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Status of the Metro Catfish Project and Recent Catfish Activities in the East Metro Joel Stiras

Status of the Metro Catfish Project and Recent Catfish Activities in the East Metro Joel Stiras DNR Fisheries Specialist St. Paul, MN. How did this catfish project start? Background for present day. Complaints of large catfish no longer present in the St Croix.

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Status of the Metro Catfish Project and Recent Catfish Activities in the East Metro Joel Stiras

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  1. Status of the Metro Catfish Project and Recent Catfish Activities in the East Metro Joel Stiras DNR Fisheries Specialist St. Paul, MN

  2. How did this catfish project start? Background for present day. • Complaints of large catfish no longer present in the St Croix • Resulted in St. Croix River survey by Hinckley and East Metro area offices in 2006 • Hindsight, sampling issues evident, poor timing, poor results for East Metro

  3. How did this catfish project start? Background for present day. • River portion (upstream of lift bridge to Taylors Falls) • 10 channel catfish sampled • 2 flathead catfish sampled • Lake St. Croix (lift bridge to confluence with Pool 3) • 54 channel catfish sampled • 3.31 per gill net lift • 2 flathead catfish sampled

  4. East Metro Area Office Re-Dedication to the Rivers • Two largest water bodies in East Metro Area • St. Croix River • Mississippi River, Pool 2

  5. East Metro Area Office Re-Dedication to the Rivers Many questions about the rivers. What’s first? • Special regulations on Pool 2 need evaluation • We don’t know anything about our catfish populations

  6. 2008 Catfish Work • Set up a standardized sampling program for evaluating flathead catfish in Pool 2 • 2006 St. Croix River survey raised more questions, obvious further evaluation needed • Designed the Metro Catfish Tagging Project

  7. 2008 Flathead Catfish Survey • Sampled 122 flatheads by low frequency electrofishing • Size range of 5.6-42.8 inches • Aged them for first time • Collected 117 spines • Ages 1-24 sampled

  8. 5 4 3 2 1

  9. 50 lbs and 24 years old! 27 lbs and 24 years old!

  10. 2008 Channel Catfish, Pool 2 • Collected 27 channel catfish during summer and fall electrofishing • Collected 46 channel catfish during September Nelson Mining Site Evaluation in gill nets and trap nets

  11. What’s this Nelson Mining Site thing all about? • 229 acre area adjacent to Lower Grey Cloud Island • Aggregate Industries wants to expand mining operation into the river • Plan to excavate down to 200 feet, fill with fines, leaving a hole 100 feet deep • Mining to occur over a 20 year span

  12. Back to the catfish project Questions and Problems • How many catfish are actually out there? • DNR creel surveys conducted during daylight hours • Result – catfish angling effort and harvest likely under estimated • Relatively open river systems, how far do these catfish move? • Do these catfish move between river systems? • Regulations are different for border waters and inland waters • Are there sensitive over-wintering areas that need protection? • Are there growth differences between river systems? • Are there genetic differences in catfish populations between river systems?

  13. Catfish Tagging • Tag all channel and flathead catfish 10 inches and longer • Remove pectoral spine from sub-sample to determine age • Clip a fin to estimate tag loss, save the fin for genetic analysis • Estimate mortality from tagging, spine removal • Record where fish released after tagging, record location where fish recaptured

  14. Catfish Tagging Measure fish

  15. Catfish Tagging Cut off pelvic fin

  16. Catfish Tagging Preserve fin tissue in alcohol for genetic analysis

  17. Catfish Tagging Tagging needles

  18. Catfish Tagging Insert needles beneath dorsal fin

  19. Catfish Tagging Insert tag wire into needles

  20. Catfish Tagging Use wire twist pliers to secure wire after removing needles

  21. Catfish Tagging Finished product

  22. Catfish Tagging Remove pectoral spine if necessary

  23. Catfish Tagging Live release

  24. Catfish Tagging Now do it again…

  25. Catfish Tagging and again…

  26. Catfish Tagging and again…

  27. Catfish Tagging and again…

  28. Catfish Tagging and a few thousand more times.

  29. And while you’re at it… …tag any lake sturgeon you see on the St Croix River

  30. Catfish Tagging Results, 2009 • 147 catfish tagged • 126 channel catfish (11.1-33.1 inches, 3-22 years old) • 86 upstream of Arcola Sandbar • 40 downstream of Arcola Sandbar • 21 flathead catfish (11-44.5 inches, 3-24 years old) • 11 upstream of Arcola Sandbar • 10 downstream of Arcola Sandbar

  31. Catfish Tagging Results, 2009 • Mortality and Tag Loss • No documented mortality • Had 9 tagged channel catfish but back in hoop nets • One escaped net, remaining 8 alive with tags in place after 2 days • No documented tag loss • All catfish tagged were new fish, no secondary fin clips

  32. Catfish Tagging Results, 2009 • Recaptures and Angler Reports • Recaptured one channel catfish, sampled by electrofishing both times • Caught 2 days later, less than 200 feet from release point • One angler reported a channel catfish caught and harvested • Caught 15 days after tagged, less than 200 feet from where released

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