04-24-2006, 05:17 PM
HAVRE, MT-Anglers fishing the Missouri River upstream of Fort Peck Lake this spring are likely to be asked a series of questions about their catching success as creel clerks with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (DFWP) are currently collecting information that will assist with the management of the native fish in the Missouri River.
The creel survey is designed to evaluate fishing pressure and harvest data for a variety of native fish species, including paddlefish, sauger, channel catfish, burbot, shovelnose sturgeon and non-game species in the Missouri River.
To that end, DFWP creel clerks will ask to weigh and measure any harvested fish, and will ask anglers to donate the otoliths (ear bones), spines and/or jaws from native species in order to age harvested fish. Anglers will also be asked if they encountered any tagged fish while on the water. DFWP and Montana State University researchers have been tagging paddlefish, pallid sturgeon, sauger and walleyes throughout the Missouri River and this spring researchers from the University of Idaho will implant two dozen paddlefish with radio transmitters. Anglers who catch a tagged fish are asked to report the tag number and location where the fish was caught by calling the DFWP's Havre Area Office at (410) 265-6177.
The DFWP's creel survey will continue through Memorial Day weekend
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The creel survey is designed to evaluate fishing pressure and harvest data for a variety of native fish species, including paddlefish, sauger, channel catfish, burbot, shovelnose sturgeon and non-game species in the Missouri River.
To that end, DFWP creel clerks will ask to weigh and measure any harvested fish, and will ask anglers to donate the otoliths (ear bones), spines and/or jaws from native species in order to age harvested fish. Anglers will also be asked if they encountered any tagged fish while on the water. DFWP and Montana State University researchers have been tagging paddlefish, pallid sturgeon, sauger and walleyes throughout the Missouri River and this spring researchers from the University of Idaho will implant two dozen paddlefish with radio transmitters. Anglers who catch a tagged fish are asked to report the tag number and location where the fish was caught by calling the DFWP's Havre Area Office at (410) 265-6177.
The DFWP's creel survey will continue through Memorial Day weekend
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