Muskellunge Management Fifty Years of Cooperation among Anglers, Scientists, and Fisheries Biologists

About this book

The Muskellunge is a species of large, relatively uncommon freshwater fish native to North America and is the largest member of the pike family. This volume contains the proceedings of the 2016 Hugh C. Becker Memorial Muskellunge Symposium, examining Muskellunge management and research in North America.

This book represents the state-of-the-art in our understanding of Muskellunge biology, ecology, and management, and is a must-read for anyone studying or managing this iconic species. Readers will benefit from the latest information on a novel, non-lethal method for sampling contaminants in Muskellunge, how angler-scientist partnerships have enhanced management actions, how genetic tools have improved our understanding of this species, and population-level responses to management actions and outbreak of viral hemorrhagic septicemia.

Contents

SECTION 1: Fifty Years of Cooperation Among Anglers, Scientists, and Fisheries Biologists
- Muskellunge Populations and Trophy Fisheries Can Be Productive and Sustainable (John M. Casselman, Jonah L. Withers, and Thomas J. Howson)
- The Muskies, Inc. Lunge Log Database: 370,000 Muskellunge and Growing [Extended Abstract] (Kevin Richards)
- Going Wild: Canada’s Path to Sustainable Muskellunge Populations [Abstract] (Peter Levick)
- Movements of Muskellunge in the Saint John River Based on a Volunteer Tagging Project, 2006–2015 (Steven J. Kerr and Brandon Jones)
- Ontario’s Muskellunge Angler Log Program: 1995–2015 (Dan Taillon and Davin Heinbuck)
- Integrating Voluntary Angler Catch Reports with Mark–Recapture Data to Model a Muskellunge Fishery in Clear Fork Reservoir, Ohio. (Kevin S. Page and Edward Lewis)
- Muskellunge Population Assessment in Two North-Central Minnesota Lakes Aided by Angler Participation (Matthew C. Ward, Loren M. Miller, Douglas W. Schultz, Carl A. Pedersen, Charles S. Anderson, and Derek L. Bahr)
- Managing and Monitoring Muskellunge Populations in Eastern Georgian Bay and the North Channel of Lake Huron: A Twenty-Year Retrospective [Extended Abstract] (Arunas P. Liskauskas)
- Volunteer Guides as a Novel Source of Data Collection for Riverine Muskellunge Populations in Northwest Wisconsin [Extended Abstract] (Max Wolter)
- Characteristics of the Muskellunge Fishery in the St. Lawrence River, Québec, Based on Angler Diaries [Abstract] (Philippe Brodeur, Rémi Bacon, and Daniel Hatin)
- Maintaining Momentum in Ohio’s Stocked Muskellunge Fisheries through an Angler–Agency Partnership [Abstract] (R. Scott Hale, Kevin S. Page, and Curtis P. Wagner)
- Development of a Cooperative Relationship to Compare Two Strains of Stocked Muskellunge in Lake Monona, Wisconsin [Abstract] (Winston John Hopkins)
- A Management Tool for Biologists and an Online Fishing Resource for Anglers: An Introduction to the Ohio Muskie Angler Log [Abstract] (Curtis P. Wagner, Kevin S. Page, Edward Lewis, and R. Scott Hale)

SECTION 2: Muskellunge Biology, Ecology and Life History
- Tiger Muskellunge Growth, Condition, Diet, and Effect on Northern Pikeminnow at Curlew Lake, Washington (Marcus J. Divens, William P. Baker, Bruce D. Bolding, and Randall S. Osborne)
- A Comparison of Virulence of Four Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus IVb Strains in Muskellunge (Chaunte Lewis, John M. Farrell, Kelly L. Sams, Emily R. Cornwell, and Rodman G. Getchell)
- A Field Portable, Nonlethal Tissue Sampling Device for the Analysis of Harmful Environmental Contaminants in Muskellunge [Extended Abstract] (Vincent Bessonneau, Tijana Vasiljevic, and Janusz Pawliszyn)
- Tracking Age-0 Northern Pike and Muskellunge: Monitoring Behavior and Habitat Use during Fall Out-Migration from Nursery Sites [Extended Abstract] (Austin J. Gallagher, Petra Szekeres, Steven J. Cooke, and John M. Farrell)
- Seasonal Movements of Muskellunge in North Bend Lake, West Virginia [Extended Abstract] (Scott F. Morrison and Lila H. Warren)
- West Virginia Muskellunge: Findings from Recent Telemetry Studies [Extended Abstract] (Lila H. Warren)
- Feeding Habitats and Diet of the Muskellunge: A Review [Abstract] (Steven J. Kerr)
- Movement of Muskellunge in the St. Croix River System [Abstract] (Joel Stiras)

SECTION 3: Muskellunge Habitat
- Spawning Habitat for Muskellunge Is Far More Variable than Expected: A Review of over 20 Years of Research (James S. Diana, Joel K. Nohner, Sarah Zorn, Ashley Rust, Kyle D. Battige, and Patrick Hanchin)
- Evaluating Spawning Habitat and Natural Recruitment of Muskellunge in Green Bay, Lake Michigan (Kyle D. Battige, James S. Diana, and David C. Rowe)
- Fine-Scale Habitat Characteristics Associated with Age-0 Muskellunge in the Upper Niagara River, New York (Derek P. Crane and Kevin L. Kapuscinski)
- Index of Nursery Habitat Suitability for Muskellunge in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron (John Paul Leblanc and Patricia Chow-Fraser)
- Effects of Water Level and Substrate Slope on Availability of Suitable Habitat for Age-0 Muskellunge in Georgian Bay [Abstract] (Patricia Chow-Fraser and Dan Weller)
- Fine-Scale Features of Muskellunge Spawning Grounds in Georgian Bay [Abstract] (Dan Weller and Patricia Chow-Fraser)
- Spring Flow Variability Associated with Muskellunge Recruitment on the Upper James River, Virginia [Abstract] (Daniel B. Goetz and Scott M. Smith)

SECTION 4: Muskellunge Population Dynamics
- Long-Term Trends of St. Lawrence River Muskellunge: Effects of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia and Round Goby Proliferation Creates Uncertainty for Population Sustainability (John M. Farrell, Rodman G. Getchell, Kevin L. Kapuscinski, and Steven R. LaPan)
- How Might Changing Fishery Practices and Climate Affect the Lake St. Clair Muskellunge Fishery? (Jason B. Smith, Mary Tate Bremigan, Daniel B. Hayes, and Michael V. Thomas)
- Muskellunge Population Responses to Angler Catch-and-Release Practices in Escanaba Lake, Wisconsin, 1987–2014 (Lawrence D. Eslinger, Greg G. Sass, Stephanie L. Shaw, and Steven P. Newman)
- Trends in Muskellunge Populations and Fisheries in Wisconsin during 1980–2015 (Timothy D. Simonson)
- Die-Off of Muskellunge in the Upper St. Lawrence River Caused by Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia, 2005–2008 [Extended Abstract] (John M. Casselman, Tom Lusk, John M. Farrell, and Colin Lake)
- Do Observed Levels of Exploitation from Consumption-Oriented and Trophy-Oriented Fisheries Reduce Relative Stock Densities of Muskellunge below Target Levels in Northern Wisconsin? [Extended Abstract] (Matthew D. Faust and Michael J. Hansen)

SECTION 5: Muskellunge Genetics
- A Review of Muskellunge Population Genetics: Implications for Management and Future Research Needs (Loren M. Miller, John M. Farrell, Kevin L. Kapuscinski, Kim Scribner, Brian L. Sloss, Keith N. Turnquist, and Chris C. Wilson)
- Historical and Contemporary Genetics of Muskellunge in Lake Simcoe: Options for Restoration (Chris C. Wilson and Kristyne M. Wozney)
- Survival and Growth of Three Geographically Distinct Stocks of Muskellunge Introduced into Midwestern Reservoirs (Curtis P. Wagner, Max H. Wolter, Corey S. DeBoom, Matthew J. Diana, Michael J. Weber, and David H. Wahl)
- Population Genomics towards Optimizing Muskellunge Management and Conservation in Québec, Canada [Extended Abstract] (Anne Carrier, Anne-Laure Ferchaud, and Jérémy Le Luyer, Daniel Hatin, John M. Farrell, Philippe Brodeur, and Louis Bernatchez)
- Assessment of Leech Lake Strain Muskellunge Stocking in Lake Wissota, Wisconsin [Extended Abstract] (Joseph Gerbyshak, Wes Larson, and Keith N. Turnquist)
- Spatial Genetic Structure of Muskellunge in the Great Lakes Region and the Effects of Supplementation on Genetic Integrity of Remnant Stocks [Extended Abstract] (Keith N. Turnquist, Wesley A. Larson, John M. Farrell, Patrick A. Hanchin, Kevin L. Kapuscinski, Loren M. Miller, Kim Scribner, Chris C. Wilson, and Brian L. Slosss)
- A Preliminary Comparison of Two Strains of Stocked Muskellunge in Lake Monona, Wisconsin [Extended Abstract] (David C. Rowe, Michael Rennicke, and R. Scot Stewart)
- Water Wolves and Tigers: Testing for Directional Hybridization and Introgression between Northern Pike and Muskellunge [Abstract] (Cait Nemeczek and Chris C. Wilson)

SECTION 6: Muskellunge Assessments
- Predicting Adult Muskellunge Abundance in Northern Wisconsin Lakes (Janice A. Kerns, Daniel A. Isermann, Thomas A. Cichosz, Gretchen Hansen, Timothy D. Simonson, and Joseph M. Hennessy)
- Evaluating Muskellunge Growth Potential in Northwestern Wisconsin Lakes without Age Information (Timothy P. Parks, Jeffrey M. Kampa, Gene R. Hatzenbeler, and Martin J. Jennings)
- Long-Term Mark–Recapture Data to Assess Muskellunge Population Characteristics: Application to Two Illinois Reservoirs (Neil P. Rude, David C. Glover, William D. Hintz, Shawn C. Hirst, Wayne E. Herndon, and Rob B. Hilsabeck, and Gregory W. Whitledge)
- A Comparison of Muskellunge Weight Estimation Equations to a Modified Length–Girth Technique (Jonathan R. Meerbeek and Derek P. Crane)
- Long-Term Effects of a Forty-Inch Minimum Length Limit on Muskellunge in Wisconsin Lakes [Extended Abstract] (Timothy D. Simonson)
- Population Estimate of Adult Muskellunge in Lake Bemidji, Minnesota [Abstract] (Anthony J. Kennedy, Andrew L. Thompson, Andrew P. Wiering, and Gary C. Barnard)
- Electrofishing Catchability of Age-0 Muskellunge in Northern Wisconsin Lakes [Abstract] (Janice A. Kerns, Daniel Isermann, and Timothy D. Simonson)
- Birth of a Muskellunge Lake: A Strategy for Assessing Survival, Age, and Growth [Abstract] (Jordan G. Weeks)

SECTION 7: Regional Management Approaches
- Assessment of Population Characteristics and Genetic Origin of Muskellunge in a Section of the Mississippi River, Minnesota (Andrew J. Carlson, Owen E. Baird, and Loren M. Miller)
- Muskellunge in South Dakota [Extended Abstract] (Brian G. Blackwell, David O. Lucchesi, and Matthew J. Ward)
- The History of Muskellunge Management in Chautauqua Lake, New York [Extended Abstract] (Christopher D. Legard)
- Haters Gonna Hate (Esox Edition): User-Group Conflicts and Vigilante Justice in the Age of Social Media [Extended Abstract] (Brian R. Murphy)
- Can They Play Nicely? Creating and Managing a Two-Predator System [Extended Abstract] (Sasha S. Doss, Brian R. Murphy, Victor J. DiCenzo, Leandro Castello, and Joseph A. Williams)
- Managing Muskellunge on the Fringe: An Examination of Nebraska’s Efforts to Provide Quality Fishing Outside the Native Range [Extended Abstract] (Matthew A. Perrion and Keith D. Koupal)
- Managing Muskellunge in Ontario [Extended Abstract] (Dan Taillon)
- Managing Muskellunge in Minnesota: Deliberate Steps to Better Fishing in the Next Two Decades [Abstract] (Mike Habrat, T. J. DeBates, Steve Mero, and Jim Wolters)
- A General Assessment of a Southern Riverine Muskellunge Population [Abstract] (Jason M. Hallacher, Brad Fink, and Steve J. Reeser)
- Trends in Muskellunge Fishing Tournaments in North Central Wisconsin [Abstract] (David A. Seibel and Timothy D. Simonson)

SECTION 8: Muskellunge Stocking and Propagation
- An Overview of the Lake Simcoe Muskellunge Restoration Project, Lake Simcoe, Ontario, Canada (Gabrielle Gilchrist, Wil Wegman, Todd Langley, Paul Methner, Mark Newell, Chris C. Wilson, Kristyne M. Wozney, and Ian Young)
- Paternity Analysis of Pooled-Milt Spawning Practices for a Muskellunge Broodstock (Loren M. Miller)
- Realized Effects of Implementing a Genetic Broodstock Management Plan for Muskellunge in Wisconsin (Zeb Woiak, Justin A. VanDeHey, and Brian L. Sloss)
- Effect of Stocking and Biotic and Abiotic Factors on Muskellunge Recruitment in Northern Wisconsin Lakes [Abstract] (Todd S. Caspers, Michael J. Hansen, and Steven W. Hewett)
- Brood Source Identification and the Effects of Supplementation on Muskellunge in the Great Lakes [Abstract] (Patrick Hanchin, Brian L. Sloss, Keith N. Turnquist, Kevin L. Kapuscinski, John M. Farrell, Loren M. Miller, Kim Scribner, and Chris C. Wilson)
- Growth, Condition, and Short-Term Survival of Age-0 Muskellunge Reared Using Different Techniques [Abstract] (Michael F. Vaske, Justin A. VanDeHey, Dan J. Dembkowski, Brian Sloss, Timothy D. Simonson, and Richard A. Klett)

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