Walleyes Forever |
Canyon Ferry netting update: April 1, 2008 FWP tech McLain Johnson scoops ice out of a Merwin trap. with ice still floating From ERIC ROBERTS Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks We broke the seal on the Canyon Ferry field season yesterday, and we've got two Merwins out fishing today. We have two other Merwins to set, but we are going to let the remaining ice subside a bit before we get them out. Currently one trap is set in Duck Creek bay and the other is about one mile south of Duck. Water temps are still pretty cold (we forgot a thermometer today, but I would guess temp around 35) so I don't expect to see a lot of fish moving yet. With warmer temperatures forecast later this week we will probably see some action soon. Objectives for walleye tagging are similar to last year. We want to tag as many walleyes as possible to see if we can get an accurate estimate for the total number of walleyes in the lake. We will also tag a portion of fish (around a 100) with $75 reward tags to follow up on our exploitation estimates we made last year. Weather patterns seem to be a little more typical this spring, so it will be interesting to see how the Merwin traps perform. Anyone who would like to see what we are up to is more than welcome to come out and spend the day with us. To volunteer, just call my office phone at 495-3272 and leave a message (I'm usually out more than I'm in this time of year). FYI for those anxious to get their boat in--we launched at Broadwater Bay at the Silos and didn't have any trouble getting out of the bay in the jet boat. The bay itself is 6-10 feet deep and the berm at the mouth of the bay is about two feet under water. Copyright, 2008  BigSkyOutdoors.Net |