Managing Muskies in the '90S Workshop Proceedings
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Managing Muskies in the '90s Workshop Proceedings August 16-17, 1995 Kemptville College of Agricultural Technology Southern Region Science & Technology Transfer Unit Workshop Proceedings WP-007 Editors S. J. Kerr C. H. Olver This workshop proceedings should be cited as follows: Kerr, S.J. and C.H. Olver [eds.]. 1996. Managing muskies in the '90s. Workshop Proceedings. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Southern Region Science & Technology Transfer Unit Workshop Proceedings WP-007. 169 pp. Printed in Ontario, Canada (0.5k P.R., 96 05 31) MNR 50878 ISBN 0-7778-5248-9 Copies of this publication are available from: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Science &Technology Transfer Unit Concession Rd, Box 2002 Kemptville, Ontario KOG 1J0 Cette publication spécialisée n'est disponible qu'en anglais Cover Photo: Denise Wachelka, Muskies Canada Inc. releasing a 142 cm (56 inch) muskellunge in the Ottawa River. Table of Contents Table of Contents Foreword …………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii Welcome and Opening Remarks ...............................………………………………………………………. 1 James G. Hamilton An Introduction to Muskies Canada ………………………………………………………………………... 3 B. Powers An Overview of Muskellunge Management in Ontario ……………………………………………………. 5 Cheryl A. Lewis Muskellunge Reintroduction Feasibility Study, Spanish Harbour Area of Concern ……………………….. 11 Bernard LeBeau Changes in the Muskellunge Fishery and Population of Lake St. Clair after an Increase in the Minimum Size Limit …………………………………………………………………………… 19 Don MacLennan Assessing Sustainability of Trophy Muskellunge Fisheries ………………………………………………... 29 John M. Casselman, E. J. Crossman, and C. J. Robinson Highlights of the Muskies Canada Angler Log Program, 1979-93 ………………………………………… 41 Steven J. Kerr Seasonal Movements of Muskellunge in Lake Scugog, Ontario ………………………………………….. 47 T. Richard Stronks Northern Pike and Muskellunge Spawning Ecology and Reproductive Success in the Lower Ottawa River ……………………………………………………………………………... 55 Richard Monfette, Sylvie GuMette, Nathalie Dubuc, Réjean Fortin, and Henri Fournier Rideau River Telemetry Study 67 Hedrik Wachelka Spawning and Post-Spawning Movements of the St. Lawrence River Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) …………………………………………………………………………………. 73 Steven R. LaPan, Albert Schiavone, and Robert G. Werner 1994 St. Lawrence River Muskellunge Nursery Habitat Inventory ………………………………………. 83 Anne Bendig Muskellunge Stocking in Wisconsin: At the Crossroads ………………………………………………….. 93 Terry L. Margenau Contribution of Natural Reproduction and Stocking to Fall Age-0 Esocid Abundance in Rose Bay, St. Lawrence River ……………………………………………………………………. 99 John M. Farrell and Robert G. Werner Recent Trends in the Lake of the Woods Muskellunge Fishery …………………………………………... 105 Tom Mosindy i Table of Contents The Lac Seul Trophy Muskellunge Fishery .........................………………………………………… 115 Paul MacMahon Muskellunge in Georgian Bay and the North Channel …………………………………………………... 123 Arunas P. Liskauskas The Kawartha Lakes Muskellunge Fishery ………………………………………………………………. 137 Lois Deacon. The Cleithrum Project: An Update to 1995 ………………………………………………………………. 147 E. J. Crossman, and John M. Casselman Discussion Group Reports ………………………………………………………………………………... 153 Muskellunge Stocking: Is it a Viable Management Option? 155 Facilitator - Norman W. Smith Size Limit Regulations: Do They Work? ………………………………………………………………… 159 Facilitator - Cheryl A. Lewis "Managing Muskies in the '90s" Workshop Participants …………………………………………………. 163 .. ii Foreword Foreword The muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) enjoys an August 16-17, 1995. The workshop was organized by almost mystical reputation among Ontario anglers. It's the Science & Technology Transfer Unit, Ontario elusive nature, voracious appetite, fighting qualities Ministry of Natural Resources, and sponsored by when hooked and ability to attain an immense size all local chapters of Muskies Canada Inc. This workshop contribute to its stature as one of the most highly was organized to assemble a mix of researchers, prized fish species in Ontario. In addition to its value managers, anglers and selected outdoor writers to from a recreational aspect, muskellunge also provide transfer results of current and ongoing muskellunge direct economic benefits estimated at several million research and discuss issues regarding management of dollars in Ontario annually (Scott and Crossman the species. The format included formal presentations 1973). by 17 individual speakers from Quebec, New York, Wisconsin and across Ontario. Presentations were The distribution of muskellunge in Canada is grouped according to the general topics of confined to small portions of northwestern Ontario management strategies, movements and habitat and western Quebec as well as the lower Great utilization and status reports on different fisheries. Lakes and inland waters of southern Ontario The second component of the agenda involved (Crossman 1978). They are known to exist in 302 breaking into informal discussion groups to discuss inland lakes and several river systems in Ontario two current management issues: (i) Muskellunge (OMNR 1987). Stocking: Is it a viable option? and (ii) Size limits: Do they work? Perhaps with no other species of fish is the partnership more evident between researchers, anglers and managers than is the case with The interest in muskellunge was evident by the fact muskellunge. Muskies Inc. and, more recently, that at least 75 people attended the workshop. These Muskies Canada Inc., have a long and distinquished proceedings have been prepared to disseminate history of data collection, public education and information presented to those who were unable to support of muskellunge research. attend. It is hoped that this document will provide Two earlier symposia have established benchmarks in useful information for future management of this the knowledge of muskellunge and the fisheries they "noble" fish. provide. The "Coolwater Fishes of North America Symposium" (AFS 1978) was held at St. Paul, Minnesota in 1978. In 1984, the first major S. J. Kerr Aquatic Biologist Southern collaborative effort to assemble and synthesize Region Science & Technology Transfer Unit information solely on muskellunge was the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources "Managing Muskies" symposium held at LaCrosse, Wisconsin (AFS 1986). Discussions are currently underway for a second international muskellunge symposium in 1997. References AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY. 1978. A two-day workshop, entitled "Managing Muskies in Selected coolwater fishes of North the '90s" was held at the Kemptville College of America. Special Publication No. 11. Agricultural Technology on Washington, D. C. 437 p. iii Foreword AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY. 1986. Managing ONTARIO MINISTRY OF NATURAL RESOURCES. muskies, a treatise on the biology and propagation of 1987. Atlas of muskellunge lakes in Ontario. muskellunge in North America. Special Publication Fisheries Branch, Toronto, Ontario. 34 p. No. 15. Bethesda, Maryland. 372 p. SCOTT, W. B. AND E. J. CROSSMAN. 1973. Freshwater CROSSMAN, E. J. 1978. Taxomony and distribution of fishes of Canada. Bulletin 184. Fisheries Research North America escocids. American Fisheries Society Board of Canada. Ottawa, Ontario 966 p. Speical Publication 11: 13-26. iv Welcome and Opening Remarks Welcome and Opening Remarks James G. Hamilton Science & Technology Transfer Unit Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 50 Bloomington Road West Aurora, Ontario L4G 3G8 Good morning. I would like to welcome you to the promote continued good relations between "Managing Muskies in the '90s" workshop. This anglers and fishery professionals. workshop was organized by the Southern Region The format of the workshop has two components: a Science and Technology Transfer Unit whose role in series of formal presentations and informal discussion the Ministry of Natural Resources is to develop and group sessions. Seventeen speakers, from across transfer science to managers and client groups. I Ontario, Quebec, New York and Wisconsin, will believe that hosting formal workshops such as this is present papers on a variety of topics including one means of effectively transferring new muskellunge ecology, management and status of information. Some of you probably attended a similar various stocks. Individual presentations will be workshop, "Bass Management in Ontario", which was relatively brief (20-25 minutes) with some time for held last year at the Queen's University Biological questions from the floor. The second portion of the Station. I am also pleased that this workshop is a workshop involves facilitated discussion on two collaborative effort with Muskies Canada. This management issues: (1) Muskellunge stocking, and organization has a long and respected history (2) Size limit regulations. One of the benefits of this dedicated to promoting the conservation of gathering is the assembly of individuals all having a muskellunge and their habitats. common interest. Throughout the workshop I would strongly encourage interaction and informal We have several objectives for this workshop. We discussions. hope to provide a forum for formal and informal discussion between anglers, managers and researchers. We want to transfer information on the Where do we go from here? The proceedings of this latest muskellunge research and management efforts. workshop will be edited, printed and distributed We wish to identify management problems (and sometime later this winter. I also understand that potential solutions), research