Spring Fishing Census

Greg Massey and Bob Giguire proudly show one of their spring salmon.

As the lakes and ponds throughout the state are thawing after a long winter, anglers are itching to get out on the open water. So are the fisheries biologists for MDIF&W. Fisheries biologists are patrolling boat launches and lakes and interviewing anglers about the fishing and their catch. How many of each species did they catch? What were the lengths? What were the weights? Were the fish missing any fins? What do the fish have in their stomachs? Where on the lake did the angler fish? How long did the angler fish? No, they are not being nosy, trying to slow you down, or going to give away any secret honey hole. The information fisheries biologists gather from anglers in the spring will help them determine the health of the fishery on the lakes and ponds being surveyed. That information will then be used to make suggestions regarding management of that fishery, with the goal of keeping fish healthy and plentiful and angler’s lines tight.

MDIF&W stocks salmonids, brown trout, brook trout, landlocked salmon, rainbow trout, lake trout, and splake (lake trout/brook trout hybrid) in many water bodies throughout the state. As I touched on lightly in my last entry, MDIF&W grows and stocks a variety of strains of each of these species. Certain strains survive longer in some waters than others. Some strains provide higher catchability rates (this is the likelihood that the stocked fish will take a lure and be caught). Biologists ask the number of fish caught and how long the angler fished for to get an idea of catch rates and catchability of both wild fish and stocked fish.  Catch rates are reported as how many fish are caught per hour of fishing.

Lengths and weights are important because it gives the biologists an idea of how healthy the fish and the fishery are. This may tie in with catchability rates. For example, if anglers were reporting lots of small, skinny fish caught, it may mean the population is too high, and there isn’t enough forage fish to allow for proper fish growth. If anglers are catching fish that are long, but not heavy, it may be because food is short and the fish are not putting on weight. The biologists would then look into the forage fish situation. If the fish being caught are short but fat, it may mean the fish have plenty of food, and even younger fish have plenty to eat.

Length and weight information paired with fin observation can also play a major role in providing information to fisheries biologists. In many waters where MDIF&W stocks fish where there is already a wild population, usually the stocked fish will have clipped fins, enabling biologists to easily determine which fish are stocked and which are wild. Biologists want to be sure that the stocked fish are growing well and that the strain of fish stocked is providing the best performance for that water. For example, a strain of brown trout may be stocked initially. After a few seasons of surveying anglers, the biologist may discover that the stocked trout are not growing well, or are not being caught. A different strain may then be stocked that grows better in that water, or provides a higher catch rate. Biologists also want to be sure that the quality of the wild fish is not adversely effected by the stocking of other fish, even fish of the same species.

Throughout the state spring fishing provides fun times, great fishing, and tasty meals, a perfect prelude to the long-awaited summer. Maine is lucky to have so much support from anglers, and in return, fisheries biologists are striving daily to ensure the bountiful aquatic resources Mainers treasure are thriving and ready to be caught by each generation in turn. Let’s hit the water. Tight lines!

Fish Fry Growing

First and foremost, before we get into some fishy talk, I’d like to apologize for my absence on this blog the last several weeks. I have switched positions, headquarters, and many duties within MDIFW and will continue to post about three entries I hope you find interesting every month. I am fortunate that with my new position, I will continue to work with the hatcheries division, fisheries division, and wildlife division, and will attempt to keep the blog entries diverse. Now that I’m all settled in again, let’s talk fish!

As you may recall, my last entry about the brook trout developing at Dry Mills Hatchery in Gray talked about fish eggs, how they are taken from spawning fish in a hatchery environment, and how they develop. Now, 11 weeks later, I am happy to report the fish have all hatched at the Dry Mills Hatchery.

The Maine Hatchery Strain (MHS) fish are growing very rapidly. The strain refers to the genetic make-up of the fish, and typically relates to where they originated from. The Maine Strain fish are related to the brook trout that have been raised from the Maine hatchery systems for years. The Kennebago strain refers to fish who originated in the Kennebago River in the Rangeley Lakes Region. Cross Strain refers to hybrid brook trout that have one Maine Strain parent and one Kennebago Strain parent. The Maine Strain fry have absorbed the yolk nutrient sac they hatched with and are now eating a powdery fish food. They are fed for 18 hours every day, using belts suspended over the tanks which dispense food measured previously. The belt feeders provide ample time for each fish to have its fill and grow. The amount of food that should be provided is determined by the average weight of the fish and how many fish there are in each tank. It would be far too tedious and stressful on the fish to weigh each fish individually when they are fry (the term for fish that are between hatching size and approximately three inches long), so they are weighed in batches of 100 to 150 fry. Some quick math calculations tell us that the MHS fry currently weigh approximately 0.2 grams each. Sure they seem small now, but they will double in size in the next two weeks.

The Kennebago strain is the most wild fish strain currently being reared in Maine’s hatchery system. While Kennebagos provide a good fight when they are large, stocked, and then caught, their wild personality inhibits their growth in the hatchery setting. Kennebagos tend to be more easily spooked than the MHS. They become stressed more easily, which affects their appetite, which affects their growth. The Kennebago fry currently at Dry Mills have recently depleted their nutrient egg sacs and are beginning to rise in the water column in the tank, indicating they are ready to begin to eat mash fish meal. When hatchery personnel begin to see some of the fry rising in the water column, they hand feed small amounts of ‘mash’; they must be very careful not to over feed, as any leftover food will settle to the bottom of the tank and will likely be snarfed up by sac-fry which do not have the ability to digest the food yet, or the excess food may clog the gills of fish sitting on the bottom of the tank and create a suitable environment for a fatal bacterial gill infection. Typically within one week of the earliest fish rising, all of the others will be ready to feed on the ‘mash’, and they will begin to double in size in two weeks. Then they will double again in another two weeks. By spring, they will be ready to be moved from their indoor tanks to the outside raceways.

Meanwhile, spring yearling brook trout, measuring roughly 9-12 inches in length, are growing steadily in the outdoor raceways. They are being fed once daily, and are ready to be stocked in the spring.

To view a short video of the fry, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQXPNS4PgnM

Barrow’s Surveys

Last week’s adventure consisted of tagging along with our waterfowl biologist on Barrow’s goldeneye surveys. I was excited at the prospect of finding some Barrow’s along the Maine coast, where many species of waterfowl chill out (no pun intended) during the winter months. Admittedly, I had never seen a Barrow’s before, and was more than a little rusty on my Barrow’s goldeneye facts. Thankfully, the biologist I accompanied was a fountain of knowledge.

Barrow’s goldeneyes spend their summers in the boreal forest from British Columbia to Alaska in western North America and in the Province of Quebec in the east.. The majority of Barrow’s spend the winter west of the Rocky Mountains, but a small percentage winter in Quebec, the Maritimes, and Maine. In Maine,

Barrow’s goldeneye surveys have been conducted for over 50 years but, up until 1993, the surveys were purely anecdotal, making it very difficult to discern any type of population trend. In 1999, MDIF&W biologists began surveying for Barrow’s goldeneyes, visiting 163 sites that either appeared to be prime Barrow’s wintering habitat, or where Barrow’s had been spotted previously. These 1999 surveys turned up bleak results. Fewer than 250 individual Barrow’s were estimated to be wintering in Maine. They were listed as a State Threatened species in 2007 and in 2009 a plan was developed to conduct coastal wintering surveys every four years, searching for a population trend. The 2009 survey showed a 22 percent decrease in total observations of Barrow’s wintering in Maine.

On the day that I participated, we surveyed coastal sites with open water around Portland using binoculars and spotting scopes. By lunch time we had surveyed six different sites and had counted hundreds of other waterfowl including Canada geese, bufflehead ducks, common eiders, hooded mergansers, common mergansers, red-breasted mergansers, mallards, black ducks, and common goldeneyes, but the Barrow’s remained elusive. A handful of individual Barrow’s had been spotted and reported on the E-bird website and during Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count only weeks before at two sites not far from where we were surveying. We visited those sites, but were not blessed with a glimpse of the ephemeral fowl.

Barrow’s goldeneyes appear similar to common goldeneyes, but there are a few distinctions that will help correctly identify them. Both goldeneyes have dark, helmet-shaped heads, short bills, and a white spot between the eye and the bill. The white spot on the head only occurs on the males. On the commons, this spot is round. On the Barrow’s, it is a large crescent. The females of both species sport a brown head and a gray-brown body. The females can be identified by the bill. The female Barrow’s entire bill is brightly colored and usually stands out. The female common’s bill is mostly dark, but may have a small light-colored patch at the end furthest from the face. If you are attempting to determine which goldeneye you are viewing from a distance, here’s a tip: the white of the chest connects directly with the white of the belly on the common goldeneye, whereas on the Barrow’s, the white between the chest and the belly is disrupted by a large black patch that comes down from the shoulder.

Although we didn’t have any luck at finding any Barrow’s at the sites I was able to visit, MDIF&W will continue to conduct site surveys along the Maine coast through February. If you are on the coast and spot a Barrow’s goldeneye, let us know! You can find contact information for the wildlife office nearest you by visiting our website: mefishwildlife.com.

Photos credit: Tim Bowman, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Winter Fishing Tips

Most anglers are aware that in the summer when the waters are warming and the lakes and ponds are stratifying, different species of fish will occupy different depths and/or areas of the lake depending upon what they require for oxygen levels and habitat. Many of the salmonids like salmon and lake trout require lots of oxygen, which is carried by colder water, so these species can be found at greater depths. Warmwater fish such as bass require far less oxygen and may be found in the shallows. But when the lakes and ponds freeze and water temperatures aren’t a concern, where do these fish go? How do you set up to catch a certain species under the ice?

This is a common question for a lot of anglers, so here are some tips from some of our MDIF&W fisheries biologists!

In winter, fish like brook trout that are sensitive to water conditions can move into shore and still have plenty of oxygen. They prefer pebbly floors with some cover, and can often be caught closer to shore in water of four to twelve feet deep using minnows, worms, or copper jigs.

Lake trout, or togue, may be a little trickier to find under the ice. They typically hang out more in the middle of the lakes and ponds. But, they may be found anywhere between 10 and 100 feet deep, feeding on minnows. They are liable to take live bait or silver or copper jigs.

Landlocked salmon can be found almost anywhere in the lakes and ponds. They can be caught in semi-deep water or closer to shore, from five to 30 feet down. They are liable to take live bait, worms, or silver lures.

Brown trout and rainbow trout also may be caught either close to shore or out near the middle. But, more typically they can be found between five and twenty feet down. They are usually ready to take live bait, worms, or copper jigs.

Warmwater fish such as bass, perch, and pickerel may be caught from five to 20 feet down. Similar to the rest of the year, bass prefer under water structure and will likely be found around ‘humps’ in deeper water or places a little closer to shore where there is structure like big rocks, holes, and natural debris.

Larger predatory fish such as pike are more often found in deeper waters in the winter. They don’t require the structure that most of the other warmwater fish require. They are most readily taken with large live bait. If you are planning to fish for pike, steel leader is recommended to reduce the risk of their sharp teeth cutting through your line. Twenty to 40 feet is a good depth to fish for pike under the ice.

If you are into night fishing, cusk can also be readily taken through the ice. Normally found at profound depths, the bottom-feeding cusk come closer into shore in the winter to spawn and may be taken with dead bait at 15 to 60 feet down.

If you want to do some fishing for a specific fish species, you may find our Google Earth Fishing Guide useful, the link for which can be found on the side of this blog. Find nearby waters that have the desired fish, cross check to be sure of the rules and regulations for that water, then get out there and target that species according to the depth and location on the water that they prefer. Any day (or night) on the water is a good time, whether the fish are biting or not. Don’t forget to dress warmly and happy fishing! Flag!

Deer Tidbits- A Guest Post

This writing was submitted to me by a colleague of mine, Kendall Marden, from our Sidney office. Kendall is a wildlife biologist, who has years of experience in that field. As some of you may know if you’ve been reading MDIF&Ws weekly reports, the weekly report is being changed to a monthly report. Kendall wrote this piece for that report, but forwarded it to me when the scheduling changed, ‘just in case [I] was looking for something to post for the blog’. Upon reading it my curiosity was piqued and I thought some other readers might enjoy it. You truly do learn new things every day!

“As a Wildlife Biologist, people tend to think that I should know everything about anything related to the outdoors. While I wish I did know everything, I am at least comforted that the same paradigm holds true for many professions. Somewhat humorously I like to often exclaim that “I know a little about a lot things”. I also often think about a random moment of my childhood that has stuck with me. At a young age, I was spending time in Belfast waiting to meet my father. Shortly after the 50 cents I had started to burn through my pants, I was exiting the local pet store, tenderly carrying a mouse in my pocket.  I had decided an old aquarium at home would make a fine place for this little critter.  During my wanderings, I stepped inside an old retail store and struck up a conversation with the elderly gentleman behind the counter. When he saw the mouse poking out of my pocket he asked curiously about it. After our conversation about the mouse, he used the old adage, “Well, you learn something new every day of your life!”  That simple moment has continued to drift in and out of my memory for years.

So what’s the point of that little story, you ask? I thought I would share two interesting facts about deer that I was not fully aware of until recently. The first stemmed from a phone conversation with a cousin asking if “deer ate meat”. I incredulously started to respond with a resounding NO, until a fleeting thought popped into my head.  “I have heard this before”, I thought.  While we could not entirely disprove an unnoticed red squirrel or bird as the culprit, the evidence surrounding the missing offal from his earlier ice fishing success seemed to point to a deer as the animal that consumed it. I finally put my finger on that fleeting thought and confirmed that indeed a trustworthy friend had observed deer eating white sucker in a stream years ago. A little more research unveiled documentation of deer (and other wild cervids) opportunistically eating animal protein.  Fish seem to be the most commonly consumed rarity, but young songbirds and eggs also have been reported as well. We all know that animal protein doesn’t compose a significant portion of a deer’s diet but, for some dietary need, they apparently occasionally do take the low hanging fruit, or fish, as the case may be.

Another occurrence recently involved a deer that died of unknown causes. Due to the circumstances, the responding warden contacted me so I could take a routine sample to rule out Chronic Wasting Disease. The more unusual part of this was the thousands of little bugs crawling all over the dead deer. I had never seen this bug before, albeit I had a suspect.  Thanks to Bill Urquhart of Department of Conservation’s Entomology Lab, it was confirmed that this was in fact “Deer Lice”. It appears that the deer had a systemic infection which, coupled with a few other factors, led to starvation and its eventual demise. It is likely that due to all of the other problems this deer was dealing with, its grooming behavior wasn’t up to par and the presumed ubiquitous but infrequently seen lice found a perfect situation to thrive. Deer Lice have been documented across most of the continent and rarely affect the host animal. In extreme cases, an infestation can cause problems. This occurrence appears to be unrelated to a rash (no pun intended) of reports of deer with bald patches across parts Maine (and New England) that occurred this year.  At the moment, we are not sure what caused those cases. As they appear to be isolated incidents, we are not working aggressively to diagnose them but, are looking into the situation opportunistically. When we do find out more about those cases I may be able to say, “Well, I learned something new today!””

Thank you, Kendall, for sending this along!

Eyed up Eggs

 

Fish eggs incubating on a metal tray

As you may recall, one of my earlier entries was about the salmon egg take at the Raymond fish trap, posted on November 26, 2012. The following day, Dry Mills hatchery in Gray collected eggs from their Kennebago strain brook trout. The brook trout eggs, like the salmon eggs, were taken via the “dry spawn” method, in which the eggs are collected in a relatively dry bowl, milt is added and mixed for fertilization, and then the eggs are placed in water where they will water-harden for at least an hour. This method allows for a higher percentage of the eggs to become fertilized.  Fish eggs begin to harden when they hit the water, so if the eggs and milt are mixed out of the water as opposed to directly in the water, more eggs are fertilized before they have hardened.

After hardening for an hour, the brook trout eggs were placed into jars, where they would sit with clean spring water cycling in the jars until the eggs have ‘eyed’. The jar process allows healthy, living eggs to settle into the bottom while the dead eggs rise to the top, allowing for easier removal of dead eggs. The cycling of clean water helps prevent some fungal growth, mimics the natural running water of streams, and keeps the eggs well-oxygenated. In the time between the taking of the eggs and the embryos growing to the ‘eyed’ stage, the eggs are very fragile, and the less handling of them in those early stages the better. Thus, when the eggs reach the ‘eyed’ stage, it is a significant step in the hatchery. For brook trout, it takes about 30 days with an average water temperature of 10C for the eggs to reach the eyed stage. They may develop faster if the water is slightly warmer, or slower if the water is slightly cooler.

Brook trout eggs at the ‘eyed’ stage.

Once the eggs are at that stage, they are more resilient, and can be handled more without detriment.  The eggs are moved from the jars to the incubation trays, with hatchery personnel picking out dead eggs daily. This keeps the living ones healthy, as dead eggs left sitting tend to attract fungal growths. With about 5 million eggs in the state hatchery system currently (1.2 million eggs at the Dry Mills hatchery alone), picking eggs and tending these future fighters is a tedious, time-consuming job. The sac-fry, or alevins, should be hatching from the first eggs that were taken in Palermo and transferred to Dry Mills any day, and the Kennebago eggs should be hatching in about 1-2 weeks, when we will check in on them again and update you with their progress!

For more information about the fish rearing process, check out our Hatchery Division page at the top of this blog.

Who’s Been Here?

It’s that awkward time of year. Hunting for most species has ended, the lakes are not frozen enough to do some fishing yet, and folks, kids and adults alike, are fidgety sitting inside on the weekends. What is there to do that isn’t expensive or a long drive? Well, you’re lucky. You’re in Maine, and Maine is known for woods, snow, and wildlife. Mix those three things together and you get a fun afternoon outside, looking for tracks!

The best condition for identifying tracks is fresh snow, about one inch or so, or soft mud. Depending on where you are in the state, you might have one, the other, or both of these situations. Think it might be fun, but don’t know where to start? That’s okay, below are some key tracks you could find right off your back porch! Grab a coat, a ruler, some type of track ID card or field guide, and let’s go see who has been in the woods behind the house!

Perhaps one of the most common tracks you may see right in your back yard may look like this: They are small. The front track (right) is about one and half inches long, the back track (left) is about two and a quarter inches long. This critter loves bird seed, is active all winter, and hopefully has enough seeds stored to last until spring. Squirrels are all over back yards in the winter, and kids love identifying squirrel tracks.

Here’s another one.  This track is about four inches long and is often found in back yards, particularly around bird feeders. Often where there is one set, there are lots of sets. Turkeys can be found in smaller flocks in the winter in areas where there is little food to be found. But around feeders, where there is a steady supply of food, turkeys will congregate into larger flocks.

Let’s try another.  Both the front and back tracks are about two and a quarter to two and a half inches long. The double lobe on the bottom of the large pad and the evidence of claws suggests the animal is a canine of some type. Cat tracks typically have three lobes on the bottom of the largest pad and no evident claw marks (as their claws are retractable). If you own a dog, or have some running around your neighborhood, these tracks can be fairly easily identified. There is no reliable way to distinguish between coyote tracks, whose average dimensions are mentioned above, and domestic dog tracks. Some domestic dog tracks may be four inches tall, but most medium to large breeds produce a track similar in size to that of a coyote. Fox tracks are very similar as well, although sometimes slightly smaller. Here’s a house cat track for comparison.

It can be a lot of fun for adults and youths to investigate who has been walking around behind the house or on the woods trail. For more tracks, pick up a track ID pocket card from any of our regional offices, or our main office in Augusta. Then grab the dog and the kids and get outside!

Remember, fresh tracks in fresh snow or mud are the best for identifying. Old tracks in snow melt out, giving the impression that the track was significantly larger than it actually was. Track details, such as presence of toe nails or number of lobes may also be lost as tracks melt out.