the meeting by attendees. The responses submitted included:
- 63% of respondents fished the open water, 40% were charters/guides.
- Preferred fish were 1st Kings, 2nd Rainbows, 3rd Browns
- Minimum weight for a trophy King – 25 Lbs
- Smallest acceptable weight for a 3 yr old king – greater than 20 Lbs
- Too few fish are stocked
- Important qualities for fishermen are 1st variety of fish, 2nd high catch rates, 3rd safe drinking water
- Greatest concerns of fishermen are 1st invasives, 2nd Sea Lamprey, 3rd Lake Productivity
WINDFARMS: The DEC will have to be consulted on all plans especially concerning habitat effects but they do not feel they have approval/disapproval authority
MY COMMENTS: Thanx to the DEC & USGS for their continued efforts in research & reporting findings to us. They obviously are a group of highly dedicated professionals. There’s a lot of info there and the time allotted just doesn’t do it justice. It ran about 20 minutes over and was a long day for everyone.
They passed out a copy of the executive summary of the Annual report and it is quite interesting. I only wish sections like the Prey Fish Assessment and the Angler Survey had been available as well. Most of the report will be on the DEC website, however that probably won’t be available for a couple months, if past years are any indication.
Unfortunately, they talk terms like “blips” and “upward or downward” in terms of indexes and 5yr or long term averages. Although these are very important, they can be misleading. There are ups & downs in the last 5 yrs. Fishermen mostly have last year in their minds. Many fishermen nowadays can’t really relate to fishing in the 80’s, unless you’re an old guy like myself. I would prefer more emphasis on “5% better than last year” or terminology that we can more relate our experiences to. I’d also like to know their best guess as to the number of metric tonnes of biomass out there, even if it’s given as a range. But hey-maybe that’s just me.
There was a question towards the end regarding transfer of BT eggs from Sal Riv to Caledonia and the tone of the answer didn’t go over very well with the audience. Eggs & fish to be transferred have to be treated for diseases. USF&WS has published that they have a new “medicine” but DEC Sal Riv Hatchery isn’t convinced that it will work on eggs as well as on hatched fish and they are leery at this stage. While I agree that it is “not wise to have all our eggs in one basket”, and recognize that the Salmon Riv hatchery is the best we have, I can’t help siding with the “don’t put your eggs in one basket” guys especially in light of what happened to Allegheny. I hope the DEC takes a serious look at this & experiments with surplus eggs.
Tough job picking out the best presenter. Web kept it moving, Mike’s into a lot of neat stuff, Dan is the best watchdog on the Sal Riv, Janna knows her fish, Matt’s got the locals covered, Chris is really up on the settlemnt, but I’d have to “give the roses” to Maureen. Overall they deserve very high marks for another very good presentation.
Let’s go fishing.
Tom B.
(LongLine)
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Great summary Tom. Thank you again for putting together such an outstanding summary of the meeting each year. I know many really appreciate your efforts.
Real nice summary Tom. Very interesting & easy read. Thanks for keeping us updated.