Sauger Status of P4 2011- DNR Email

Good Morning Kevin!

I was talking with a fella angler that’s been fishing P4 for about 15 years. He feels the angling pressure is taking a toll on the quality of the saugers.

Does your office have any information that speaks to this?

Thanks!

BK

Hi Brian,

Sauger – generally speaking, I would agree this was not a banner year for sauger fishing. I’ve heard that from a number of experienced river anglers. Obviously, it was also a very unusual flow year with very high water all the way through July. As you well know, things can really change from year to year, and season to season, as water levels change.

We are just starting to analyze data from our 2011 sampling, but I can tell you that gill net catch of sauger was down substantially this year. Our median catch rate from annual sampling (1965 – present) is about 26 sauger per net. It was 19.9 per net in 2011, so we were about 6 below the long-term average. It was a big drop from the 41/net we had in 2010. During the 1965 – present the catch has ranged from 10 to over 60 per net. In the last 15 years, catch rates have been generally above the long-term average, but it is not uncommon to see the catch rate fluctuate ± 8 per net from year to year. So I really don’t think there is anything that raises any serious concerns at this point, but obviously something we want to watch closely. In fact about 1/3 (11 of 33) of the annual data points since 1979 have been equal to or lower than the 2011 catch.

I can’t say with any certainty whether or not angler harvest had any influenced on the low catch rate this year. We have not done any creel survey work since 2005-07, so we don’t have any fresh numbers to work with. Harvest rates have been fairly consistent since were started regular creel cycles in the early 1990’s. Our normal cycle is 2 out of 6 years and we just started the 2011-2013 creel. Sauger numbers and size are probably more influenced by reproduction/recruitment of year classes and we have seen consistently good year classes over the last 10+ years. We still need to crunch our 2011 data to look at age structure and other parameters, so maybe we will have some better insight as we get the data fully analyzed.

Thanks for checking with me and I would be glad to provide additional information on sauger as we get a little further in the analysis.

Kevin Stauffer Minnesota DNR
Lake City Office

Awesome post Brian. Thanks

Going cat fishing tomorrow and can’t sleep.

I’d be wondering if the pools above you have had an increase in sauger population.

Better go in for a check up Herb, we’re thinking alike again!

41 fish in 2010
20 fish in 2011

Did we catch them all?
Did they die
Did they swim up Mother Natures Fish Ladder?

I think maybe it has something to do with the condtions, and fish not being in the same areas when netting. It is much like Mille Lacs and the DNR saying that the walleye numbers there being the lowest in years in the nets surveys, yet the bite being quite remarkable this year. Something doesn’t add up.

It’s my guess that it was a combination of factors, but that pressure/harvest contributed to it. They say 1/4 of the fish caught and released die, right? That was the average and fish from 30′ of water or more fared worse than fish from shallower water. I’m not sure if more people fish Pool 4 now than five years ago, but I do think the fishermen are more effective at catching the fish than they used to be.

Summing up my thoughts: I think staying out of 30′ or deeper water matters, and I think releasing the bigger ones matters.

Brian – Thanks for the information! Keep it coming! Can’t wait for more winter study on flatheads too…personally, I think the flatheads are covering up the large walleyes…only video will show!