Saginaw Bay September Trawl Results.

[Walleye Express]

Hi Dan.

I knew you'd be after me as soon as September was over about the trawl results. All results are preliminary as of now of course. Early observations indicate a trawl catch rate of about 6 age-0 walleye per 10 minute tow (average). This makes it the 6th highest average catch rate for the trawl time series (since 1971). It means another good walleye year class for 2008. Its not as strong as the ones we have mostly seen since 2003 but still pretty darn good and solid.

The 2007 year class (based on the catch rate in our gillnet collections) was the second highest we've measured since the surge in reproduction that began in 2003. No doubt you have been catching many of these little 12 & 13 inch fish. There are lots of them and that bodes very well for continued abundance of walleye in the bay.

Yellow perch remain in low abundance relative to past surveys but there was definitely some there. The age-0 perch were not nearly as abundant as recent years but that may be a good thing, meaning that they will grow better and survive better. We'll see.

Once we get all the lab work done (like aging the fish) and do the data analysis, we'll know a lot more. By late winter we'll have the annual creel survey results too. Check back with me on it around early March.

BTW; Will you be attending the annual MCBA meeting that is being held this year in Alpena (like Oct 25th)? I'll be there for much of it, talking some about my research concerning cormorants.