Wiper Planting Info...from biologists

[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]We had some discussion the past few days on the wiper stocking program at Willard. To get some straight answers I send an email to Craig Schaugaard, the Aquatic Program Manager for the northern region. Below is the list of questions (in blue) and his responses.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]1. How long can the sac fry survive before they begin to need food?[/#0000ff]
1. Just a few days until their yoke sack is absorbed. Some of that time is in transport.

[#0000ff]2. What is the greatest cause of mortality among the newly planted baby wipers?[/#0000ff]
2. I assume you want to know about the sac fry not fingerlings. We don't know at Willard it would be hard to say and to research. These fry are so small all you can see in the bag when they come in are little black specs (there eyes) and thus they need extremely small feed. They can only feed on the smallest of rotifers. If the rotifers are not present they will starve. In pond culture you fill the ponds and fertilize about 2 weeks before you stock the wipers or the zooplankton develops to far and the small rotifers are replaced by the larger zooplankton. Also because they are so small they are vulnerable to prey even by some of the zooplankton. It helps if we can get the original cross of striper eggs and white bass milt the result is a larger sac fry that can eat rotifers and some nauplii and easier to get on feed. Lately we have only be able to get the reciprocal cross.

[#0000ff]3. What have been the observed growth rates in the wipers...first year, second year, etc.?[/#0000ff]
3. about 6-7 inches the first year, about 6 inches the second year about 5 inches the third year and about 3 inches the fourth. Chris Penne has collected scales the last couple to get age and growth on wipers hopefully we will have a little better info from that. I am just going off of a length frequency diagram to come up with the age and growth. The scales will be more accurate.

[#0000ff]4. Has there ever been any consideration for putting in a temporary screen barrier at the site where baby wipers are planted...to keep them safe from predators for at least a short time? Apparently this has been used for other species in other states.[/#0000ff]
4. In our ponds we will sometimes put them in boxes with screen to try to get them on feed. But the screen would have to be so small for these guys that it would make it impractical. If we can get to the point that we can make our own and get striper eggs we would stock enough to account for mortality. We need to stock sac fry and mark the fingerlings we stock so we know what the survival is on sac fry so we would have an idea of survival. Right now we can't tell what is the result of sac fry stocking and fingerling stocking and is a very important part of the puzzle.

[#0000ff]5. What are the expectations for next year’s in-state hybridizing program for the wipers[/#0000ff]
5. We will be doing our best. Last year we learned a lot about what to do and not to do but we are still learning. Because we don't have brood fish and have to rely on what we can get out of Lake Powel and Utah Lake it makes it hard to know but we will be doing our best.

I hope this answers your question if not let me know.
Craig


Take a kid fishing and take advantage of the 365 day fishing license.

Craig J Schaugaard
Aquatic Program Manager
Wildlife Resources Northern Reg.,
515 E 5300 S
Ogden, Utah 84405
Office: (801) 476-2770
Cell: (801) 791-3675
Fax: (801) 479-4010
email: craigschaugaard@utah.gov
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[toadly]

Thanks TD for looking into this. This post answered almost all of my questions. Think the rest of them will be answered by many more years of fishing for the Wiper. As you have said in the past they are mostly unpredictable. A better understanding of there nature and habits will come with experience. They are by far my favorite Utah fish.
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[Northman]

Thanks, thats some good questions and answers that I think a lot of us were wondering about. Number 5 seemed to be a S.W.A.G. Scientific wild a%$ guess. And I think that Utah producing its own Wipers long term will be the best way to have stable populations. Every year more of us get hooked on chasing them.
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[TyeDyeTwins]

Thanks for the Info. Very informative and kind of a let down for sure. Oh well at least there will be future stockings eh? Glad to hear the program continues.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]There have been some disappointments in the wiper program the past few years. We would all like to have some of the wide open fishing we experienced previously. But it is all a game of numbers. When the new hatchlings are not available in sufficient numbers we have to accept what we get. No alternatives.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is reason to be optimistic for the future but that doesn't help what we will still have to endure for at least the next 3 to 5 years. It takes time to rebuild the population of big adults.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]GOD, PLEASE GIVE ME PATIENCE.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]AND I WANT IT RIGHT NOW!!!![/#0000ff]
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[castnshoot]

Caught a couple of 4" or 5" Wipers on a fly and a bubblle at Minersville the other day.

Stocking Dates.

5-18-11, 100,000 0.37"

8-4-11, 10,000 1.12"

10-20-11, 100.000 0.37"

Seem to be alittle ahead of the biologists schedule.
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[Fishrmn]

Probably from this batch:

MINERSVILLE RES BEAVER WIPER 7901 1.7" 08/04/2011

That's a couple of inches worth of growth in 3 months. Trout often got about an inch per month during their first year in there when they were able plant fingerlings. That was before the cormorants discovered the place. They'll slow down with the cold water, but look out when it warms up next spring.

I'm going to be curious what kind of protection will be given to the Wipers. Limits haven't been set. Will there be a size restriction? Will they allow any harvest next year? It would be a shame to see them allow a 6 Wiper limit before they even have a chance to impact the chubs.

I think wipers will find Minersville Reservoir to their liking. =)
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[castnshoot]

[quote Fishrmn]Probably from this batch:

MINERSVILLE RES BEAVER WIPER 7901 1.7" 08/04/2011

That's a couple of inches worth of growth in 3 months. Trout often got about an inch per month during their first year in there when they were able plant fingerlings. That was before the cormorants discovered the place. They'll slow down with the cold water, but look out when it warms up next spring.

I'm going to be curious what kind of protection will be given to the Wipers. Limits haven't been set. Will there be a size restriction? Will they allow any harvest next year? It would be a shame to see them allow a 6 Wiper limit before they even have a chance to impact the chubs.

I think wipers will find Minersville Reservoir to their liking. =)[/quote]

Here is what Minersville looked like [Level wise] a couple weeks ago.


Here is what it has looked like [more or less] for the last several years at the same time of year. [Level wise]


This is going to be the first time it is going to go into the winter" TOPPED OFF" in a very long time. That along with all the changes as far as stocking it might get interesting. Just pry for another wet winter and we could be in for a few killer years. The trout have already picked way up with alittle cold weather. Still some chunkers in there.

The Cormorant and Pelican never really showed up this year compared to the last few years.

I have no idea what the regs will be as far as the take on the Wipers.
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[SkunkedAgain]

Nice buck. J
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