If you haven't seen it, pretty interesting.
 

Walleye in peril at Pymatuning

Posted by jmorona February 26, 2008 13:30PM

D'Arcy Egan

Plain Dealer Outdoors Writer

Walleye in Peril at Pymatuning

Ohio fisheries experts say the Pymatuning Reservoir walleye population is in peril, and they're looking

at ways to return the big 14,650-acre reservoir to its status as Ohio's prime inland walleye fishing lake.

Pymatuning surveys this week could not find many of the 16 million walleye fry released in the spring

and the overall walleye population was poor. While walleye were in short supply, the yellow perch

population is booming and there are good numbers of crappies, bass, bluegills and sunfish, all predators

of the quarter-inch long walleye fry released in spring.

"Our studies show the walleye fry we've been stocking have faced a shortage of zooplankton, the

nourishment they need for early development, and a gauntlet of predators," said district fisheries

supervisor Phil Hillman of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Ohio hatcheries may have to focus on raising larger one-inch walleye fingerlings to be stocked at

Pymatuning, said Hillman. That would limit the number of other species of game fish that could be

raised in the hatcheries, including saugeye.

"It is a very serious problem, and has impacted the Pymatuning area economy," said Hillman. "We're

working with Pennsylvania to solve this problem and make Pymatuning Reservoir a great walleye

fishery again."

Unofficial survey results show a walleye count of .028 walleye collected per hour in this week's

electroshocking surveys. A satisfactory catch rate is a much higher .5 to 1.0. Surveys at nearby

Mosquito Reservoir, which has a much more vibrant walleye fishery, recorded .94 per hour, which

borders on outstanding.

"Both reservoirs were stocked in spring with walleye fry at the same time, and under the same

conditions," said Hillman. Pymatuning's share was 16 million, while Mosquito received 7 million

walleye fry.

Thanks for the article. Good to know.

Did anyone see this too?  2007 Biologist Report.  Not very positive.
 
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/images/fisheries/afm/2007/1x07_11pyma.htm

Ahhh No wonder why the numbers are so low, they went to Pymatuning in Butler County!!!  I guess the biologists don't check their own reports?? 

Nice try, but that doesn't help the walleye numbers in Pymie...

I talked with Dr. Austen personally a few weeks ago, and he said the same thing as the Ohio report.  The zooplankton that they need has virtually dissapeared, they are not sure why yet but that is the focus of all the research now.  Without it they will not have a viable walleye population.

Hopefully, they can figure it out.

and after 129.5 million fry/fingers in 16 years, nice try, but that's not helping the walleye numbers either...  It's not a problem that can be fixed guys, it's the irreversible effects of biology.  Pymatuning just doesn't have what it takes to support the walleye fishery you guys believe it can anymore.  It used to, but it sure can't anymore, unless you get rid of all of the other fish that are removing the zooplankton.  From the Journal of American Fisheries Science..."Our results demonstrate the importance of zooplankton abundance and size composition for survival and growth of larval walleyes."  If there are too many fish feeding on one source of food, the one that is less aggressive loses, and it just happens to be walleye in this lake.  The only way I could see a better survival rate for walleye in Pymatuning would be if the fish they stocked were large enough to survive on other sources of food. 

You would think that the pressure of fishing for crappies, perch, and bluegill would help keep those numbers down.  The musky population is also on the increase since the Pink days, that would also help keep the other fish down as well.
 
Makes sense what you are saying though.  I saw a post about keeping 2500 crappies or something.  Maybe we aren't keeping enough!!!

Rumor has it that fingerlings are being stocked this year instead of fry Dealin' in an attempt to do what you are correctly suggesting.

I am still not sure I buy this zooplankton b.s. entirely because if you think about it, even the species that naturally reproduce in the lake: bass, sunfish, perch, crappies, etc. ALL feed on zooplankton at some point in there life cycle, especially when young.  If the perch are "booming" as the article states and the rest of these populations are in good shape, how are they getting to maturity?

IT'S THE ALEWIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Stock the S&%T out of hybrid striped bass (wipers) for a few years to DECIMATE the younger Alewife population and then quit stocking them.  They are a sterile cross and, ergo, do not reproduce.  Once the adult stocks die...
 
NO MORE HYBRIDS to compete with other high end predators for biomass.