Determining the Optimal Release Window for Lake-Stocked Brown Trout – Interactions between Release Size, Prey Availability, Predation Risks and Fishing Mortality

.................................................................................................................................................... Original articles ......................................................................................................................................... Author’s contribution ............................................................................................................................. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. Material and methods ............................................................................................................................. Study area ................................................................................................................................ Effect of release size and site on recaptures of brown trout (I) ....................................... Size-dependent predation on brown trout (II) .................................................................... Size-selective foraging by brown trout (III) ........................................................................ Factors affecting long-term variation in brown trout stocking-success (IV) ................. Effect of chilling on the viability of brown trout released after trawling (V) .................. Results and discussion ........................................................................................................................... Importance of availability of suitable prey for stocking success .................................... Effects of seasonal variation ................................................................. Brown trout size – prey size relations .................................................. Practical recommendations .................................................................... Importance of predation on stocking success ................................................................... Potential long-term effects of predation .............................................. Size-dependent predation by pike ........................................................ Practical recommendations .................................................................... Viability of brown trout released after trawling and chilling ............................................ Recovery of released brown trout ........................................................ Number of trawled brown trout ............................................................ Stocking size as a management tool .................................................................................... Size-related yields and stocking costs ................................................ Stocking size affects yield proportion in different gear .................... Using stocking size for regional yield allocation ............................... Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................. Matching the optimal prey window at release for brown trout ....................................... Matching the optimal predator window at release for brown trout ................................ Solving the problematic fisheries management of brown trout fishery .......................... Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ References ............................................................................................................................................... 4