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Posts: 138
Location: Utah | Chapter 65 Mountain West Muskie received grant funds from Muskies, Inc. Board of Directors Fisheries and Research Committee to perform a 3-year angler-driven study of the age, growth and abundance of tiger muskie in Pineview Reservoir, Utah. Using angler collected information to characterize the age distribution, growth, and numbers of tiger muskie in Pineview Reservoir, Utah.
Tiger muskie anglers from Chapter 65 partnered with state fisheries biologists to collect pelvic fin rays from fish caught via hook and line and chapter members will tag those fish caught as part of a study to estimate abundance of tiger muskie in the reservoir. Information gained will allow biologists and anglers to make more informed decisions about future management of tiger muskie population in this premier tiger muskie fishery and other newer tiger muskie fisheries within the state. Chapter 65 members and biologists will have the goal of catching, tagging, and taking fin ray samples from a minimum of 100 fish.
Formal classroom training and hands on demonstrate training was conducted on 27 April by DNR Biologist Mr. Chris Penne on clipping fin rays and tagging. Members were able to practice the techniques on harvested Wipers from Willard Bay, UT. Trained members received an authorization letter from Mr. Penne to perform the pelvic fin ray clipping and tagging to carry with them. Thus far members have clipped and tagged about a dozen Pineview tiger muskies.
This will be a very interesting study for the chapter with a great deal of biological information gained about tiger muskies as currently there is very little information on the muskellunge hybrid besides basic information. It is believed by the DNR this will be the first ever specific tiger muskie study ever done including the first time the DNR has allowed trained anglers to clip fin rays and tag fish in the state of Utah.
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | This type of cooperative research is great and really a direction fisheries managers need to embrace. | |
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Location: Green Bay, WI | I'm certainly very happy to see that MI is giving grants for this type of research. And it's also great to see that these folks are working directly with their state's fisheries biologists. I wholeheartedly agree with Will in that we definitely need this level of collaboration and rapport with state conservation agencies.
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Posts: 138
Location: Utah | Update on Chapter 65 study. As of today DNR trained Muskies, Inc. Chapter 65 Mountain West Muskie members have tagged and clipped the pelvic fin ray of 109 Tiger Muskies from Pineview Reservoir for DNR analysis.
Chapter members have also clipped the pelvic fin ray of fish they have found on Pineview deceased with largest fish hitting 50".
The average length of these fish (not including deceased) is 33 inches with the largest fish being tagged at 47 inches and the smallest being 16 inches. Of these 109 fish 16 have been reported as recaptures.
In the fall chapter members will assist the DNR helping with analysis to get a good age determination from the 2017 fin ray clippings. This is an ongoing 3 year study with grant funds from Muskies, Inc.
Age is determined similar to rings on a tree number of rings indicate approximate age of fish. These ages can then be correlated to the past stocking efforts.
Will be a very interesting analysis for chapter 65 and the state to determine the age of these fish based on the pelvic fin ray clippings. The chapter will update this year’s final analysis and I'll post info when complete for 2017.
If one fishes PV and catches a Muskie please if it has a tag number note the tag number and please call in. Photo attached shows 300 that is the tag number. One side will have a phone number to call and the other side has the tag number.
Phone number isn't monitored on a regular basis so please listen to the instructions on providing your info and speak clearly.
Per DNR briefings Tiger Muskies are helping in waters where there is a HUGE chub issue.
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Posts: 2
| Thank you a lot. It helps me much
Edited by nataliez1 4/11/2019 10:47 AM
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Mountain West Tiger Muskie Research