for Fred Snyder or biologists

[Boatnut]

The following is a link to an intersting article in a Kentucky fishing magazine regarding the discovery of a new strain of walleye in the Rockcastle river in south central Kentucky-http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/sum02mg5.htm

When many of the lakes in Kentucky were impounded, they were stocked with the "great lakes" strain of walleye, apparently because they spawned and reproduced better in a lake situation then the native strain.

KDFR wants to reproduce this new strain they've found for stocking, especailly in it's native streams.

It seems that the "southern strain" of walleye is believed to grow much larger then the "great lakes " strain. I wonder if this has been documented? Also if so, is it do strictly to the "strain" of the walleye? Or because its in a warmer climate? Also, do "river" eyes typically grow larger then "lake" 'eyes?

Does anyone know what "strain" the record from Greer's Ferry Lake is?
thanks!

[FreeByrd]

Mike,
In case Fred or others from the Sea Grant don't see your post, here is the Ohio Sea Grant discussion forum:

http://www.sg.ohio-state.edu/discus/

Steve

[Boatnut]

Steve,
thanks, I emailed Fred and he graciously replied.
think spring!

[bob oh]

what did he say?

[Boatnut]

Hi Mike,
I don't think there are provable answers yet to all of these questions. NatRes agencies everywhere are trying to focus on native rather than imported strains. And the article didn't speculate which strain would get bigger.

The ultimate size members of an individual stock reaches depends on food base, survival rates, climate, and genetics. The vaunted Florida strain of largemouth bass produces state records in California but looks pretty run-of-the-mill when stocked in northern states.

A 14 inch Lake Erie walleye is two years old; a 14 incher from an Ohio upground reservoir may be as much as five years old. The difference here is an abundant versus a sparse food base. Also to reach large sizes, the harvest rate of a stock must be controlled to allow a number of fish to reach old age. Think of small lakes where anglers keep every largemouth big enough to clean. It gets hard to find much over nine inches. Lake Erie on the other hand, with its constant year-to-year production of large numbers of trophy fish shows that survival there is very good, a sign that fishing is well-managed.

And of course climate is important for length of growing season. That's why southern fish farmers can produce marketable channel cats in one season; it takes two to reach the same size up here.

As far as that Greer's Ferry walleye goes, the answer will have to come from agencies down there. For what it's worth, the fish I think you mean weighed 25 lbs. There are records of walleye coming from Lake Erie nets that weighed 22 lbs. Pretty similar considering growing season differences and maybe a slight age difference. I think the Kentucky DNR, Like most similar agencies these days, is more interested in restoring the native strain than in producing the biggest walleye.

[Science Nerd]

This seems a little interesting to me considering I was always taught that the walleye that dominate Lake Erie today are not "native" Lake Erie fish at all either but descendents of fish stocked there taken from the Mississippi River at the Genoa Fish Hatchery. This story I was told repeatedly and I thought by pretty knowledgeable and reliable sources. The version I was told was that these fish were chosen because of a demonstrated ability to grow and reproduce well in a rather polluted and eutrophic environment.(ie Miss. River and Lake Erie at the time). Kind of ironic really considering all this happened before zebra mussels or gobies were on anyones radar screen yet, DNA fingerprinting was still science fiction and the Lake Erie of the time was just finally, after years of work, the Clean Water Act, and millions of dollars in restoration money, able to support gamefish again. If all this is true and of course biology nerds aren't immune to the "urban or email legend myth syndrome" then I suppose its possible that Kentucky may have Lake Erie fish stocked there in the 20's and few Kentucky strain fish, and Erie has Mississippi River fish stocked there in the 70's and few Erie strain fish. I'm sure there is someone out there more knowledgeable than me who will give us a more definite answer.

Nerdy