Jim talked to Dr Farrel at Ithaca College

[jojo wilczewski]

Good Day

Jim stopped to talk with Dr Farrel at Ithaca College last month during a visit with Muskies Inc.. They are having the same problem with YOY. His theory and he has various test to prove it, is that the Goby has population is so high that they are extending their habitat to shallower water , under 6 feet. He feels and done experiments to show it , the Goby are eating ALL the eggs.  Next year he is going to try to hatch the eggs and release fry so that the goby will not be able to eat the eggs.

Sounds very interesting.

We also have the problem of the Cormorants eating seven pounds of seven pounds of fish a day.

Wonder if we could get a sykpe meeting or talk for a club meeting?

Steve G can you add anything I missed?

jojooout

[John Jarosz]

Jojo...I listened to Jim talking about that subject at their last Muskies Inc meeting & thought that Dr. Farrel was looking at stocking fries, so I shot an email to Chris Legard asking "what's up with that?".

Below is Chris' reply:

"Hi John,

He is working on an experiment to try and determine if the lack of young of year found in the St. Lawrence is due to issues (like egg predation) during the incubation period, or if there are survival issues past the fry stage. Only a small number of fingerlings have been stocked. This is an experiment only and not a stocking program designed to increase muskie numbers in the river.

Chris"

As far as Skype, I think it would be beneficial to at least look at it. We would need a microphone & internet access but for what we could get out of it, it might be worth it. We could talk to other groups & even have presentations given (with a Q&A) given "live."  We could always get internet access thru a "Hot Spot" but there is a monthly fee to that.

All great ideas, Jojo, but it'll cost us some bucks. My opinion?....well worth it.

[Stephen Glassic]

Actually Dr. John Farrell is at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracise. He also manages the The Thousand Islands Biological Research Station on Governors Island in the St. Lawrence across from Clayton. At an outing Muskies Inc. had there with Muskies Canada in September, Dr. Farrell gave us a tour of the research station with an overview of some of the current work they are doing there.

They are very concerned about YOY predation by gobies. I think Dr. Farrell is concerned about gobies more than any other concern (and there are many). They ran several experiments in tanks with various substrates such as sand, gravel, and vegetation and the gobies were able to find and devour the eggs in every case. I think vegetation was the most protective but only slowed them down a little.

I believe they will be trying the release of fry in 2017 in some select locations and then see if the seining results have improved. I believe they will collect the eggs from muskies in the same locations. They will then hatch the eggs at the biological station and release the fry back in the same locations. The fry will hopefully have a better chance of survival. If it proves to be successful, it might be a good way to go to help preserve native musky populations.

We are also trying to help Dr Farrell to recruit participants in his angler diary studies for the SLR. Anyone who is interested in participating please let me know.

[John Jarosz]

That's a really good effort you guys have going on.  Keep it up, please!!