Illnois Natural History Survey Evaluation of Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge Stocking Program Center for Aquatic Ecology Evaluation of Muskellunge and Tiger Muskellunge Stocking Program

Department of Natural Resources. The form and content of this report and the interpretations of the data are the responsibility of the University of Illinois and the Illinois Natural History Survey and not the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. References Tables Figures Evaluation of muskellunge and tiger muskellunge stocking program. Executive Summary Size specific survival of muskellunge and tiger muskellunge Effect of rearing technique on esocid survival Laboratory and pond experiments Growth and food habits of muskellunge and tiger muskellunge Assessment of different genetic stocks of muskellunge Analysis and reporting Page 1 2 4 6 8 9 11 12 14 27 Executive Summary In this project, five jobs related to muskellunge and tiger muskellunge stocking evaluations were conducted over the past year. Those jobs were: 1) size specific survival of muskellunge and tiger muskellunge; 2) effect of rearing technique on esocid survival; 3) laboratory and pond experiments; 4) growth and food habits of muskellunge and tiger muskellunge; and 5) assessment of different genetic stocks of muskellunge. In Job 1, we conducted simulations with a bioeconomic model to evaluate the effect of largemouth bass size distribution and esocid growth rates on survival per unit cost functions. Relationships between survival and cost were affected by bass size distributions for tiger muskellunge, but not for muskellunge. Evaluations of the importance of growth rates on survival/cost suggest forage base might be a more important consideration for tiger muskellunge than for muskellunge. In Job 2, equal numbers of extensively reared muskellunge and tiger muskellunge were stocked in Paradise Lake (Coles Co.) and Lake of the Woods (Champaign Co.) in fall 1994. Survival of these fishes was determined by shocking during the fall and spring and computing mark-recapture population estimates. Muskellunge survived better than tiger muskellunge in both Paradise Lake (53% vs. 19%) and Lake of the Woods (30% vs. 9%). In Job 3, evaluations of long-term differences in growth and survival among muskellunge populations were conducted in ponds. While growth of Minnesota fish followed a pattern different from that of fish from the other three populations, after more than one year in ponds fish from all four populations were similar in length and weight. Survival following final pond draining was highest for Wisconsin muskellunge (9%), followed by Minnesota (7%), Ohio (1%) and Kentucky (0%) fish. In Job 4, both muskellunge and tiger muskellunge ate mostly gizzard shad, but muskellunge outgrew tiger muskellunge in both Paradise …