Kansas Walleye Squeezing Begins

[Tim Smith]

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PRATT - In late March and early April, walleye migrate to rocky shallows in

Kansas reservoirs to spawn. At this time, anglers gather along rip-rapped

dams hoping to catch large walleye by casting jigs, rattle traps, crank

baits, and stick baits from shore. Some even wade to cast parallel with the

shore. But anglers aren't the only ones interested in this activity although

their interests are at stake. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP)

fisheries biologists take advantage of the spawn to harvest walleye eggs,

which are then taken to agency hatcheries where increased hatching success

means more fish for anglers in years to come.

This year, three reservoirs will provide KDWP with walleye eggs. Egg-taking

will begin on March 21 at Cedar Bluff Reservoir, March 21 at Hillsdale

Reservoir, and March 28 at Milford Reservoir. Nets will be placed to catch

spawning females that provide eggs both walleye and saugeye hatching

programs. Fall test netting revealed large populations of big walleye in

these three lakes.

Infestations of zebra mussels, white perch, and other aquatic nuisance

species (ANS) in several Kansas reservoirs require special care during

egg-taking to prevent the spread of these potentially-destructive species.

All sperm and egg collection will take place on each lake and the fish

returned to that lake immediately. Eggs will be fertilized at the lake, as

well, so no fish will be moved.

On March 14, KDWP biologists began catching male sauger and milking them for

milt (sperm) for the saugeye hatching program. (The saugeye is a

walleye/sauger hybrid.) Milt is preserved in vials that are taken to Milford

Reservoir to fertilize walleye eggs.

Biologists will work for the next few weeks collecting and fertilizing eggs,

transporting them to KDWP's hatcheries at Farlington, Milford, and Pratt,

and eventually stocking fish throughout the state. Some fry are stocked in

hatchery ponds to be raised to fingerling size and stocked later in late May

and early June. Others are stocked directly into lakes as fry.

In addition to walleye, the Milford Hatchery will produce the saugeye.

Saugeye grow faster and larger than sauger and are thought to be less prone

to wash-out high flow-through reservoirs than the walleye. To prevent

production of fertile saugeye that have the potential to breed with walleye

already in a lake - and potentially diluting that walleye population's

genetics - a "triploid induction" process is used on some of the saugeye

produced. Triploid induction is a technique that allows genetic manipulation

of a chromosome number to create a potentially faster-growing, but sterile,

saugeye.

KDWP's statewide harvest goal for 2011 is 77 million eggs, with a production

goal of 37 million walleye, 8 million saugeye, and 1.2 million sauger.

Because fewer than 5 percent of eggs hatch in the wild, artificial spawning

and hatching is used to increase egg survival rates as much as 40-50

percent. When hatchery-bound eggs reach their destination, biologists

monitor incubation closely. Water flows are checked to ensure constant but

controlled movement. Water temperatures and oxygen content are also

routinely checked. Dead eggs rise to the top of the jars and are siphoned

off each day. With a water temperature of 60 degrees, hatching generally

occurs on the eighth or ninth day of incubation. As the fry break out of

their egg cases, they are carried upward by the water into large circular

holding tanks where they are held for two to four days. Then they are ready

for stocking.

All this activity may not be high-profile, but it makes Kansas walleye

fishing much more productive. And as waters warm and days grow longer in

late March and early April, many anglers take their cue from fisheries

biologists and enjoy the opportunity to take walleye from the shore.

[HighPlainsFlyFisher]

Living less than 10 miles from Hillsdale I've actually had the opportunity to watch as they check nets in the morning and milk the fish. I've seen lots of nice fish coming out of those boxes over the years and they usually have the dates picked pretty close to when things start happening. I used to take some nice fish off the dam with spinning gear but havn't tried in several years , may have to take the flyrod down one evening and give it a whirl. If anyone close to the lake like myself is interested in trying some night flyrodding for an eye or two let me know and maybe we can hook-up......Jeff

http://highplainsflyfisher.blogspot.com/