2019 ANNUAL REPORT April 1, 2019 Thru March 31, 2020
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REPORT ON THE PREDATION INDEX, PREDATOR CONTROL FISHERIES, AND PROGRAM EVALUATION FOR THE COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN NORTHERN PIKEMINNOW SPORT REWARD PROGRAM 2019 ANNUAL REPORT April 1, 2019 thru March 31, 2020 Prepared by: Eric Winther Charles M. Barr Craig Miller Chris Wheaton Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Funded By: U.S. Department of Energy Bonneville Power Administration Environment, Fish and Wildlife P.O. Box 3621 Portland, OR 97208-3621 Project Number 1990-077-00 Contract Number 71866 II Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Report A – Implementation of the Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Fishery in the Columbia and Snake Rivers 3 Acknowledgements 4 Abstract 5 Introduction 6 Methods of Operation 8 Results and Discussion 13 Summary 34 Recommendations 35 References 36 Report B – Northern Pikeminnow Sport-Reward Payments – 2019 39 Abstract 40 Introduction 40 The 2019 Season 40 One-Time $10 Bonus Coupon 41 Participation and Payments 41 Tagged Fish Payments 41 Tag-Loss Bonus Payment 41 Total Accounting 42 2019 Sport Reward Payments Summary 42 2019 Standard Voucher 43 2019 Tag Voucher 44 III Report C – System-wide Predator Control Program: Fisheries and Biological Evaluation 45 ABSTRACT 46 INTRODUCTIONS 47 METHODS 49 Sport Reward Fishery Evaluation and Predation Reduction Estimates 49 Field Procedures 49 Data Analysis 50 Biological Evaluation 53 Field Procedures 53 Laboratory Procedures 54 Data Analysis 55 RESULTS 58 Sport Reward Fishery Evaluation and Predation Reduction Estimates 58 Biological Evaluation 59 DISCUSSION 65 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 71 REFERENCES 72 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Numbers of Northern Pikeminnow tagged and recaptured in the Sport Reward Fishery during 2019 by location and size class ........................................................................ 77 Table 2. Time series of annual exploitation rates (%) of Northern Pikeminnow (≥ 200 mm) in the Sport Reward Fishery by location ............................................................................... 78 Table 3. Time series of annual exploitation rates (%) of Northern Pikeminnow (200–249 mm) in the Sport Reward Fishery by location ......................................................................... 79 Table 4. Time series of annual exploitation rates (%) of Northern Pikeminnow (≥ 250 mm) in the Sport Reward Fishery by location ............................................................................... 80 Table 5. Mean catch per 900-s boat electrofishing (CPUE; and SE) of Northern Pikeminnow (≥ 250 mm FL), Smallmouth Bass (≥ 200 mm FL), and Walleye (≥ 200 mm FL) that were captured during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs during spring and summer 2019 ....................................................................................................... 81 IV Table 6. Spring and summer abundance index values (mean catch per 900-s boat electrofishing per surface area [ha] divided by 1,000; and SE) for Northern Pikeminnow (≥ 250 mm FL) in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 .................................................. 82 Table 7. Spring and summer abundance index values (mean catch per 900-s boat electrofishing per surface area [ha] divided by 1,000; and SE) for Smallmouth Bass (≥ 200 mm FL) in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 ............................................................. 83 Table 8. Spring and summer abundance index values (mean catch per 900-s boat electrofishing per surface area [ha] divided by 1,000; and SE) for Walleye (≥ 200 mm FL) in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 ............................................................................ 84 Table 9. Number (n) of Northern Pikeminnow, Smallmouth Bass, and Walleye (≥ 200 mm FL) diets examined during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs during spring and summer 2019 and proportion of samples containing specific prey items .... 85 Table 10. Proportion of diet samples containing specific prey fish families collected from Northern Pikeminnow, Smallmouth Bass, and Walleye during spring and summer biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 2019 ................................. 86 Table 11. Annual consumption index values for Smallmouth Bass (≥ 200 mm FL) captured during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs by season, 1991–2019 .................................................................................................................................... 87 Table 12. Annual predation index values for Smallmouth Bass (≥ 200 mm FL) captured during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs by season, 1991–2019 ........ 88 Table 13. Number of stock-length (ns) Walleye opportunistically sampled during fisheries evaluation, proportional size distribution (PSD, %), and proportional size distribution of preferred-length fish (PSD – P, %) by location ........................................................... 89 Table 14. Number of stock-length (ns) Walleye, proportional size distribution (PSD, %), and proportional size distribution of preferred-length fish (PSD – P, %) collected during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 ........................ 90 Table 15. Number of stock-length (ns) Smallmouth Bass, proportional size distribution (PSD, %), and proportional size distribution of preferred-length fish (PSD – P, %) collected during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 ........................ 91 Table 16. Number (n) of Northern Pikeminnow diets examined from Dam Angling Fishery catch from Bonneville (tailraces of The Dalles Dam) and The Dalles (tailrace of John Day Dams) reservoirs and proportions containing specific prey items ................................ 92 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Numbers of Northern Pikeminnow tagged and recaptured in the Sport Reward Fishery during 2019 by location and size class ........................................................................ 93 Figure 2. Time series of annual exploitation rates (%) of Northern Pikeminnow (≥ 200 mm) in the Sport Reward Fishery by location ......................................................................... 94 Figure 3. Time series of annual exploitation rates (%) of Northern Pikeminnow (200–249 mm) in the Sport Reward Fishery by location ......................................................................... 95 V Figure 4. Time series of annual exploitation rates (%) of Northern Pikeminnow (≥ 250 mm) in the Sport Reward Fishery by location ......................................................................... 96 Figure 5. Mean catch per 900-s boat electrofishing (CPUE; and SE) of Northern Pikeminnow (≥ 250 mm FL), Smallmouth Bass (≥ 200 mm FL), and Walleye (≥ 200 mm FL) that were captured during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs during spring and summer 2019 ....................................................................................................... 97 Figure 6. Spring and summer abundance index values (mean catch per 900-s boat electrofishing per surface area [ha] divided by 1,000; and SE) for Northern Pikeminnow (≥ 250 mm FL) in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 .................................................. 98 Figure 7. Spring and summer abundance index values (mean catch per 900-s boat electrofishing per surface area [ha] divided by 1,000; and SE) for Smallmouth Bass (≥ 200 mm FL) in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 ............................................................. 99 Figure 8. Spring and summer abundance index values (mean catch per 900-s boat electrofishing per surface area [ha] divided by 1,000; and SE) for Walleye (≥ 200 mm FL) in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 .......................................................................... 100 Figure 9. Number (n) of Northern Pikeminnow, Smallmouth Bass, and Walleye (≥ 200 mm FL) diets examined during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs during spring and summer 2019 and proportion of samples containing specific prey items .. 101 Figure 10. Proportion of diet samples containing specific prey fish families collected from Northern Pikeminnow, Smallmouth Bass, and Walleye during spring and summer biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 2019 ............................... 102 Figure 11. Annual consumption index values for Smallmouth Bass (≥ 200 mm FL) captured during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs by season, 1991–2019 .................................................................................................................................. 103 Figure 12. Annual predation index values for Smallmouth Bass (≥ 200 mm FL) captured during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs by season, 1991–2019 ...... 104 Figure 13. Number of stock-length (ns) Walleye opportunistically sampled during fisheries evaluation, proportional size distribution (PSD, %), and proportional size distribution of preferred-length fish (PSD – P, %) by location ......................................................... 105 Figure 14. Number of stock-length (ns) Walleye, proportional size distribution (PSD, %), and proportional size distribution of preferred-length fish (PSD – P, %) collected during biological evaluation in the lower Snake River reservoirs, 1991–2019 ...................... 106 Figure 15. Number of stock-length (ns) Smallmouth