As many of you may already know, there was a major die-off of muskies in the eastern basin of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River in May/June 2005.
This year, Lake St. Clair is experiencing the same problem, with reports of 100 plus dead fish being found already.
We anticipate there will be a second die-off in the next 3-4 weeks on the St. Lawrence, although not to the extent we saw in 2005.
I would appreciate it if anyone comes across a dead/dying Muskie in the St. Lawrence that they contact me at 613-659-2925 (leave message if necessary). It is important that as many fish be recovered as possible.
If you will be on the St. Lawrence over the coming weeks and need details on what to do if you find a dead/dying muskie, please send me a PM.
Many thanks,
Tom
Muskie Problems
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Cancatchbass
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Cancatchbass
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Die-off
Wolfe- last year's die-off was not heat related. I'm not sure whether the NYSDEC made an error or if they could not report the true cause - a nasty virus - for some reason.
One of the reasons the second year of this situation is not expected to result in the same numbers in the St. Lawrence area is that the mature population of fish took such a hit last year.
BigSim- I'm not aware of any links. Sorry.
Tom
One of the reasons the second year of this situation is not expected to result in the same numbers in the St. Lawrence area is that the mature population of fish took such a hit last year.
BigSim- I'm not aware of any links. Sorry.
Tom
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wolfe
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Re: Die-off
So it's not actually good news. There's just not as many big ones left to succumb. Very sad. Let's hope the predictions are wrong in the sense that it'll more or less pass over. Unlikely, but one can hope...Cancatchbass wrote: One of the reasons the second year of this situation is not expected to result in the same numbers in the St. Lawrence area is that the mature population of fish took such a hit last year.
W.
EDIT: Please keep us informed, CCB. Thx.
Thanks, Dad, for taking me fishing when I was a kid.
Explaination ..
Experts are blaming the weather for the recent deaths of dozens of muskellunge in the upper St. Lawrence River.
Muskie corpses started bobbing in the currents and washing up on shorelines in the Thousand Islands region about two weeks ago. State fisheries biologists, university researchers and fishing guides collected as many as they could, and saved the freshest specimens for post-mortems at Cornell University's Animal Health Laboratory.
By Monday afternoon, the preliminary count had risen to 25 on the American side of the river and 47 on the Canadian side. No doubt many more dead muskies are still out there, drifting downstream and rapidly decomposing.
Dr. John Farrell, who directs the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry's Thousand Islands Biological Field Station off Clayton, said the recovered fish he's aware of measured between 37 and 56 inches in length.
Many of the muskies were egg-filled females. They apparently perished during their spawning run, when cool May weather abruptly gave way to a heat wave that toasted the shallows in river bays.
Veterinarians who examined the carcasses at Cornell University believe the rapid rise in water temperatures weakened the muskies' immune systems and made them vulnerable to a bacterial infection that was the direct cause of death.
Farrell has intensively studying the mating and migratory habits of St. Lawrence muskies since the late 1980s, when he was a SUNY-ESF graduate student.
"It's sad to see this after all the work that's gone into the fishery," he said.
In addition to the ongoing research by SUNY-ESF scientists, Farrell was referring to regulatory changes adopted by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and voluntary catch-and-release programs championed by local guides' associations.
Combined, those initiatives were responsible for dramatic recovery of the Thousand Islands muskellunge population. During the last several seasons, river regulars reported numerous catches of muskies in the 50- to 60-inch range - trophy specimens that were rarely encountered during the 1970s and '80s.
"The worst thing about this (die-off)," said 1000 Islands Bait Store owner Dave Berger, "is that those dead fish 44 inches and up were 15 or more years old. That tells me it's not going to come back tomorrow."
Berger added, "I've been here since 1962 and I've never seen anything like it."
Although calling the long-term impact of the die-off "potentially significant," Farrell said it's too early to declare a disaster.
"Fortunately, we have some things in place that will help us assess it," he said. "This summer, for the 15th year, we'll be seining known muskie nursery sites, so we'll be able to compare this year's reproductive success with others. We also have an angler diary program going, and we're planning to put out trap nets next spring to catch adult fish as they come into spawning areas. Over time, we should be able to tell what impact this die-off really had."
Muskie fishermen, as always, will just have to wait and see.
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D-mo
Muskie corpses started bobbing in the currents and washing up on shorelines in the Thousand Islands region about two weeks ago. State fisheries biologists, university researchers and fishing guides collected as many as they could, and saved the freshest specimens for post-mortems at Cornell University's Animal Health Laboratory.
By Monday afternoon, the preliminary count had risen to 25 on the American side of the river and 47 on the Canadian side. No doubt many more dead muskies are still out there, drifting downstream and rapidly decomposing.
Dr. John Farrell, who directs the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry's Thousand Islands Biological Field Station off Clayton, said the recovered fish he's aware of measured between 37 and 56 inches in length.
Many of the muskies were egg-filled females. They apparently perished during their spawning run, when cool May weather abruptly gave way to a heat wave that toasted the shallows in river bays.
Veterinarians who examined the carcasses at Cornell University believe the rapid rise in water temperatures weakened the muskies' immune systems and made them vulnerable to a bacterial infection that was the direct cause of death.
Farrell has intensively studying the mating and migratory habits of St. Lawrence muskies since the late 1980s, when he was a SUNY-ESF graduate student.
"It's sad to see this after all the work that's gone into the fishery," he said.
In addition to the ongoing research by SUNY-ESF scientists, Farrell was referring to regulatory changes adopted by the state Department of Environmental Conservation and voluntary catch-and-release programs championed by local guides' associations.
Combined, those initiatives were responsible for dramatic recovery of the Thousand Islands muskellunge population. During the last several seasons, river regulars reported numerous catches of muskies in the 50- to 60-inch range - trophy specimens that were rarely encountered during the 1970s and '80s.
"The worst thing about this (die-off)," said 1000 Islands Bait Store owner Dave Berger, "is that those dead fish 44 inches and up were 15 or more years old. That tells me it's not going to come back tomorrow."
Berger added, "I've been here since 1962 and I've never seen anything like it."
Although calling the long-term impact of the die-off "potentially significant," Farrell said it's too early to declare a disaster.
"Fortunately, we have some things in place that will help us assess it," he said. "This summer, for the 15th year, we'll be seining known muskie nursery sites, so we'll be able to compare this year's reproductive success with others. We also have an angler diary program going, and we're planning to put out trap nets next spring to catch adult fish as they come into spawning areas. Over time, we should be able to tell what impact this die-off really had."
Muskie fishermen, as always, will just have to wait and see.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-mo
Drum Die-off
Well isn't that interesting news. The US Government not being honest with us.
I wonder if this virus is the same thing that caused the big Freshwater Drum die-off that was noticed last year during the Walleye opener on the Bay of Quinte.
I think they are probably related.
I wonder what species will be next?
I wonder if this virus is the same thing that caused the big Freshwater Drum die-off that was noticed last year during the Walleye opener on the Bay of Quinte.
I think they are probably related.
I wonder what species will be next?well, what can you do ..
basially from what I have read, its global warming that lowers the immune system. Time to be concerned who you vote for in the next Federal Election .... nice to get tax credits, but not nice to see the environment take a beating.
d-mo
d-mo
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Relic
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I certainly dont by the "Heat wave" did it excuse. The water temps rose fast evrywhere, but fish only died in the Larry?????? Do you honestly believe that a fish is going to just sit there in the shallows and let the sun cook them.
Its more likley something like, there is major pollutants in the river, the heat does somthing to the pollutants which in turn kill the fish. If it is a pollutant or enviromental issue we will never get the straight truth about this. It will simply be blamed on dumb, old fish, that don't know enough to find cooler water. Yeah, Okay, Whatever.
Keep up the comendable work CCB.
Its more likley something like, there is major pollutants in the river, the heat does somthing to the pollutants which in turn kill the fish. If it is a pollutant or enviromental issue we will never get the straight truth about this. It will simply be blamed on dumb, old fish, that don't know enough to find cooler water. Yeah, Okay, Whatever.
Keep up the comendable work CCB.
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Trophymuskie
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Cancatchbass
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I found this fish this afternoon. The first I found was last week, a 44 1/2".
This fish was just 43" long. I did see two live fish today, a small 36"+/- and a second larger, 50" class fish that appeared quite healthy.
There has also been one fish found on the U.S. side near Cape Vincent.
TM- I expect things will reach a peak in a couple of weeks, if last year is any indication. I'll keep in touch.
Seaweed- suspicions are that the drum die-off (happening in Quinte again right now) and the muskie problem are from the same source.
By the way- ALL the government bodies (MNR, DFO, etc.) on this side of the border say they have no $$ to fund the research needed- it is being done on a totally volunteer basis, with some cash being injected by Muskies Canada. Thank goodness there are some dedicated scientists willing to put the necessary hours into dealing with this problem - on their own time and using their own equipment and supplies...
And thank goodness for Muskies Canada!
On the U.S. side, Cornell U. scientists have just received a large grant to study what they now see as a viral problem- but they are far behind the research being done in Guelph.
Tom
This fish was just 43" long. I did see two live fish today, a small 36"+/- and a second larger, 50" class fish that appeared quite healthy.
There has also been one fish found on the U.S. side near Cape Vincent.
TM- I expect things will reach a peak in a couple of weeks, if last year is any indication. I'll keep in touch.
Seaweed- suspicions are that the drum die-off (happening in Quinte again right now) and the muskie problem are from the same source.
By the way- ALL the government bodies (MNR, DFO, etc.) on this side of the border say they have no $$ to fund the research needed- it is being done on a totally volunteer basis, with some cash being injected by Muskies Canada. Thank goodness there are some dedicated scientists willing to put the necessary hours into dealing with this problem - on their own time and using their own equipment and supplies...
And thank goodness for Muskies Canada!On the U.S. side, Cornell U. scientists have just received a large grant to study what they now see as a viral problem- but they are far behind the research being done in Guelph.
Tom