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The influence of hook type, angler experience, and fish size on injury rates and the duration of capture in an Alaskan catch-and-release rainbow trout fishery

Owing to concerns about the high incidence of past hooking injuries in Alagnak River rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss, fish were captured with spin- and fly-fishing gear with barbed and barbless circle and "J" hooks to determine gear types contributing to injury. Landing and hook removal times were measured for a portion of fish captured, and the anatomical hooking location, hooking scar locations, bleeding intensity, angler experience, and fish size were recorded for all captured fish. Approximately 62% of fish captured experienced at least one new hooking injury, and 29% of fish had at least one past hooking injury. Small fish sustained higher new injury and bleeding rates, but large fish had higher past injury rates. Injury rates were higher for barbed J hooks, barbed J hooks took longer to remove, and fish caught by spin-fishing were injured more frequently than fish caught by fly-fishing. Fewer fly-fishing-caught fish were injured using circle hooks, and circle hooks tended to hook fish in only one location, generally in the jaw. Barbed J hooks were more efficient at landing fish, and J hooks were more efficient at landing fish than circle hooks. Novice anglers injured proportionally more fish than experienced anglers, primarily during hook removal. Landing time was positively correlated with fish size, and experienced anglers took longer to land fish than novices because they captured larger fish. These results suggest that a reduction in hooking injuries may be achieved by using circle hooks as an alternative to J hooks and barbless J hooks to reduce injury and handling time, yet catch efficiency for both methods would be reduced. Although fish captured with barbless J hooks and circle hooks had fewer injuries, it is important to note that each hook type also caused significant injury, and angler education is recommended to promote proper hook removal techniques.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Status of lake trout rehabilitation on Six Fathom Bank and Yankee Reef in Lake Huron

Six Fathom Bank, an offshore reef in the central region of Lake Huron's main basin, was stocked annually with hatchery-reared lake trout Salvelinus namaycush during 1985–1998, and nearby Yankee Reef was stocked with hatchery-reared lake trout in 1992, 1997, and annually during 1999–2001. We conducted gill-net surveys during spring and fall to evaluate performances of each of the various strains of lake trout, as well as the performance of the entire lake trout population (all strains pooled), on these two offshore reefs during 1992–2000. Criteria to evaluate performance included the proportion of “wild” fish within the population, spawner density, adult survival, growth, maturity, and wounding rate by sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus . Although naturally reproduced age-0 lake trout fry were caught on Six Fathom Bank and Yankee Reef, wild lake trout did not recruit to the adult population to any detectable degree. The density of spawning lake trout on Six Fathom Bank (>100 fish/305 m of gill net) during 1995–1998 appeared to be sufficiently high to initiate a self-sustaining population. However, annual mortality estimates for all lake trout strains pooled from catch curve analyses ranged from 0.48 to 0.62, well exceeding the target level of 0.40 suggested for lake trout rehabilitation. Annual mortality rate for the Seneca Lake strain (0.34) was significantly lower than that for the Superior–Marquette (0.69) and Lewis Lake (0.69) strains. This disparity in survival among strains was probably attributable to the lower sea-lamprey-induced mortality experienced by the Seneca Lake strain. The relatively high mortality experienced by adult lake trout partly contributed to the lack of successful natural recruitment to the adult population on these offshore reefs, but other factors were probably also involved. We recommend that both stocking of the Seneca Lake strain and enhanced efforts to reduce sea lamprey abundance in Lake Huron be continued.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Efficacy of a benthic trawl for sampling small-bodied fishes in large river systems

We conducted a study from 1998 to 2001 to determine the efficacy of a benthic trawl designed to increase species detection and reduce the incidence of zero catches of small-bodied fishes. We modified a standard two-seam slingshot balloon trawl by covering the entire trawl with a small-mesh cover. After completing 281 hauls with the modified (Missouri) trawl, we discovered that most fish passed through the body of the standard trawl and were captured in the cover. Logistic regression indicated no noticeable effect of the cover on the catch entering the standard portion of the modified trawl. However, some fishes (e.g., larval sturgeons Scaphirhynchus spp. and pallid sturgeon S. albus) were exclusively captured in the small-mesh cover, while the catch of small-bodied adult fish (e.g., chubs Macrhybopsis spp.) was significantly improved by use of the small-mesh cover design. The Missouri trawl significantly increased the number and species of small-bodied fishes captured over previously used designs and is a useful method for sampling the benthic fish community in moderate- to large-size river systems.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Distribution and abundance of black bass in Skiatook Lake, Oklahoma, after introduction of smallmouth bass and a liberalized harvest regulation on spotted bass

We conducted a 3-year study to examine the trends in abundance and distribution of three sympatric black bass species ( Micropterus ) in an Oklahoma reservoir after implementation of a differential harvest regulation to reduce the abundance of spotted bass M. punctulatus and after stocking nonnative smallmouth bass M. dolomieu . Largemouth bass M. salmoides were stocked in Skiatook Lake, Oklahoma, immediately after its creation in 1984 to supplement the existing population in the watershed. Nonnative smallmouth bass were stocked in 1990, and their abundance and distribution have increased ever since. Native spotted bass, which have less fishery value than the other two black bass species, increased fivefold in abundance in 1994, became the predominant black bass species by at least 1996, and appeared to displace largemouth bass from many habitats. From boat-mounted electrofishing sampling conducted in April and May 1997–1999, we found that spotted bass abundance (proportion and catch per hour) had decreased while smallmouth bass abundance and distribution within the reservoir steadily increased. Largemouth bass abundance did not change among years. Throughout our study period, spotted bass was always the most abundant black bass species where differences in abundance were found. Our results suggest that the continually expanding smallmouth bass population is displacing spotted bass from many of their formerly used habitats, much like spotted bass had displaced largemouth bass by 1996.

Oklahoma↗

A sampler for capturing larval and juvenile Atlantic menhaden

Interest in capturing larval and juvenile Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus for use in laboratory studies required the design and construction of a sampling device that would allow us to make collections of live fish from open-water areas. Our device for capturing 1-2.5-in larval-juvenile fish was constructed of a stainless steel frame that supported a 9.84-ft-long (3-m-long)5 cone plankton net with a 3.28-ft-diameter (1-m-diameter) opening and a 0.04-in (1-mm) mesh size. Although the plankton net was similar to that used during typical larval fish collections, the cod end was constructed of Plexiglas and was nearly watertight; this prevented impingement and injury to larval fish and provided a calm-water environment. The cod end was designed for quick release from the plankton net, and the entire cod end could be submerged into a 75-gal onboard holding tank. This design and technique obviated the netting or emerging of fish from the water until they were returned to the laboratory. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Laboratory studies on the vulnerability of young white sturgeon to predation

Despite evidence of annual spawning by white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus in rivers of the northwestern United States and Canada, in some years and locations little or no recruitment of age-0 white sturgeon has been observed. We examined the vulnerability of white sturgeon larvae and juveniles to predation to further understand possible causes of mortality. We were particularly interested in the vulnerability of older larvae and juveniles because at about 25 mm total length (TL) white sturgeon develop sharp dorsal and lateral scutes that may act as a morphological defense. In the laboratory, white sturgeon ranging from newly hatched larvae to about 170-mm TL juveniles were exposed to predatory fishes they might encounter in the natural environment. We found that channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (mean TL = 464 mm) and northern pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis (mean TL = 472 mm) ate white sturgeon up to mean sizes of 121 and 134 mm TL, respectively. Conversely, similarly sized walleyes Sander vitreus ingested almost no white sturgeon, although juvenile walleyes (mean TL = 184 mm) ate white sturgeon up to 59 mm TL. The smallest predator we tested, prickly sculpins Cottus asper (mean TL = 126 mm), ate white sturgeon up to a mean TL of 50 mm. Our study demonstrated that predation is a likely cause of mortality of age-0 white sturgeon and may be contributing to the year-class failures that have been observed. In addition, the results from this study could be used to reduce the predation risk of artificially propagated white sturgeon released to augment declining populations since fish could be reared to sizes where their vulnerability is low.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Ice processes affect habitat use and movements of adult cutthroat trout and brook trout in a Wyoming foothills stream

Habitat use and movements of 25 adult cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii and 25 adult brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis from fall through winter 2002-2003 were assessed by means of radiotelemetry in a 7-km reach of a Rocky Mountains foothills stream. Temporal dynamics of winter habitat conditions were evaluated by regularly measuring the features of 30 pools and 5 beaver Castor canadensis ponds in the study reach. Groundwater inputs at three locations raised mean daily water temperatures in the stream channel during winter to 0.2-0.6??C and kept at least 250 m of the downstream channel free of ice, but the lack of surface ice further downstream led to the occurrence of frazil ice and anchor ice in pools and unstable habitat conditions for trout. Pools in segments that were not affected by groundwater inputs and beaver ponds tended to be stable and snow accumulated on the surface ice. Pools throughout the study reach tended to become more stable as snow accumulated. Both cutthroat trout and brook trout selected beaver ponds as winter progressed but tended to use lateral scour pools in proportion to their availability. Tagged fish not in beaver ponds selected lateral scour pools that were deeper than average and stable during winter. Movement frequencies by tagged fish decreased from fall through winter, but some individuals of both species moved during winter. Ice processes affected both the habitat use and movement patterns of cutthroat trout and brook trout in this foothills stream.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Optimization of an acoustic telemetry array for detecting transmitter-implanted fish

The development of miniature acoustic transmitters and economical, robust automated receivers has enabled researchers to study the movement patterns and survival of teleosts in estuarine and ocean environments, including many species and age-classes that were previously considered too small for implantation. During 2001-2003, we optimized a receiver mooring system to minimize gear and data loss in areas where current action or wave action and acoustic noise are high. In addition, we conducted extensive tests to determine (1) the performance of a transmitter and receiver (Vemco, Ltd.) that are widely used, particularly in North America and Europe and (2) the optimal placement of receivers for recording the passage of fish past a point in a linear-flow environment. Our results suggest that in most locations the mooring system performs well with little loss of data; however, boat traffic remains a concern due to entanglement with the mooring system. We also found that the reception efficiency of the receivers depends largely on the method and location of deployment. In many cases, we observed a range of 0-100% reception efficiency (the percentage of known transmissions that are detected while the receiver is within range of the transmitter) when using a conventional method of mooring. The efficiency was improved by removal of the mounting bar and obstructions from the mooring line.

Idaho, Oregon, Washington↗

A new sampler design for measuring sedimentation in streams

Sedimentation alters aquatic habitats and negatively affects fish and invertebrate communities but is difficult to quantify. To monitor bed load sedimentation, we designed a sampler with a 10.16-cm polyvinyl chloride coupling and removable sediment trap. We conducted a trial study of our samplers in riffle and pool habitats upstream and downstream of highway construction on a first-order Appalachian stream. Sediment samples were collected over three 6-week intervals, dried, and separated into five size-classes by means of nested sieves (U.S. standard sieve numbers 4, 8, 14, and 20). Downstream sediment accumulated in size-classes 1 and 2, and the total amount accumulated was significantly greater during all three sampling periods. Size-classes 3 and 4 had significantly greater amounts of sediment for the first two sampling periods at the downstream site. Differences between upstream and downstream sites narrowed during the 5-month sampling period. This probably reflects changes in site conditions, including the addition of more effective sediment control measures after the first 6-week period of the study. The sediment sampler design allowed for long-term placement of traps without continual disturbance of the streambed and was successful at providing repeat measures of sediment at paired sites. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Anchor and visible implant elastomer tag retention by hatchery rainbow trout stocked into an Ozark stream

As part of a study to evaluate the stocking of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss in an Oklahoma Ozark stream, we tagged 2,542 hatchery-reared rainbow trout (123-366 mm total length) with individually numbered Floy FD-68B anchor tags and visible implant fluorescent elastomer (VIE) tags. We experimentally stocked double-marked rainbow trout into a small northeastern Oklahoma stream from November 2001 to March 2002 and resampled them monthly from December 2001 to October 2002 by electrofishing. Anchor tag retention was 91% through 6 months, and VIE tag retention was 96% through 6 months despite extensive handling of fish within 24 h of tagging. Based on the ease of application, high visibility, and high retention observed in this study, we recommend the use of VIE tags as a batch mark in similarly sized, similarly pigmented fish. The retention of VIE tags was slightly higher than that of anchor tags, and cost per fish was less for VIE than for anchor tags. However, VIE tags would have limited utility if numerous individual tags are necessary; therefore, we recommend anchor tags as individual marks in similarly sized salmonids. Retention for both tag types was relatively high and could be corrected for when estimating population parameters from tagging data.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Recent water temperature trends in the lower Klamath River, California

Elevated water temperatures have been implicated as a factor limiting the recovery of anadromous salmonids in the Klamath River basin. This article reviews evidence of a multi-decade trend of increasing temperatures in the lower main-stem Klamath River above the ocean and, based on model simulations, finds a high probability that water temperature has been increasing by approximately 0.5??C/decade (95% confidence interval [Cl] = 0.42-0.60??C/decade) since the early 1960s. The season of high temperatures that are potentially stressful to salmonids has lengthened by about 1 month over the period studied, and the average length of main-stem river with cool summer temperatures has declined by about 8.2 km/decade. Water temperature trends seem unrelated to any change in main-stem water availability but are consistent with measured basinwide air temperature increases. Main-stem warming may be related to the cyclic Pacific Decadal Oscillation, but if this trend continues it might jeopardize the recovery of anadromous salmonids in the Klamath River basin. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Effect of block net use and time of sampling on backpack electrofishing catches in three Kansas reservoirs

Using backpack electrofishing in three Kansas reservoirs, we investigated the need for block nets when estimating density (fish/ha) and species diversity and determined whether time of sampling affected catch rates (fish/h) of age-0 largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides and age-0 Lepomis spp. and species diversity. Block nets were used to enclose or buoys were used to mark the boundaries of 149 m2 of reservoir surface area. Species richness, diversity, and density of age-0 largemouth bass and Lepomis spp. did not differ significantly between areas enclosed with block nets and areas marked with buoys, but species richness, diversity, and catch rates differed significantly between day and night sampling. Age-0 largemouth bass and Lepomis spp. catch rates, species richness, and species diversity were all significantly higher during night sampling. Our results indicate that use of block nets may not be necessary to estimate age-0 largemouth bass and Lepomis spp. densities, species richness, or diversity in reservoir littoral areas. We recommend night sampling because of significantly higher catch rates and better representation of the littoral fish assemblage. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Juvenile rainbow trout production in New York tributaries of Lake Ontario: implications for Atlantic salmon restoration

Three Pacific salmonid species Onchorynchus spp. have replaced the extirpated Atlantic salmon Salmo salar as the main migratory salmonid in the Lake Ontario drainage. One of those species, the nonnative rainbow trout O. mykiss, has become widely distributed within the historical Atlantic salmon habitat, occupying an ecological niche similar to that of juvenile Atlantic salmon. Consequently, both a tributary's carrying capacity for Atlantic salmon and competition from established nonnative species are important when considering the feasibility of Atlantic salmon restoration. Estimation of juvenile rainbow trout production will help evaluate the capacity of tributaries to produce salmonids that occupy similar niches. Geostatistical methods were applied to standardized and efficiency-corrected electrofishing data from three of New York's best salmonid-producing streams to precisely estimate juvenile rainbow trout populations. Results indicated that each study stream could produce 20,000–40,000 age-0 and 4,000–10,000 age-1 and older rainbow trout per year. Statistical interpolation indicated areas of significantly different production potential and points of significant changes in productivity. Closer examination of the niche similarity and competitive potential of these two species is needed to properly interpret these estimates with regard to Atlantic salmon restoration.

New York↗

Evaluation of a prototype surface flow bypass for juvenile salmon and steelhead at the powerhouse of Lower Granite Dam, Snake River, Washington, 1996-2000

A surface flow bypass takes advantage of the natural surface orientation of most juvenile salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss by providing a route in the upper water column that downstream migrant fishes can use to pass a hydroelectric dam safely. A prototype structure, called the surface bypass and collector (SBC), was retrofitted on the powerhouse of Lower Granite Dam and was evaluated annually with biotelemetry and hydroacoustic techniques during the 5-year life span of the structure (1996-2000) to determine the entrance configuration that maximized passage efficiency and minimized forebay residence time. The best tested entrance configuration had maximum inflow (99 m 3/s) concentrated in a single surface entrance (5 m wide, 8.5 m deep). We identified five important considerations for future surface flow bypass development in the lower Snake River and elsewhere: (1) an extensive flow net should be formed in the forebay by use of relatively high surface flow bypass discharge (>7% of total project discharge); (2) a gradual increase in water velocity with increasing proximity to the surface flow bypass (ideally, acceleration 3 m/s) to entrain the subject juvenile fishes; (4) the shape and orientation of the surface entrance(s) should be adapted to fit site-specific features; and (5) construction of a forebay wall to increase fish availability to the surface flow bypass should be considered. The efficiency of the SBC was not high enough (maximum of 62% relative to passage at turbine units 4-5) for the SBC to operate as a stand-alone bypass. Anywhere that surface-oriented anadromous fish must negotiate hydroelectric dams, surface flow bypass systems can provide cost-effective use of typically limited water supplies to increase the nonturbine passage, and presumably survival, of downstream migrants. ??Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

Washington↗

Multilevel assessment of fish species traits to evaluate habitat degradation in streams of the upper midwest

We used species traits to examine the variation in fish assemblages for 21 streams in the Northern Lakes and Forests Ecoregion along a gradient of habitat disturbance. Fish species were classified based on five species trait-classes (trophic ecology, substrate preference, geomorphic preference, locomotion morphology, and reproductive strategy) and 29 categories within those classes. We used a habitat quality index to define a reference stream and then calculated Euclidean distances between the reference and each of the other sites for the five traits. Three levels of species trait analyses were conducted: (1) a composite measure (the sum of Euclidean distances across all five species traits), (2) Euclidean distances for the five individual species trait-classes, and (3) frequencies of occurrence of individual trait categories. The composite Euclidean distance was significantly correlated to the habitat index (r = -0.81; P = 0.001), as were the Euclidean distances for four of the five individual species traits (substrate preference: r = -0.70, P = 0.001; geomorphic preference: r = -0.69, P = 0.001; trophic ecology: r = -0.73, P = 0.001; and reproductive strategy: r = -0.64, P = 0.002). Although Euclidean distances for locomotion morphology were not significantly correlated to habitat index scores (r = -0.21; P = 0.368), analysis of variance and principal components analysis indicated that Euclidean distances for locomotion morphology contributed to significant variation in the fish assemblages among sites. Examination of trait categories indicated that low habitat index scores (degraded streams) were associated with changes in frequency of occurrence within the categories of all five of the species traits. Though the objectives and spatial scale of a study will dictate the level of species trait information required, our results suggest that species traits can provide critical information at multiple levels of data analysis. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Quantifying production of salmon fry in an unscreened irrigation system: A case study on the Rangitata River, New Zealand

Diversion of out-migrant juvenile salmon into unscreened irrigation and hydroelectric canals is thought to have contributed significantly to declining populations of anadromous salmonids in the Pacific Northwest but is seldom studied in detail. Here we describe a program to study the fate of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha fry diverted into the unscreened Rangitata Diversion Race (RDR) on the Rangitata River, New Zealand, by trapping fish in a random sample of on-farm canals in irrigation schemes (systems) served by the RDR. The catch rate at a site 9 km below the intake was strongly related to Rangitata River flow, but catches further downstream were unrelated to flow. Most fish entering the RDR were fry or early postfry (<70 mm fork length (FL)), but up to 92% of the fish trapped in on-farm canals were fingerlings (>70 mm FL), suggesting that many such fish became resident in the RDR for up to 3 months. Consequently, our estimate of the total number of fish leaving the RDR via on-farm canals (204,200 fish; 95% confidence limits = 127,100 and 326,700) is a conservative measure of the number lost from the Rangitata River because it does not allow for mortality within the RDR. We did not quantify the proportion of Rangitata River out-migrants that entered the RDR, but our results suggest that this figure was at least 5% and that it may have been as high as 25%, depending on mortality rates within the Rangitata River main stem and the RDR itself.

Rangitata River↗

Electroshocking and PIT tagging of juvenile Atlantic salmon: Are there interactive effects on growth and survival?

Electroshocking and tagging of fish with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags are two commonly used methods for conducting mark-recapture studies in freshwater environments and are frequently used in combination. We conducted an experiment to test for the effects of electroshocking, tagging, and a combination of electroshocking plus tagging on the growth and survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar parr. We used five treatments that included the presence or absence of PIT tags and electroshocking at 300 or 500 V plus a control group. Fish were measured, weighed, and electroshocked on four occasions separated by approximately 2-month intervals. The average (??1 SD) fork length was 62.1 ?? 1.9 mm and the average weight was 2.5 ?? 0.3 g at the start of the experiment; at the end of the experiment, length averaged 120.5 ?? 11.6 mm and weight averaged 20.9 ?? 6.1 g. We did not detect any significant effects of electroshocking on growth or survival over the course of the experiment. However, there was evidence that tagging negatively influenced survival over the first interval after initial tagging and that survival was positively correlated with fish size. In addition, tagged fish seemed to suffer a minor depression in growth over the first interval, although differences in size among tagged and untagged fish were nonsignificant throughout the course of the experiment. We suggest that the size at tagging may have a greater effect on survival and growth of small (<80-mm) Atlantic salmon parr than the amount of exposure to electroshocking. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2005.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

Movements of fluvial Bonneville cutthroat trout in the Thomas Fork of the Bear River, Idaho-Wyoming

The majority of interior subspecies of cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii have been extirpated from large rivers by anthropogenic activities that have fragmented habitats and introduced nonnative competitors. Selective pressures against migratory behaviors and main-stem river occupation, coupled with conservation strategies that isolate genetically pure populations above barriers, have restricted gene flow and prevented expression of the fluvial life history in many populations. Existing knowledge about the movements and home range requirements of fluvial cutthroat trout is, therefore, limited. Our objectives in this study were to (1) determine the extent of seasonal home ranges and mobility of Bonneville cutthroat trout O. c. utah (BCT) in the Thomas Fork and main-stem Bear River and (2) evaluate the role of a water diversion structure functioning as a seasonal migration barrier to fish movement. We implanted 55 BCT in the Thomas Fork of the Bear River, Idaho, with radio transmitters and located them bimonthly in 1999–2000 and weekly in 2000–2001. We found fish to be more mobile than previously reported. Individuals above the diversion barrier occupied substantially larger home ranges than those below the barrier (analysis of variance: P = 0.0003; median = 2,225 m above barrier; median = 500 m below barrier) throughout our study, and they moved more frequently (mean, 0.89 movements/contact; range, 0.57–1.00) from October 2000 through March 2001 than fish below the barrier (mean, 0.45 movements/contact; range, 0.00–1.00). During the spring of both years, we located radio-tagged fish in both upstream and neighboring tributaries as far as 86 km away from our study site. Our results document the existence of a fluvial component of BCT in the Bear River and its tributaries and suggest that successful efforts at conservation of these fish must focus on main-stem habitats and the maintenance of seasonal migration corridors.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗