2016-2017 Lake Powell Tagged Walleye Contest
- Thread starter WaterMan
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Three tagged fish were caught in 2016. There have been at least 23 tagged fish caught this year. There may have been a couple more reported only to Richard Hepworth. We will do another summary list now that the season is over to finalize the contest.
Our goal is to do it again from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. We have had great success and learned a lot about walleye movement. Many more anglers have targeted walleye this year so that part of the contest worked too.
I will let you know soon.
I have not caught a tagged walleye either so I understand that part. But I do have the consolation of knowing that each walleye I catch becomes a tagged walleye for someone else to enjoy.
Our goal is to do it again from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. We have had great success and learned a lot about walleye movement. Many more anglers have targeted walleye this year so that part of the contest worked too.
I will let you know soon.
I have not caught a tagged walleye either so I understand that part. But I do have the consolation of knowing that each walleye I catch becomes a tagged walleye for someone else to enjoy.
First tagged walleye were all caught sport fishing beginning in June 2016. Most were released in the Bullfrog area and a few in Good Hope Bay.
The contest started in July 2016. Only 3 tagged fish were caught in 2016. Catch rate for walleye goes down in the summer and fall.
In November 2016 we tagged some walleye while fishing but also a dozen or so while gill netting in Good Hope Bay.
4th Week of April 2017 we tagged over 200 walleye near Good Hope Bay all caught sport fishing. These fish were ready to go in May which is the very best month to catch them in Lake Powell. There were 23 tagged fish caught during May and June 2017.
The contest will continue now as we have a few prizes left. We may not tag any more but will give out prizes to those that catch one and give us information on movement after tagging.
So keep fishing for walleye occasionally and see if your catching expertise improves. It will be good for you and good for Lake Powell.
Not Yet You Bet
Well-Known Member
Was wondering how many of the 23 caught in 2017 were tagged in 2016?
Do you have any information on the growth rate of fish tagged in 2016 and caught in 2017?
Three of the 23 walleye caught this year were tagged in 2016. I will try to load that summary report here so it can be referred to by all. We have to finalize some of the info first and hopefully we will have another fish or two caught this month.
The purpose of the survey was about fish movement - not growth. It takes time to land a fish, grab the tagging gun, insert the external Floy tag used in this contest, and in some fish insert a PIT tag. (Internal tag that can be scanned by passive sensors left in the water) Then return the fish to the water before it expires. Weighing and measuring added too much time to the process so we chose not to do that.
We weigh and measure all fish caught in the November netting and use that info to understand growth rates compared to the previous years. I think our netting results this November will show an increase in the average size of fish caught. Most walleye caught in nets have been small in length the last couple of years so we are trying to sort that out.
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