The Study
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Graduate student Peter Jenkins of West Virginia University (WVU; Advisor Kyle Hartman PhD), along with the help of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WV DNR), released 45 muskellunge surgically implanted with radio transmitters in Stonewall Jackson lake in March, 2020. There is a YouTube video at the bottom of the web page that steps you through the surgical process. We are tracking all 45 fish throughout the summer months when water temperatures exceed 80 F to evaluate the effects that warm water catch-and-release fishing may have on the population. An additional 47 Muskellunge have been tagged as of April 2021.
The goal of the project is for local anglers to catch half of the tagged fish on rod and reel during the warm water period. Fish that are caught and released during the warm water period will be closely monitored for several days to determine whether an individual has survived or died after being caught and released. Additionally we will use these fine scale locations to asses seasonal movement and habitat use. As well as create a population model of muskellunge in Stonewall Jackson Lake, to help frame the impact catch and release fishing has on the population. |
Tracking Efforts
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A total of 47 Muskellunge have new transmitters implanted in 2021. Once the surface water temperatures reached 80 F, we will track muskellunge weekly, attempting to get location data on all fish each week.
Tracking consists of using an antenna to detect individual frequencies that are specific to each tagged fish. Once we detect an individual, we get as close to the fish as possible, record the GPS location and collect environmental data (water temperatures, dissolved oxygen levels, etc.). With this data, we can monitor movements and determine if an individual has moved around or has been in the same location over multiple days/weeks, warranting further investigation and trying to visually verify whether the fish is alive or dead. |
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Tracking Locations
In order to encourage more anglers who may not normally target muskellunge in the summer due to warmer water temperatures, we are providing weekly location updates starting again in June of 2021. This should aid anglers in targeting tagged muskellunge and increase catch rates to help us collect the data needed. It will also provide the data to anglers to better understand muskellunge seasonal movements in Stonewall Jackson Lake.
Preliminary Results
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As of the end of the 2020 season we do not have estimates of the rate of warm water catch-and-release mortality of Muskellunge in Stonewall Jackson lake. We have had a total of 23 total tagged muskellunge were reported, and 10 caught while the surface water temperature were above 80 F. One of those 10 muskellunge caught died shortly after being caught. The muskellunge that died engulfed the bait and was bleeding from the gills. Two muskellunge that were not reported caught by anglers have been tracked to a single location multiple times and are presumed to have died from natural causes.
We are hopeful that with the increased number of muskellunge tagged in 2021 we will have higher instances of muskellunge that have been caught and release to better estimate catch and release mortality. |
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Contact Information
If you would like more information or have questions on the Stonewall Jackson Lake catch and release mortality study. Feel free to contact Peter Jenkins via email [email protected] or call/text 419-677-4951.
Thank you for your interest and continued support.
Thank you for your interest and continued support.
