Biologists Take Tissue Samples To Evaluate Bass Stocking Program

EMPORIA – Fisheries biologists at the Meade Fish Hatchery have been fooling Mother Nature to get largemouth bass to spawn earlier than normal. By controlling water temperature and photo-period (day length), along with other biological factors, hatchery staff are able to create an environment where largemouth bass spawn up to two months earlier than they would in the wild. The fry produced have a huge advantage over naturally-spawned bass because they are large enough to feed on small fish through the spring and summer. By fall, these larger bass are more likely to survive their first winter in a Kansas lake.

So far, early-spawn bass have been stocked into select Kansas reservoirs where bass are popular with anglers but natural reproduction and normal stocking practices aren’t maintaining good bass populations. To evaluate the success of the early-spawn program, fisheries staff have conducted creel surveys to determine if catch rates have improved. In addition, DNA testing of adult bass caught in these lakes will tell biologists what percentage of the bass population is made up of early-spawn fish.

A unique quality of the early-spawn program is that genetic records kept on the brood fish allow each bass produced to be traced back to the hatchery. KDWPT biologists are working with bass tournament organizers to obtain samples from bass brought to tournament weigh-ins at select lakes. Recently, staff worked with the East Kansas Bassmasters club during a tournament on Hillsdale Reservoir where early-spawn bass have been stocked since 2012. Fingernail-sized clippings from the upper caudal fin were collected from fish at the weigh-in before the bass were released. The tissue samples will be tested to determine if they came from fish produced at the Meade Fish Hatchery.  

In the past five years, more than 10 million largemouth bass have been produced and stocked through the early-spawn procedure. The evaluation efforts will help biologists determine the program’s effectiveness in bolstering bass populations, as well as what changes should be made to improve stocking success.

Master Angler Awards Go To Lucky Anglers

PRATT ­– So, you caught a big fish; was it luck or was it skill? There’s no doubt a little luck never hurts, but good anglers make their own luck by refining their skills, paying attention to environmental conditions and being persistent. And for that, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) wants to recognize them when they catch trophy-class fish.

KDWPT’s Master Angler Award program provides anglers with a certificate when they catch a fish that is at or above the minimum length set for that species. All an angler needs is a tape measure and a camera. Measure the fish, snap a color photo and fill out the application, available in the 2016 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary or at www.ksoutdoors.com; click on “Fishing” then click on “Special Fishing Programs.”

Minimum lengths are listed for 33 different species of fish in the regulations summary and online. For example, to receive a Master Angler Award for a largemouth bass, the fish must measure at least 23 inches. The color photo allows species identification.

Even if you are luckier than you are good, and you catch that monster bass, send us an application and we’ll mail you a custom certificate suitable for framing. May is one of the best months of the year to catch big fish, so what are you waiting for?

More Fish Attractors to Hit Kansas Lakes

PRATT – Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) Fisheries Section staff recently launched a new program designed to increase the amount of fish-attracting structure in Kansas public waters. As part of the program, staff will sink approximately 300 “PVC cubes,” to attract fish. The 3-foot by 4-foot by 4-foot cubes are cost-effective and proven in other states, and not only do they last more than three times (10-plus years) longer than natural brush piles, they have been shown to hold as many fish as the natural counterpart without effecting water quality.

David Breth, who recently took over coordination of the fish habitat program, said that the goal of adding 300 cubes this year has just about been met.

“It’s an ongoing project,” he said. “As we get the materials and kits ready, we are adding cubes and new lake locations to receive them. All cubes are being placed at specific, pre-determined locations.”

Known as “Georgia Cubes,” the artificial structures were designed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Stacking more than 50 feet of corrugated pipe on the PVC frame, the design maximizes surface area for fish attraction. The structures quickly accumulate periphyton, a complex mix of algae, fungi, and bacteria, making them more attractive to insects and fish. 

Anglers are already reporting catching fish, notably largemouth bass, around the cubes placed this spring. Fisheries field staff will collect sonar and video images on how fish populations and species are using the cubes in relation to natural structures.

For anglers wanting to try their luck, a file is available with GPS locations of attractors (natural and artificial) at the KDWPT website,www.ksoutdoors.com. Click on “Fishing” then click on “Google KMZ file of KS Fish Attractors” under the “Fishing Opportunities” menu. Anglers can also find the file by entering “fish attractor GPS” in the search box on the home page. As the new cubes are placed and marked, the file will be updated with locations. Cubes have been added to, Milford, Wilson, Melvern, Perry, El Dorado, Tuttle Creek and Horsethief reservoirs, Butler, Clark, Pottawatomie No. 1, Pottawatomie No. 2 and Meade state fishing lakes, Yates Center South Owl Lake, and Eureka City Lake.

Breth said that without the help of Kansas B.A.S.S. chapters, the placement process would be much slower.

“Local B.A.S.S. clubs have been instrumental in this project, assembling the cubes from kits onsite, then placing them using their own boats and GPS units,” he said. “They’ve been a great help.”

THREE MUST-HAVE TOOLS FOR ANGLERS THIS SEASON

Fishing is one part luck, two parts preparation

PRATT – Fishing is an art, and although it requires a little bit of luck, most great fishing experiences are a result of prior planning and research. The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) has three must-have angling tools this season that will help you determine what fish are out there, where to catch them, and how to do so lawfully.

Enhance your fishing experiences this season by investing your time with these publications:

2015 Fishing Forecast

If you want to know what fish are out there for catching, consult the 2015 Fishing Forecast. Compiled with data gathered through fisheries biologists’ sampling efforts, the free forecast provides anglers with up-to-date information on what lies beneath the water’s surface. Brochures are available at KDWPT offices, as well as online atksoutdoors.com/fishing. In addition to what species of fish can be caught at any given body of water, the forecast also includes tables with Density Ratings, Preferred Ratings, and Lunker Ratings, as well as information on the Biggest Fish sampled, Biologist’s Ratings, and a Three-Year Average of popular species. Anglers can use the forecast to find lakes that provide the fishing opportunities they desire. For example, if you enjoy catching and eating channel catfish, you can select a lake with a high Density Rating, which is the number of channel catfish at least 16 inches long caught per sampling effort. If you’re only after trophy-sized catfish, you can select a lake with a high Preferred Rating, which is fish longer than 24 inches or a high Lunker Rating, which is fish longer than 28 inches.

A copy of the 2015 Fishing Forecast can also be seen in the March/April issue of Kansas Wildlife & Parks magazine. To become a subscriber, call toll-free (866) 672-2145, or visit ksoutdoors.com/Services/Publications/Magazine.

2015 Kansas Fishing Atlas

Knowing where to drop a line can be tricky, but the 2015 Kansas Fishing Atlas removes the guesswork. The free, 84-page atlas provides anglers with maps pinpointing public fishing areas, as well as public lands across Kansas. These maps also include Fishing Impoundment and Stream Habitats (F.I.S.H.) areas, or privately-owned ponds or streams KDWPT has leased and opened to public fishing. F.I.S.H. sites are labeled by an abbreviated access period, size, and boating restriction for each location, so refer to the atlas prior to fishing. Each map also shows all federal reservoirs, state fishing lakes, river access areas, and community lakes, making the question of “where to fish” just that much easier to answer.

The atlas is currently available online at ksoutdoors.com. Printed copies will be available shortly wherever licenses are sold.

2015 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary

After you’ve decided what species to fish for and where to find them, refer to 2015 Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary for information on regulations changes for the new season, creel and length limits, permit requirements, and more. Copies can be obtained at no cost online at ksoutdoors.com/fishing, and at any license vendor.

For more on Kansas fishing, visit ksoutdoors.com/fishing.

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2014 FISHING FORECAST A RECIPE BOOK FOR GREAT ANGLING

Anglers can dish up a great day on the water using information found in the 2014 Fishing Forecast

PRATT ­– You don’t have to be a world-renowned chef to recognize a good meal when you eat one, and now you don’t have to be a Master Angler in order to catch fish like one. The 2014 Fishing Forecast, produced by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT), is an instrumental ingredient when creating the perfect day on the water. Simply take a helping of research, combined with a few choice lures, add in some free time, and you just might find yourself with a recipe worth revisiting this fishing season.

Since the 2014 Fishing Forecast uses data gathered from sampling efforts of public waters during annual lake monitoring, anglers can rest assured they are receiving the best possible information on where to fish and what to fish for. In addition to what species of fish can be caught at any given body of water, the forecast also includes tables with Density Ratings, Preferred Ratings, and Lunker Ratings, as well as information on the Biggest Fish sampled, Biologist’s Ratings, and a Three-Year Average of popular species.

The Density Rating is the number of fish that were high-quality size or larger sampled per unit of sampling effort. High-quality size, listed in parentheses at the top of the Density Rating column, is the length of fish considered acceptable to most anglers and is different for each species. The higher the Density Rating, the more high-quality-sized or larger fish per surface acre in the lake. Theoretically, a lake with a Density Rating of 30 has twice as many high-quality-sized fish per acre as a lake with a Density Rating of 15.

The Preferred Rating identifies how many above-average-sized fish a water contains. For example, a lake may have a good density of crappie, but few fish over 10 inches. The Preferred Rating tells an angler where to go to for a chance to catch bigger fish.

The Lunker Rating is similar to the Density Rating, but it tells you the relative density of lunker-sized fish in the lake. A lunker is a certain length of fish considered a trophy by most anglers. It also differs with each species and is listed in parentheses at the top of the Lunker Rating column. For example, most anglers consider a channel catfish longer than 28 inches a lunker. Many lakes may have a lunker rating of 0, but this does not mean there are no big fish in that lake. It just means that no lunker fish were caught during sampling, and they may be less abundant than in lakes with positive Lunker Ratings.

You can use the Density Rating and Lunker Rating together. If you want numbers, go with the highest Density Rating. If you want only big fish, go with the Lunker Rating. Somewhere in the middle might be a better choice. A lake with a respectable rating in all three categories will provide the best overall fishing opportunities.

The Biggest Fish column lists the weight of the largest fish caught during sampling. A heavy fish listed here can give the lunker fishermen confidence that truly big fish are present.

The Biologist’s Rating adds a human touch to the forecast. Each district fisheries biologist reviews the data from annual sampling of their assigned lakes. This review considers environmental conditions that may have affected the sampling. They also consider previous years’ data. A rating of P (poor), F (fair), G (good), or E (excellent) will be in the last column. Sometimes the Density Rating may not agree with the Biologist’s Rating. This will happen occasionally and means the Density Rating may not accurately reflect the biologist’s opinion of the fishery.

The Three-Year Average rating refers to the averaging of the Density Rating over the previous three years of sampling to help show a trend for a particular lake.

Copies of the 2014 Fishing Forecast can be found in the March/April issue of Kansas Wildlife & Parks magazine, at any KDWPT office or license vendor, or online at ksoutdoors.com by clicking “Fishing/Fishing Forecast.”

HORTON MISSION LAKE EAST RENOVATION COMPLETE

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Revitalized fishery, improved water quality, new facilities enhance lake
HORTON — Renovation of Horton Mission Lake East (½ mile north of Highway 20 on the east edge of Horton) is complete, and it is time to get out and enjoy this revitalized fishery. Mission Lake was opened to fishing on May 23.
Since the fishery was cleaned out last August, several thousand fish have been stocked, including fathead minnows, bluegill, black crappie, and largemouth bass. Some of these were smaller hatchery fish; however, a good portion were adults that were relocated from surrounding waters.
Is there a keeper fish behind every clump of vegetation or in every new brush pile? Probably not, but when Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) biologists sampled the lake in mid-May, they saw a healthy young fishery. And since the renovation, water clarity has improved to more than 4 feet, much better than the 4-7 inches the lake used to have.
In addition to improving the fishery, staff have made several new additions to lake facilities, including a concrete boat ramp, courtesy dock, several fishing piers, two fish feeders, and several new campsites with electrical hookups.

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3 Percent of Lakes in Basmmaster Top 100 in Kansas

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Perry, Wilson, Keith Sebelius reservoirs listed among best in country; others may be as good or better
PRATT — Bassmaster.com has recently listed three Kansas reservoirs in its list of top 100 bass fishing lakes in the U.S. Perry, Wilson, and Keith Sebelius reservoirs received honors, ranking 60th, 77th, and 87th, respectively. The rankings were determined using information from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s (KDWPT) annual electro-shocking and angler surveys; B.A.S.S. Federation Nation state presidents’ opinions based on state tournament results; B.A.S.S. Federation Nation conservation directors rankings based on access, stocking practices, and current health of fisheries; and opinions from a blue ribbon panel of experts, including outdoor writers, Elite Series anglers, and fishing industry leaders from across the country.

While this is bodes well for Kansas anglers, there may be even better news. 2012 is stacking up as a great year for Kansas bass anglers statewide.
“We have a tremendous smallmouth bass fishery at Coffey County Lake, too” says Doug Nygren, KDWPT Fisheries Section chief. “LaCygne Lake will rival any lake in the state for big largemouths. But Sebelius may be our best because it has smallmouth, spotted, and largemouth bass. And many of our small- to medium-sized lakes always have great bass fishing.”
“Anglers know that great bass fisheries are not created in one year,” adds Kyle Austin, KDWPT’s hatchery system supervisor. “The past three or four years have been very good for bass fisheries in Kansas lakes. We’re in really good shape.”
Nygren agrees. “This is going to be an above-average year for bass in our reservoirs.”
So whether you’re fishing one of the Bassmaster.com Top 100 or one of the state’s many other great bass lakes, this should be a an outstanding year for Kansas bass anglers. For a sneak peek at the top lakes in the state this year, go online to the KDWPT website, ksoutdoors.com, and click “Fishing/Fishing Forecast.” Now go fish.

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MEADE HATCHERY PROJECT PRODUCING BASS EARLIER

Early propagation program helping bass survival and growth rates
MEADE — Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) fish culturists are producing largemouth bass earlier, giving them a head start on bass hatched with traditional hatchery methods or those hatched in the wild. Now in its fourth year, a bass propagation project at Meade Fish Hatchery, near Meade State Park, is coming to fruition. The project’s first year, 2009, was met with several setbacks, but after some revising of techniques, Meade Hatchery biologists Jason Vajnar and Josh Jagels were able to produce 750,000 fry more than 45 days earlier than normal in the spring of 2010.

In 2011, the hatchery produced 2 million early-hatched bass, which were stocked primarily in Hillsdale and Cedar Bluff reservoirs, with a few stocked in smaller impoundments on a trial basis. The goal for 2012 is 2.5 million fry. Of those stocked this year in Hillsdale and Cedar Bluff, approximately 100,000 in each lake will be marked finglerings, so biologists can separate early-propagated bass from wild-spawned bass during testing later in the year. In addition, Herington City Lake, an impoundment with virtually no historical natural bass recruitment, will receive 600,000 seven-day-old fry.

Typically, hatchery and wild bass spawn in mid-June, too late to eat young gizzard shad — a primary prey species for bass, which hatch earlier and are too big for young-of-the-year bass to feed on. This results in slower growth rates and smaller year-class bass that are more vulnerable to winter die-off after the growing season ends in fall.

“We want to emphasize that while we are hopeful for the long-term success of this project, it is still experimental,” says KDWPT Fisheries Section chief Doug Nygren. “We will monitor progress for the next few years, and if it’s producing significant numbers of additional largemouth bass for anglers, we’ll expand the program. If not, it will be discontinued.”

The concept of hatching bass earlier in the year is relatively simple. KDWPT fisheries biologists have built a climate-controlled building — called the Bass Propagation Facility — for the process. Here, they can manipulate water temperature and photoperiod (length of light in a day) in hopes that mature breeding bass will spawn approximately six weeks earlier than normal. If the parent bass respond as expected, their fry will be reared in raceways to fingerling size by the time wild-hatched bass are still in the fry stage.

Both fry and young fingerlings are stocked in lakes, where they feed on zooplankton until young shad are available.

Kansas boasts 24 large reservoirs, but few of them provide consistent largemouth bass fishing opportunities. Fishery managers have struggled for years to maintain bass populations in reservoirs, but in most cases, it’s been a futile battle. Kansas anglers catch plenty of largemouth bass, but most come from the tens-of-thousands of farm ponds and small lakes that dot the state. When the reservoirs are new, wooded draws, weedy farm fields, and grasslands are flooded, providing excellent largemouth habitat. During this time, largemouth bass flourish and grow quickly, but after five or six years, populations decline.

In the past, biologists have tried stocking more largemouth bass, but this did not result in increased numbers of large bass. Biologist have determined that lack of aquatic vegetation (plentiful in small lakes and farm ponds) in large reservoirs is the missing ingredient. Aquatic vegetation is important for newly-spawned largemouth to hide from predators and feed. Vegetation harbors insect larvae, minnows, and panfish species that are important food sources for largemouth bass. Biologists have transplanted vegetation and even fenced off coves in attempts to reestablish vegetation, but results have been limited.

During the first attempt, the biologists learned important lessons. For the second attempt, breeding bass were removed from outdoor hatchery ponds and brought to indoor tanks in November 2009. Water temperature and lighting was adjusted to mimic winter — 40-degree water and 10 hours of light followed by 14 hours of dark. On March 11, 2010, the lighting was changed to 14 hours of light and 10 hours of dark to replicate the diurnal cycle of May. The water was warmed to 68-70 degrees. On March 25, it was warmed to between 70-72 degrees. Until this point, the male and female bass had been kept in separate raceways. On March 25, the sexes were put into the same raceways but kept separated by a screen. Bass could then react to the pheromones given off, allowing gonads to develop. On April 2, the screens were pulled and the sexes were allowed to mingle. Spawning mats (artificial nests) were placed on April 9, and on April 14, the first spawns were collected. The result was that the Meade Hatchery produced nearly 750,000 fry in 2010.

The process is constantly being refined. Water quality is monitored carefully in spring. Staff watch levels of ammonia and un-ionized ammonia carefully, and whenever set parameters are exceeded, they make adjustments. The water heating system is now improved so that the temperature doesn’t fall during the night. Correspondence with the Florida Bass Conservation Center in Florida and biologists in Texas also helped Vajnar and Jagels make the program a success.

The success of this project depends on the survival rate of stocked bass through their first year. If it works as hoped, Kansas anglers should be catching bigger and more of their favorite sportfish in the future.

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GRIDLEY CITY LAKE TO UNDERGO REHABILITATION

Image via Wikipedia
Lake open to public salvage before work begins
GRIDLEY — Over the past few years, Gridley City Lake has diminished from one of the best small fishing lakes in Kansas to a poor-quality lake with a high number of large carp competing with the game fish and spoiling the water quality. Now, the city of Gridley — with the help of Coffey County, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, and the Walter S. and Evan C. Jones Foundation — have formed an alliance to rehabilitate the 33-acre lake and recreate the high-quality sport fishery the lake once offered.

The lake was opened to public salvage on August 9, and all state and city creel and length limits have been rescinded. Anglers may use seines, snagging, bow and arrow, and gigs to harvest fish as the lake is drawn down over the next several weeks.

On the morning of Sept. 10, the lake will be totally drained. A fence will be placed just below the dam to hold the fish back, and the public will be invited to pick up all the fish they want. A city permit will still be required to harvest fish at the lake. Seasonal and daily permits are available at the lake iron ranger, city hall, the grocery store, and the gas station in Gridley.

When the lake is finished draining and begins to dry out, heavy equipment will be brought in to build fishing piers, deepen many areas, and build up islands. This will create more shoreline habitat and deeper water, as well as diminish wave erosion on the shoreline. The rehabilitation project will improve water quality and eliminate unwanted fish species from the lake and watershed. Brush piles and rock piles will be added to create more fish habitat.

If weather permits, the earthwork should be completed by late winter, and the lake will be ready for refilling and stocking in early spring. Channel catfish, largemouth bass, crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, walleye, smallmouth bass, and wiper, as well as fathead minnows for forage, will be stocked. The lake will be closed for as long as two years while the fish grow, and they will be fed to increase growth and carrying capacity.

For more information, phone 620-432-4857.