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End of Spring Trap Netting (ESTN)

1. 3 24 hrs of precip 4 constant precip 9 unknown SSurface Conditions Through Set codes l calm waters for entire set duration 2 mostly calm waters amp some rough 3 mostly rough waters amp some calm 4 rough waters for entire set duration 9 unknown 5 6 Fish Sampling A number of biological attributes can be collected from fish A minimum requirement for ESTN surveys is that all walleye be completely sampled and all other species should be sampled for total and fork length Complete sampling of all species is preferred but time constraints and study objectives may dictate the extent to which sampling should be done for species other than walleye If catches are exceedingly large species of interest other than walleye may be selected for bio sampling based on size stratification by fork length For walleye and other species of interest the following are to be collected fork length total length round weight and aging structures In addition to a scale sample one other aging structure except for northern pike and muskellunge must be collected Table 3 For the remaining species total length and fork length should be measured unless the catch size is deemed too large in which case 1cm size bins based on fork length will be used to provide a length class tally Collection of aging structures from these species is optional Refer to the OMNR Northwest Region Science and Technology Technical Report 73 for guidance on
2. 24hh mm hours c m in eighths codes 00 95 1 360 in knots 02 05 21 13 30 2 23 25 15 1 2 6 61 264 7 FISH CATCH SUMMARY Species Total 3 Group Catch Counted Length Onl Tallied Marks Tags Biosampled Marks Tags Recaptured Applied COMMENTS Met adjacent property owners and gave them our info sheet Leader slightly bowed at lift because a few logs drifted into it Fish sampling data Form s Scale envelope s Length Tallies 28 1Site Type General Substrate codes 1 gravel pebble sand mix GP SA gt 75 2 boulder rubble cobble mix BO RC gt 75 3 sand SA gt 75 4 soft mix SHMU DE soft CL gt 75 5 bedrock BE gt 75 6 other Site Type Fish Cover Level codes no cover 2 low 1 254906 3 moderate 25 75 4 high 27596 Bottom Type codes BR bedrock BO boulder RC rubble cobble GP gravel pebble SA sand SIzsilt CL clay MU muck DE detritus MA marl 4Fish Cover Type codes BO boulders MA macrophytes LT log tree UB undercut bank OD organic debris OT other NC no cover SEffort Status codes 1 no problem 2 minor problem 3 major problem Precip Type codes 00 no precipitation at lift time 10 mist 40 fog 61 light rain 65 heavy rain 71 light snow 75 heavy snow 95 thunderstorm Precipitation Through Set codes 1 no precip during set 2 lt 4 hrs of precip
3. blacknose dace Rhinichthys atratulus longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae creek chub Semotilus atromaculatus fallfish Semotilus corporalis pearl dace Margariscus margarita silver shiner Notropis photogenis 47 230 250 260 270 280 290 216 central stoneroller Campostoma anomalum 217 striped shiner Luxilus chrysocephalus 218 ghost shiner Notropis buchanani 219 grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella 220 rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus 221 Phoxinus sp 222 Hybognathus sp 223 Nocomis sp 224 Notropis sp 225 Pimephales sp 226 Rhinichthys sp 221 Semotilus sp 228 Hybopsis sp 229 Luxilus sp ICTALURIDAE Bullhead Catfishes 231 black bullhead Ameiurus melas 232 yellow bullhead Ameiurus natalis 233 brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus 234 channel catfish Jctalurus punctatus 235 stonecat Noturus flavus 236 tadpole madtom Noturus gyrinus 237 brindled madtom Noturus miurus 238 margined madtom Noturus insignis 239 flathead catfish Pylodictis olivaris 241 Ictalurus sp 242 Noturus sp 243 Ameiurus sp 244 northern madtom Noturus stigmosus ANGUILLIDAE Freshwater Eels 251 American eel Anguilla rostrata CYPRINODONTIDAE Killifishes 261 banded killifish Fundulus diaphanus 262 blackstripe topminnow Fundulus notatus GADIDAE Cods 271 burbot Lota lota GASTEROSTEIDAE Sticklebacks 281 brook stickleback Culaea inc
4. record the lift and catch data All fields are mandatory except for substrate and cover data 16 The set information should be completed on the ESTN Effort Catch Form as follows Site Description gt These 13 fields identify which net was set and where Project Code Record the unique project code that has been assigned to your ESTN project Project codes are created by combining the Fisheries Office acronym the Project Type acronym IA for index adult with ESTN with the Year and the user defined Project Identification code or acronym e g KLA A02 CH1 Waterbody Name Record the official name of the waterbody in which the trap net was set e g CHEMONG LAKE UTM or Lat Long Coordinates Record the location of the net in UTM coordinates or in Latitude and Longitude TN Head Tag id Record the trap net head identification tag number or code that specifies which net head was set e g TP 05 TN Leader Tag id ff Record the trap net leader identification tag number or code that specifies which leader is attached to the trap net head e g 06 Sample Record the seguential fishing effort number that refers to each particular net set i e the first set of the project would be Sample 007 and the next set would be Sample 002 Area Record the number or code field length equals 2 characters used to define the area of the waterbody e g sector 03 This field is usually only used on large lakes that are spati
5. 3 sand SA gt 75 Species Total Marks Tags 4 soft mix SI MU DE soft CL gt 75 Group Catch Counted Length Biosampled Marks Tags Recaptured 5 bedrock BE gt 75 Only Tallied Applied 6 sollier 132 2 Site Type Fish Cover Level codes 163 no cover 2 low 1 25 3 moderate 25 75 4 high gt 75 186 Bottom Type codes BR bedrock BO boulder RC rubble cobble GP gravel pebble SA sand SIzsilt CL clay MU muck DE detritus MA marl Fish Cover Type codes BO boulders MA macrophytes LT log tree UB undercut bank OD organic debris OT other NC no cover SEffort Status codes 1 no problem 2 minor problem 3 major problem Precip Type codes 00 no precipitation at lift time 10 mist 40 fog 61 light rain 65 heavy rain COMMENTS 71 light snow 75 heavy snow 95 thunderstorm Met adjacent property owners and gave them our info sheet precipitation Through Set codes 1 no precip during set i i i i i 2 lt 4 hrs of precip 3 gt 4 hrs of precip 3 SMB released from TN heart were not included in the total catch En 5Surface Conditions Through Set codes 1 calm waters for entire set duration 2 mostly calm waters amp some rough 3 mostly rough waters amp some calm Fish sampling data Forms 3 Scaleenvelope s 43 Length Tallies 2 4 rough waters for entire set duration 9 unknown 39 5 8 Moving or Removi
6. 95 cm 3 8 in in diameter Wooden Brail Common T wo by Four Common T wo by Four 5x 10 x 244 cm 5x 10x 244 cm 1l2x3 2x96in ll2x3x96in 4 5 x 244 cm 1 4 x 96 in 3 2 x 244 cm 1 4 x 96 in Float Type Black Plastic Cylinder Black Plastic Cylinder 482 g 17 oz buoyancy 482 g 17 oz buoyancy 23 x 6 cm 9x23 8in 23 x 6 cm 9 x 2 3 8 in Float Spacing on Leader centers spaced 3 m 10 ft apart spaced 3 m 10 ft apart approx 250 g 8 8 oz each approx 250 g 8 8 oz each Construction Specifications To ensure a well built and durable spring haul trap net 1 Double salvage lines of black polypropylene twine must be attached around the entire perimeter of the mesh netting before attachment to the black 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene lines Double salvage lines are to be attached to the black 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene lines with a minimum of 3 hitches per mesh using no less than 15 black treated nylon twine or equivalent Black 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene chafing lines are to be attached across the entire bottom of the leader and head The chafing lines are to be attached to the 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene lines that the mesh was attached to in 2 above with a minimum of 3 half hitches at every third mesh using no less than 15 black treated nylon twine or equivalent NOTE The chafing line may be omitted on the leader of the lightweight net at the purchaser s discretion Wing and lea
7. Large lakes with more than one basin or more than one Stratification fish stock may reguire stratification Site set lift fish catch and fish sampling information are recorded for each netting effort on standard ESTN data forms Appendix B The acceptable ranges of the net setting criteria in round brackets are also included on the forms to provide a guick reference for field crews The reguired data collection for each netting effort has been selected and designed to minimize observational error and subjectivity without reguiring an inordinate amount of field collection time 2 2 Sample Size Sample size decisions may be influenced by a variety of factors Practical considerations such as cost and availability of manpower or equipment but more importantly decisions on sample size should be linked to the survey objectives If the objective is to test a hypothesis and statistically detect differences in abundance between years or lakes then the sample size should be chosen so that the test is performed at a reasonable level of power Power is the probability of detecting a difference if it exists If the objective of the survey is to obtain estimates of fish abundance at a point in time i e a snap shot then sample size should be dictated by a desired level of precision in estimating the mean catch For instance a fisheries manager may want to know if a lake fits into a good or bad category for a certain fish species compa
8. Margariscus margarita 605 Phoxinus neogaeus x Margariscus margarita 610 Notropis hybrids 611 Luxilus cornutus x Notropis rubellus 612 Luxilus cornutus x Semotilus atromaculatus 620 Pimephales promelas x Pimephales notatus ICTALURIDAE Hybrids 651 Ameiurus melas x Ameiurus nebulosus 50 700 CENTRARCHIDAE Hybrids 701 702 703 704 705 706 Lepomis hybrids Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus 750 PERCIDAE Hybrids 751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum 800 COTTIDAE Hybrids 801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus 51 Appendix B ESTN Forms The following blank copies of the ESTN forms are required to record the results from your ESTN program To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future ESTN field programs e ESTN Trap Net Description Form 1 and 2 e ESTN Effort Catch Form e ESTN Fish Sampling Form e ESTN Length Class Tally Form Small Fish lt 400 mm e ESTN Length Class Tally Form Large Fish gt 399 mm Electronic copies of the ESTN forms are available for re printing purposes see sections 4 4 and 8 0 Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more f
9. and Diagnostics Working Group Percid Synthesis 1998 A properly conducted ESTN should at a minimum provide fisheries managers with abundance and biological attribute data that can be used to make relative comparisons to provincial benchmark values from other lakes in Ontario Preliminary analysis of data from lakes studied by Quetico Mille Lacs Fisheries Assessment Unit and Kawartha Lakes Fisheries Assessment Unit indicate that there is a strong relationship between ESTN catches and relative abundance of walleye greater than 200 mm Benchmarks are currently being refined and will be documented in a future Fisheries Assessment Unit report A successful index netting program requires stringent standardization of gear and methods in order to reduce sampling variability This manual describes the standardized methods and provides the technical information necessary for project leaders and field crews to conduct the ESTN field program It provides detailed sampling standards with regard to gear specifications deployment of gear selection of sampling locations determination of sample size requirements procedures for processing fish and procedures for data entry Standard ESTN data collection techniques have been designed to be compatible with the software packages FISHNET2 and FISHNET3 provided by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources OMNR A standard ESTN data entry template is available in FISHNET3 ESTN may not be suitable for monitoring wall
10. ce a I CY O 13 5 Site Selections other doen oS eaves FYNNWN deca e ERE FFA 13 5 2 Setting the Net cce eroe RE Rene e pee e pase ER x ER OOL CECIL REN 14 5 3 Information to Record at Set eere einen 16 5 4 Dir rig Uie Neb iia 5s et ea poete eese tp GY ete testa tea ipee E Dan MAR Ene Se EAE 24 5 5 Information to Record at Lift 25 5 5 T ISTi SaraplInig editi alee tn te hetero eio Orc he ott dodi testo eden 29 5 7 ARecording Fish Data docete eat cile oe Salat Sdn Ed xa Re Pam OM epis 31 5 7 1 ESTN Length Class Tally Forms iio reete 31 57 27 ESTN Fish Sampling POTDTS d Gei CR ases e bo o oot FN 34 5 7 3 ESIN Effort Catch Form ssssssssssssssssssssese eene 37 5 8 Moving or Removing the Net ore ree eb da eroe rebns iani ds 40 6 0 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES seen 41 6 1 Controlling the Spread of Invasive Species sssssssssssssses 41 6 2 Net Storage serisi ceca debet tac veo orbe ty EASE tede tala ica og Ete reek iets 42 GiB 56ar oe i IC DF FRI DL FOL DUR LLU Au GLYW NOG Cg 42 7 0 DATA MANAGEMENT ou o o o oos Y id SY YOU 43 8 0 PROJECT ASSISTANCE 1 I III IIu 43 Acknowledgements sss 43 References omo s o od eu n uet ou eiui et ods Ion eios oua t edd 44 Appendix A Master List of Species Codes and Common Names of Ontario Fish 45 Appendix B ESTN Formate essit due n Dee ose induti aed feat afud 52 1 0 INTRODUCTION End of Spring T
11. fish using a hand held spring loaded weigh scale or electronic balance Hand held spring loaded scales should be calibrated each day and tared with the damp weigh sock Weigh fish with the appropriate capacity scale Do not record weights of fish that are lt 10 of the scale capacity 100 g for a 1 kg scale when spring loaded mechanical scales are used i e do not weight a 80 g fish on the 1 kg scale use the 100 g scale Enter the weight of the fish on the ESTN Fish Sampling Form Scale samples should be collected as backup aging structures for misplaced dorsal spines or fin rays To collect a scale sample gently wipe away with the blade of your knife any excess mucous and dirt from the area to be sampled Clean the knife blade carefully by wiping with a cloth or rinsing in water With the tip of the knife gently pull the scales from the left side of the body and place in a scale envelope For spiny rayed fish walleye sauger yellow perch smallmouth bass etc remove at least 10 scales from below the lateral line and posterior to the insertion of the pectoral fin For soft rayed fish northern pike muskellunge salmonids coregonids etc remove at least 20 30 12 13 14 15 scales from above the lateral line and anterior to the dorsal fin The following information should be recorded on scale envelopes Scale Sample Envelope Data to Record Species Species Party No Sample Number No Fish Number Date Lift Date Loca
12. i e the first set of the project would be Sample 001 and the next set would be Sample 002 This field must correspond to the ESTN Effort Catch Form Species Record the appropriate heading to identify the fish species or species group tallied in that column This field is relatively short as it is designed to record a fish acronym or number code e g SMB or 316 for smallmouth bass Some crews prefer to use their own series of distinguishable acronyms for recording fish species in the field as fish number codes can be difficult to remember and can be easily confused See Appendix A for a complete list of OMNR fish species codes Dot Tally Use this space to record a dot tally on the appropriate size class rows Use the box ten method i e four dots in a square then four lines to connect the dots then two lines crossed in the middle of the box to form an X Total Record the sum for each species size class row i e count the dot tally and record the total number of fish measured in each size class for each species Use the bottom row of this column to record the total number of fish of each particular species that were length class tallied i e combine all size classes per species Each species total is copied to the Length Tallied column in the Fish Catch Summary section of the ESTN Effort Catch Form NOTE Only fish that were captured by passing through the tunnel and into the crib can be considered part of t
13. is to randomly select the appropriate number of segments or grids or sub grids using a random numbers table Randomly selected sites can then be used to prepare a sampling schedule that will direct the field crew about which sites to use on each sampling day Remember to select more sites than the target number of net sets as some sites may be unsuitable when visited in the field and alternate sites may be required Avoid selecting the same site more than once i e make selection without replacement unless the number of useable sites on your lake is severely limited If the same site is to be used more than once then when preparing the sampling schedule keep in mind that a trap net must not be reset within 500 metres of where it or any other trap net was set over the previous 48 hour period see section 5 1 Project leaders should provide the field crew with copies of the lake map and sampling schedule for field use The field crew will ultimately determine the specific netting location 4 2 Preparation of Field Forms Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough ESTN Fffort Catch Forms ESTN Fish Sampling Forms and ESTN Length Class Tally Forms to record their results while in the field see sections 5 3 5 5 and 5 7 One Effort Catch Form several Fish Sampling Forms and several Length Class Tally Forms will be required for each net set Blank copies of standard ESTN forms and tips on photocopying and printing a
14. metres 52 ft of leader can be piled on shore in situations where there is a significant lack of ideal sites If less than the full 46 metre 150 ft leader was used calculate the length of leader used by subtracting the estimated length of leader piled on shore from the full leader length i e if 6 metres of leader is not used then the leader length would be 46 minus 6 and recorded as 40 m Dist Off Shore Record the estimated distance between the shore and the start shore end of the leader to the nearest metre Short distances less than 1 metre should be recorded to the nearest 0 1 metre e g 0 4 m Ideally it is best to start the leader at the shoreline To accommodate shallow netting areas the start shore end of the leader can be set up to 20 metres 65 ft off shore provided that it starts in an acceptable depth of water see Start Depth Angle To Shore Record the estimated angle between the leader and the shoreline in degrees e g 90 The objective is to set the leader so that it intersects the bottom contours at right angles To accommodate irregular shorelines deep or windy netting areas the leader can be set up to 20 off perpendicular to shore making the acceptable range 70 to 90 from shore Start Depth Record the water depth at the start shore end of the leader to the nearest 0 1 metre e g 0 3 m Ideally it is best to start the leader at the shoreline To accommodate 21 steep shorelines s
15. occurs in late spring when surface waters reach 12 C and may continue until the surface temperature reaches 18 C This temperature window allows the post spawning redistribution of walleye from spawning sites and ensures that sampling is completed before fish leave the nearshore zone for deeper water In most parts of Ontario the sampling window begins in mid May and extends to mid June a 4 week sampling period A standardized six foot spring haul trap net see section 3 2 is set and left to fish overnight The duration of the set is 24 hours acknowledging that this is a target only and some reasonable variance is acceptable The number of sites which can be sampled in a day will depend on catch size daily travel time to the waterbody waterbody size crew experience and fish sampling protocols For a typical lake a crew of two people should be able to lift process the fish and reset at least two spring haul trap nets per day At that rate at least 16 random sites could be sampled in 9 consecutive working days or in 2 standard 5 day work weeks On small lakes with low to moderate catch rates crews could likely handle up to 4 spring haul trap nets per day Table 1 Summary of methods for ESTN Criteria Target Season e Spring when surface water temperature is between 12 and 18 C Set Duration e 24 hours Orientation e 70 90 to shoreline Gear e 6 foot spring haul trap net Spatial e Not required for all lakes
16. Character is the tag status code C existed on Capture A Applied Second Character is the tag disposition code 0zno change 1 retied same tag 2 replaced lost tag 3 removed 4 not know n Third Character is the tag condition code 1 securely tied 2 some slack 3 loose 4 unknow n Fourth Character is the fish condition code 1 healed 2 bit raw 3 festering 4 w ear on fin 9 unknown Selection Type 0 not defined in survey 1 defined in survey Page of ESTN LENGTH CLASS TALLY FORM Small Fish 400 mm Waterbody Lift Date Net location Sample ft Fork Length Species Species Species Species Fork Length Class mm Class mm Dot Tally Total Dot Tally Total Dot Tally Total Dot Tally 90 99 100 109 90 99 100 109 110 119 110 119 120 129 120 129 130 139 130 139 140 149 140 149 150 159 150 159 160 169 160 169 170 179 170 179 180 189 180 189 190 199 190 199 200 209 200 209 210 219 210 219 220 229 220 229 230 239 230 239 240 249 240 249 250 259 250 259 260 269 260 269 270 279 270 279 280 289 280 289 290 299 290 299 300 309 300 309 310 319 310 319 320 329 320 329 330 339 330 339 340 349 340 349 350 359 350 359 360 369 360 369 370 379 370 379 380 389 380 389 390 399 390 399 ESTN LENGTH CLASS TALLY FORM Large Fish gt 399 mm Waterbody Lift Date N
17. ES wing marker light amp information 4 buoy message buoy leader anchor line i snap hook Dae leader identification tag ue wing marker line Pe float leader marker wing anchor JEE h s wing line un tunnel H funnel shaped wall head identification tag 7 z between house and crib o i wooden brail king marker 0 leader EHEH HAHEN zipper buoy H a HHA king marker line H 1 A 7 lift marker H 7 lift line H OMNR wing bridle p sci A H E wing Eu Yn heart Ed y U house anes head crib HES Ch metal brail Diagram Not 7 king line Drawn To Scale brail line weight toggle ring king anchor or brail ring or head anchor 3 1 How Fish are Captured Fish moving in the littoral zone often travel parallel to shore and lake bottom contour
18. ESTN Effort Catch Form see Figure 11 The following is a description of each of these forms 5 7 1 ESTN Length Class Tally Forms There are two Length Class Tally Forms to cover the wide range of fish sizes One for small fish less than 400 millimetres fork length and one for large fish greater than 399 millimetres fork length There are also blank size class rows on each tally form to enable the crew to assign unique size classes if when exceptionally small or large fish are encountered Each tally form has four species columns Therefore if more than four species are length tallied more than one tally form will be required The ESTN Length Class Tally Forms should be completed as follows Waterbody Record the official name of the waterbody in which the trap net was set e g CHEMONG LAKE This field must correspond to the ESTN Effort Catch Form 31 Lift Date Record numerically the date that the trap net was lifted in the order year month day i e May 21 2002 would be recorded as 02 05 21 This field must correspond to the ESTN Effort Catch Form Net Location Record the shoreline segment number or UTM reference number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site e g Site 16 or Grid 0802 Site C123 This field must correspond to the information recorded on the ESTN Effort Catch Form Sample Record the unique and sequential fishing effort number that refers to this particular net set
19. Effort Catch Form see Figure 7 The first part of this form was filled out when the net was set on the previous day The same form is reguired on lift day to complete the lift data and fish catch summary sections The lift data section should be completed as follows Lift Data gt These 13 fields describe who lifted the net when and under what conditions Net Lift Crew Record the names or initials of the field crew members that lifted the net e g C McCauley amp G Cimbura Lift Date Record numerically the date that the trap net was lifted in the order year month day i e May 21 2002 would be recorded as 02 05 21 Lift Time Record the time that the trap net was lifted to the nearest 74 hour 15 minutes on the 24 hour clock i e 1 30 p m would be recorded as 13 30 hrs This time is noted after the net has been lifted and before the fish are processed see section 5 4 step 2 Effort Status Record the condition of the set as per the codes found on the ESTN Effort Catch Form Effort Status Codes 1 no problem i e the net fished properly 2 minor problem likely OK e g small log drifted into the leader 3 z major problem affected catch e g the net was tampered with NOTE If codes 2 or 3 are used record an explanation in the Comments section Duration Calculate and record the total duration that the trap net was fishing in hours e g the number of hours that passed from the set time of 14 15 hrs
20. Ontario Manual of Instructions End of Spring Trap Netting ESTN Manual of Instructions End of Spring Trap Netting ESTN 2004 Audie Skinner and Helen Ball Fisheries Section Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources P O Box 7000 300 Water Street Peterborough ON K9J 8M5 Cette publication sp cialis e n est disponsible qu en anglais 2004 Queen s Printer for Ontario Printed in Ontario Canada Copies of this publication are available from Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Fish and Wildlife Branch P O Box 7000 300 Water Street Peterborough ON K9J 8M5 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 0 INTRODUCTION 2 ito o o UN p A ap p uU ap ptus 1 2 0 SURVEY DESIGN AND METHODS sss 2 2 1 Sampling Methods eu eu near M 2 2 2 Sample SlZO ieu dte aee eon OR Nwy Te DRE RAE RR DR 3 3 0 GEAR DESCRIPTION ued ui ios ie oid dest ibd ded dnd ise 3 S HOW FiSh are Guest dd GR tete attt or debuts Dates 4 s The Standard ESTN Trap Netus ge YF Ad aua abdito dtt 5 4 0 PRE FIELD ACTIVITIES 1 eem 8 4 1 Site Selection ehe esed sa tete CYW Y T 8 4 2 Preparation of Field Forms ees 9 4 3 Preparing a Public Information Notice eeceeeeeeeeen nennen 9 4 4 Preparation of Equipment ssssssssssssssee Hee 11 4 5 Rigging the Trap Nets ee Ay x er og er enero mre e crea Sn exea 12 rN carl cz iulno mE 13 5 0 FIELD PROCEDURES
21. ached to the information message buoy The flashing light should be pre assembled tested and attached to the information buoy On large bodies of water the flashing light and message buoy should be rigged so it can be anchored separately so that extensive wave action on the buoy will not affect the net set The light sensitive switch on the flashing light can be turned off until the first day of use Finally the net s zipper should be closed and sealed plastic cable ties work well prior to packing the net for transportation to the lake These ties prevent the zipper from coming undone accidentally and indicate if tampering has occurred When packing or setting a spring haul trap net the standard procedure is to ensure that the wooden brail is at the bottom of the bundle and is closest to the shore i e wood to shore This practice ensures that the head will not be accidentally set upside down after setting the leader 12 4 6 Training This manual describes the techniques and provides the information necessary to conduct the ESTN field program However to successfully perform this survey at least one of the field crew members should have the following skills and knowledge Safe Boat Operation This program requires safe boating skills and knowledge to successfully maneuver the boat while setting and lifting trap nets and to navigate between netting sites Such tasks involve operating a vessel often very close to shore and often nea
22. ader Sample Tag id 4 Tag id KLA_TA02_CH1 Chemong Lake 17 706632 4917024 TP O5 Area Grid Site Site Type Bottom Type Fish Cover Type Substrate fish cover all types 100 m each side of net all types 100 m each side of net N A 16 KEEN MU SI BO Some MA a few BO 2 pipe docks SET DESCRIPTION recorded at time of set Net Set Crew Set Date Set Time Leader Length Dist Off Shore Angle to Shore Start Depth Mid Depth Gap Depth C McCauley yy mm dd 24hh mm 30 46 m 0 20 m 70 90 m m 1 7 3 5 m G Cimbura LIFT DESCRIPTION recorded at time of lift Net Lift Crew Lift Date Lift Time Duration Water Secchi Cloud Precip Type Wind fishing Temp Depth Cover Direction Speed yy mm dd 24hh mm hours C m in eighths codes 00 95 1 360 in knots General Weather Through Set Precipitation Surface Conditions Site Type General Substrate codes 1 gravel pebble sand mix GP SA gt 75 2 boulder rubble cobble mix BO RC gt 75 3 sand SA gt 75 4 soft mix SI MU DE soft CL gt 75 5 bedrock BE gt 75 6 other Site Type Fish Cover Level codes 1 no cover 2 low 1 25 3 moderate 25 75 4 high gt 75 Bottom Type codes BR bedrock BO boulder RC rubble cobble GP gravel pebble SA sand SI silt CL clay MU muck DE detritus MA marl Fish Cover Type codes BO boulder
23. ally stratified If the waterbody is not spatially stratified record N A to indicate that this field is not applicable to this project Grid If using the UTM grid method of shoreline partitioning record the UTM reference number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site e g 0802 If not using the UTM grid method record MA to indicate that this field is not applicable to this project 17 Site If using the shoreline segment method of shoreline partitioning record the segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site e g 16 If using the UTM grid method of shoreline partitioning this field can be used to record a sub grid location within the larger UTM grid reference number recorded in the above Grid field e g C13 If using the UTM grid method without any sub grids then this field may not be applicable Record N A if Site is not applicable to your project Site Type optional Record the substrate code and cover code that best describe the lake bottom materials and availability of fish cover for the visible area 100 m 328 ft on each side of the net If water clarity is limited so that you can not see the lake bottom out to the depth of the trap net gap then describe the site based on the limited observations available in shallow water and or use terrestrial indicators e g emergent vegetation shoreline substrate etc Note any limite
24. attachment to the head 4 0 PRE FIELD ACTIVITIES Before beginning the fieldwork the following activities should be performed to ensure that the field crew is properly prepared 4 1 Site Selection Prior to the random site selection process field crews may want to visit the lake or examine lake contour maps and or aerial photographs to eliminate littoral zone areas that are definitely not suitable for setting trap nets see section 5 1 This technique can save the field crew a considerable amount of time as they will not be traveling long distances to obviously unsuitable locations e g too deep too shallow marine hazard etc Be careful not to eliminate areas that are marginal as the sampling specifications do allow some flexibility and site conditions will often vary depending on seasonal water levels and recreational activity The first step in the site selection process is to partition or divide the shoreline into sampling sites or units Two common methods include dividing the shoreline into equal length segments or delineating sites based on the boundaries of Universal Transverse Mercator UTM grids The shoreline segment method requires some preparation time to measure draw and number the equal length segments on a lake map see Figure 4 On large lakes this task can be quite time consuming The length of the segments must be determined so that there are enough segments to allow for the required number of net sets each seg
25. brated each day and tarred with the damp weigh sock Weigh fish with the appropriate capacity scale Do not record weights of fish that are lt 10 of the minimum scale capacity 100 g for a 1 kg scale when spring loaded mechanical scales are used spring loaded scales are too insensitive for weighing such small fish i e do not weight a 80 g fish on the 1 kg scale use the 100 g scale Age Structures Sampled Code listing calcified structures collected for the purpose of age determination The codes for age structures are blank no data 0 no structure sampled 17 scales any side 2 scales left side 3 scales right side 4 pectoral ray 5 pectoral spine 6 pelvic ray 7 dorsal spine A otolith B operculum C sub operculum D cleithrum E centrum F branchiostegal and G other Clips Observed Code for the location of up to 5 clips observed on capture The codes for clips on capture are blank no data 0 no clip 1 right pectoral 2 left pectoral 3 right pelvic 4 left pelvic 5 adipose 6 anal 7 anterior dorsal 8 posterior dorsal A lower caudal B mid caudal C right opercular D left opercular E right maxillary F left maxillary e g 15 right pectoral adipose combination Clips Applied Code for the locations of up to 5 clips applied to a fish The codes are the same as for Clips Observed Tag Ident The serial number on a fish tag Tag Status Indicates
26. commended for more severe conditions when strong winds and hard lake bottoms can result in increased net wear The lightweight trap net is about 10 percent cheaper to build at approximately 2250 while the heavyweight net costs approximately 2500 as of 2003 Two net builders in Ontario that can supply these specific ESTN trap nets are Niagara Netting Superior Net and Twine Company 1838 Port Robinson Road 2095 B Paquette Road RR 1 Port Robinson Ontario Thunder Bay Ontario LOS 1K0 P7B 5E2 905 384 9807 807 767 4064 Net Builder Mr John Radford Net Builder Mr George Sameluk The specifications in the following Standard Trap Net Description Forms provide the information necessary to build either version Figure 2 Standard Specifications for ESTN Trap Nets Form 1 THE STANDARD ESTN TRAP NET DESCRIPTION FORM 1 FEATURES DESCRIPTION Heavyweight Trap Net Lightweight Trap Net Mesh Colour Mesh Material Polypropylene Polypropylene Yarn Type knotted or knotless Twine Size on leader on top amp bottom of house amp heart on remainder of head Mesh Size stretched knot centers on leader 6 4 cm 2 Yin 6 4 cm 2 Yin on top amp bottom of house amp heart 6 4 cm 2 Yin 6 4 cm 2 v in on remainder of head 4 4 cm 1 3 in 4 4 cm 1 3 in Line Material rope frame amp brail lines Black Polypropylene Black Polypropylene 3 strand twist rope 3 strand twist rope 0 95 cm 3 8 in in diameter 0
27. d anchor lines e Weigh Scales different capacities to cover expected range of weights e g 100g 1kg 3kg 6kg e Net twine 715 treated black nylon twine for minor net repairs e Twine shuttle net needle optional simplifies net mending process e Spare rope 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene 3 strand twist e Spare batteries for caution lights depth sounder tele thermometer anemometer etc e Knife amp or wire cutters to remove the plastic cable ties which seal the trap net zipper e Watch e Clipboard e HB pencils recommend several pencils amp a pencil sharpener e ESTN Manual of Instructions e ESTN Effort Catch Forms one per net set e ESTN Fish Sampling Forms several per net set e ESTN Length Class Tally Forms both small and large fish sizes several per net set e Sampling schedule list of randomly selected trap net sites eLake map with trap net site boundaries i e shoreline segments or UTM grids e GPS Unit e Fish identification reference key optional may assist inexperienced crews Collection Techniques for Fish Ageing Structures Mann 1992 optional List of user designed fish acronyms or OMNR fish species code numbers optional Storage box and plastic bags to protect forms and other gear from water damage First Aid Kit Boat Outboard motor Gasoline Boat Safety equipment as appropriate for the vessel waterbody e Optional fish sampling equipment knives scale envelopes weigh bags etc e P
28. d visibility situations in the Comments section of the Effort Catch Form Use the following Site Type General Substrate codes and Site Type Fish Cover Level codes as found on the Effort Catch Form to categorize the area in which the trap net is fishing Site Type General Substrate codes 1 gravel pebble sand mix At least 7596 of the area must be represented by a combination of gravel pebble and sand mixed together If sand alone makes up more than 75 of the area substrate then use code number 3 sand 2 boulder rubble cobble mix At least 7596 of the area must be represented by boulder or rubble cobble or any combination of these two substrate types 3 z sand At least 7590 of the area must be represented by sand substrate only 4 soft mix At least 7596 of the area must be represented by silt or muck or detritus or soft clay or any combination of these four substrate types 5 z bedrock At least 7590 of the area must be represented by bedrock substrate only 6 other At least 7596 of the area must be represented by a substrate type or a combination of substrate types that do not fit into any of the above five categories e g gt 75 marl or 30 bedrock amp 30 sand amp 4096 muck 18 Site Type Fish Cover Level codes 1 no cover The area does not provide any cover for fish 2 low 1 to 25 of the area provides cover for fish 3 z moderate 25 to 75 of the area provides cover for fish 4 z
29. d with the first part of the ESTN Length Class Tally Forms The ESTN Fish Sampling Forms are completed to record fish data at a specific net set and should correspond and be attached to the ESTN Effort Catch Form for that lift The ESTN Fish Sampling Form should be completed as follows Waterbody Record the official name of the waterbody in which the trap net was set e g CHEMONG LAKE This field must correspond to the ESTN Effort Catch Form Lift Date Record numerically the date that the trap net was lifted in the order year month day i e May 21 2002 would be recorded as 02 05 21 This field must correspond to the ESTN Effort Catch Form Net Location Record the shoreline segment number or UTM reference number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site e g Site 16 or Grid 0802 Site C123 This field must correspond to the information recorded on the ESTN Effort Catch Form Sample Record the unigue and seguential fishing effort number that refers to this particular net set i e the first set of the project would be Sample 001 and the next set would be Sample 002 This field must correspond to the ESTN Effort Catch Form Species Group Record the fish species or species group This field is relatively short as it is designed to record a fish acronym or number code e g SMB or 316 for smallmouth bass Some crews prefer to use their own series of distinguishable acronyms for recordin
30. deepwater cisco Coregonus johannae 096 kiyi Coregonus kiyi 097 blackfin cisco Coregonus nigripinnis 098 Nipigon cisco Coregonus nipigon 099 shortnose cisco Coregonus reighardi 100 shortjaw cisco Coregonus zenithicus 101 pygmy whitefish Prosopium coulteri 102 round whitefish Prosopium cylindraceum 103 chub Coregonus sp Cisco species other than C artedi 106 Coregonus sp 107 Prosopium sp THYMALLINAE Grayling subfamily 111 Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus OSMERIDAE Smelts 121 rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax ESOCIDAE Pikes 131 northern pike Esox lucius 132 muskellunge Esox masquinongy 133 grass pickerel Esox americanus vermiculatus 134 Esox sp 135 chain pickerel Esox niger UMBRIDAE Mudminnows 141 central mudminnow Umbra limi HIODONTIDAE Mooneyes 151 goldeye Hiodon alosoides 152 mooneye Hiodon tergisus CATOSTOMIDAE Suckers 161 guillback Carpiodes cyprinus 162 longnose sucker Catostomus catostomus 46 180 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 176 177 178 white sucker Catostomus commersoni lake chubsucker Erimyzon sucetta northern hog sucker Hypentelium nigricans bigmouth buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus spotted sucker Minytrema melanops silver redhorse Moxostoma anisurum black redhorse Moxostoma duquesnei golden redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum shorthead redhorse Moxostoma macrolepidot
31. der bridles brails brail lines lift line and marker toggle ring brail ring and anchor lines are to be attached and a zipper installed at the house end of the crib such that the net is ready to fish Features identified by asterisks are at the net builder s discretion and may be substituted with products that provide equivalent results Float ropes or metal float cans are not recommended as substitutes for plastic floats Steel chain is a common and acceptable substitution for weights along the leader but may increase the total weight of the net NOTE For use in ESTN Mesh size and colour should match these standards amp net dimensions should be within at least 10 of the standards found on The Standard ESTN Trap Net Description Form 2 Figure 3 Standard Specifications for ESTN Trap Nets Form 2 THE STANDARD ESTN TRAP NET DESCRIPTION FORM 2 Diagrams Not Drawn To Scale Measurements are TOP VIEW OF TRAP NET HEAD the same for both the light and heavyweight nets Leader Head Height attached to head at gap S 183 cm 6 ft Number amp Location of Brails 1 set at the back of the crib i e at the offshore end of the net SIDE VIEW OF TRAP NET LEADER 3 ft 6 in 265 cm 8 ft 8 in 183 cm 6 ft Tunnel Opening 25 x 25 cm 10 x 10 in 45 7m 150 ft 345 cm 11 ft 4 in 183 cm 6 ft 188 cm 6 ft 2 in 41 cm 16 in Rope Extensions for 183 cm 6 ft
32. dy the net and provide enough room to get the rope around the bundle by lifting one end at the brails Wrap any extra rope around the ends of the bundle where most of the weights or floats are packed 6 0 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES The following activities should be conducted within a couple days of completing the field portion of the ESTN program 6 1 Controlling the Spread of Invasive Species The following precautions should be taken to prevent the spread of invasive species every time boats and eguipment are moved between waterbodies Boats e Inspect boat trailer and boating equipment and remove any visible mud plants or animals before leaving any waterbody and e Drain water from motor live well bilge and transom wells while on land before leaving the waterbody and e Wash Dry boat and equipment to kill harmful exotic species that were not seen at the boat launch Some species can survive for several days out of water it is important to e rinse boat and equipment with hot water gt 40 C or e spray boat and equipment with high pressure water 250 psi or e dry boat and equipment for at least five days before transporting to another waterbody Nets and Floats Nets lines and anchors could harbor unwanted organisms and plants especially if they have been set for longer than 24 hours 41 Prior to moving nets to new waterbodies a routine cleaning to remove plants and debris is recommended In order to reduce the chance tha
33. e to be attached to the 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene lines that the mesh was attached to in 42 above with a minimum of 3 half hitches at every third mesh using no less than 15 black treated nylon twine or equivalent NOTE The chafing line may be omitted on the leader of the lightweight net at the purchaser s discretion Wing and leader bridles brails brail lines lift line and marker toggle ring brail ring and anchor lines are to be attached and a zipper installed at the house end of the crib such that the net is ready to fish Features identified by asterisks are at the net builder s discretion and may be substituted with products that provide equivalent results Float ropes or metal float cans are not recommended as substitutes for plastic floats Steel chain is a common and acceptable substitution for weights along the leader but may increase the total weight of the net NOTE For ESTN Mesh size and colour should match the ESTN standards amp net dimensions should be within at least 10 of the ESTN standards Record net dimensions on ESTN Trap Net Description Form 2 ESTN TRAP NET DESCRIPTION FORM 2 Head ID TOP VIEW OF TRAP NET HEAD Leader ID Head Height Leader attached to 4 Number amp Location of head at gap Brails SIDE VIEW OF TRAP NET LEADER Gap Rope Extensions for attachment to the head Diagrams Not Drawn To Scale For ESTN Net dimensions should be within at
34. ersonal gear rain suit rubber boots sun block lotion hat sun glasses lunch etc 11 4 5 Rigging the Trap Net Before selecting any trap net for use in ESTN it must be checked to ensure that it conforms to ESTN standards these are identical to NSCIN net standards ESTN Trap Net Description Forms Appendix B should be completed for each trap net and compared to the Standard ESTN Trap Net Description see section 3 2 Mesh size and colour should be identical to the standard ESTN trap net Net building is a hand craft that results in slight variations between nets however all net dimensions should be within at least 10 percent of the ESTN Standard Trap Net Description The leader and head should each be labeled with a unique identifier to ensure that the performance of each net can be tracked and its history of use and repairs documented Before using the trap nets they must be inspected for any rips or holes in the mesh Minor repairs to the mesh and lashing can be made during the pre field inspection using size 15 treated black nylon twine Spring haul trap nets should come from the supplier complete with wood and metal brails brail lines toggle ring brail ring lift line lift marker king line leader bridle wing bridles and wing lines see Figure 1 section 3 0 If any of these parts are missing from the net they can be attached during the pre field inspection using polypropylene 3 strand twist rope 0 95 cm 3 8 in in diame
35. et location Sample Species Species Species Fork Length Class mm Dot Tally Dot Tally Dot Tally Dot Tally 400 409 400 409 410 419 410 419 420 429 420 429 Pu N Rc M 430 439 MESES 430 439 440 449 m 440 449 450 459 BETTE 450 459 460 469 a a 460 469 470 479 PT 470 479 480 489 a 480 489 490 499 o 490 499 500 509 as PES 500 509 510 519 mm EE 510 519 520 529 mE 520 529 530 539 W OY O O 530 539 540 549 EE 540 549 550 559 pcm 550 559 560 569 a er 560 569 570 579 wen Je 570 579 580 589 li cj 580 589 590 599 HERI 590 599 600 609 uam 600 609 610 619 EE 610 619 620 629 REPERI 620 629 630 639 mE 630 639 640 649 mE 640 649 650 659 W 650 659 660 669 p 660 669 670 679 670 679 680 689 eee MM 680 689 a oo oo oOo HE I 690 699 690 699 TOTAL
36. eye in all lakes Lake size littoral zone slope and the amount of aguatic vegetation are just three factors that may limit the number of acceptable netting sites for the ESTN standard trap nets Anyone considering this standard netting program should familiarize themselves with this manual s Gear Description section 3 0 and Site Selection sections 4 1 and 5 1 sections to determine if the ESTN program is suited to the lake they wish to study Examination of a lake contour map or an actual visit to the lake may be reguired to determine whether a particular lake is suitable for assessing with this program 2 0 SURVEY DESIGN AND METHODS The ESTN method utilizes a random sampling design in which the individual sampling units are selected without replacement Sampling sites should be selected in a spatially random fashion to avoid any biases in the site selection process e g to avoid selecting sites that are closest to the lake s access point or sites that represent preferred habitat for a particular fish species Sites must not be rejected without a valid reason e g water too shallow or too deep areas with high shoreline development impeding boat and seaplane traffic unsuitable topography etc The selection of sample sites is essentially a map exercise that is completed in the office using a random number table to select specific sites 2 1 Sampling Methods The basic sampling methods for ESTN are summarized in Table 1 The field survey
37. ftware package FISHNETS provided by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Therefore data entry can be done directly from the forms using the ESTN Project Template a modified Index Adult Template available in FISHNET3 Projects entered into FISHNET3 can be automatically submitted to the Provincial Database 8 0 PROJECT ASSISTANCE Please contact the Kawartha Lakes Fisheries Assessment Unit KLFAU address below for assistance in any of the following areas e Data entry procedures for ESTN e Submission of completed projects to the provincial ESTN database e Copies of the standard ESTN forms e Any other ESTN inquiries gt Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Kawartha Lakes Fisheries Assessment Unit Mike Rawson C O Agriculture and Food 322 Kent Street West Lindsay ON K9V 4T7 Tel 705 324 2879 Fax 705 324 1638 Acknowledgements The majority of the Gear Descriptions and Field Procedures were adapted from the Nearshore Community Index Netting NSCIN Manual Stirling 1999 Many of the classifications and data coding conventions were adapted from standards reported in the OMNR FISHNET User Manual Lester et al 1996 and the OMNR Manual of Instructions for Aquatic Habitat Inventory Surveys OMNR 1987 Mike Fruetel s dedication and insight in the early testing of this methodology was instrumental in defining the best temperature timing window Mike Rawson provided a clear definition of the ESTN sampling procedures and cond
38. g fish species in the field as fish number codes can be difficult to remember and can be easily confused See Appendix A for a complete list of OMNR fish species codes Fish optional A serial number assigned to the individual fish being sampled for identification purposes This number is also used to link all information for a single fish the number on the Fish Sampling Form must correspond to the fish number on the scale sample envelope The recommended protocol is to assign the first fish sampled in the survey the number 1 with each subseguent fish numbered consecutively upwards until the last fish in the entire ESTN survey is sampled Fork Length mm The length measured to the nearest 1 mm of an individual fish from the anterior tip of the snout with the mouth closed to the posterior edge of the median caudal fin rays i e the fork in the caudal fin For fish without a fork in their caudal fin e g burbot or brown bullhead fork length is the same as total length 34 Total Length mm The length measured to the nearest 1 mm of an individual fish from the anterior tip of the snout with the mouth closed to the most distant lobe of the caudal fin compress the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin rays to obtain the maximum total length Round Weight g The round weight of individual fish measured in grams with hand held spring loaded scales or electronic balance Hand held spring loaded scales should be cali
39. he catch Other improperly caught fish e g trapped in hearts gilled in leader etc should be recorded as a comment only 32 Figure 9 A completed ESTN Length Class Tally Form for Small Fish 400 mm ESTN LENGTH CLASS TALLY FORM Small Fish 400 mm Waterbody Chemong Fork Length Species 163 Lift Date 02 05 21 Netlocation 16 Species _ 331 Species 311 Species 313 Sample s O07 Fork Length Class mm Dot Tally Dot Tally Dot Tally Dot Tally 140 149 150 159 N w 90 99 100 109 110 119 m 120 129 130 139 140 149 150 159 160 169 160 169 170 179 170 179 180 189 180 189 190 199 250 259 190 199 200 209 210 219 220 229 230 239 240 249 250 259 260 269 260 269 270 279 270 279 280 289 280 289 290 299 300 309 310 319 320 329 330 339 340 349 350 359 360 369 al id 360 369 H 370 379 NI EE I pp NER HN ES D DM NN NE 7i m m E 6 7 8 9 HH E E 10 eer NENNEN Ooo ee p 1 1 ENSE UNE MN io DENEN RENNES a 1 1 1 NENNEN NENNEN NN Ooo UNI a NE p Oooo MI MEN 33 370 379 TOTAL 1 5 7 2 ESTN Fish Sampling Form The first part of the ESTN Fish Sampling Form is identical to and should correspon
40. he crib A proper set requires that the leader is relatively straight tight and not twisted The gap opening must be held open by the heart and wings that are relatively tight at proper angles and not twisted The sides of the heart and house should be taut The tunnel must be clear of obstructions and suspended in the crib There must not be any holes in the mesh netting that will allow fish to escape from any area of the net The net should be well secured with anchors to prevent wind and wave action from loosening the net and thus reducing its efficiency 3 2 The Standard ESTN Trap Net Any trap net e g spring haul or down haul used to conduct the ESTN program should conform to the standard set of specifications Standard mesh sizes colour measurements etc are provided on the following two Standard Trap Net Description Forms see Figures 2 and 3 Mesh size and colour should be identical to the ESTN standards Net dimensions should be within at least 10 percent of the standards If trap nets do not conform to these standards then fishing results will not be valid for comparative purposes The spring haul ESTN trap net can be constructed using either heavyweight or lightweight materials The lightweight net is less bulky and about 18 percent lighter and may be preferred for lakes where access is more difficult e g fly in or portage access lakes or when smaller boats are being used The heavyweight net is likely more durable and is re
41. he trap net gap then describe the site based on the limited observations available in the shallow water and or use terrestrial indicators e g emergent vegetation shoreline substrate etc Note any limited visibility situations in the Comments section of the Effort Catch Form The following list of cover types has been taken from the Stream Surveys section of the OMNR Manual of Instructions for Aquatic Habitat Inventory Surveys OMNR 1987 Only those cover types that apply to lake habitat and the size of fish captured by the trap nets have been included Use the following cover acronyms as found on the ESTN Effort Catch Form to record the cover description If any cover types fit into the other category be sure to describe those cover types in the Comments section of the form BO boulder If boulders see substrate composition are large enough and distributed such that they provide cover to fish include BO in Fish Cover Type MA z macrophytes If aquatic vegetation is large enough and distributed such that it provides cover to fish include MA in Fish Cover Type LT log tree If fallen trees logs stumps and large branches that are sunken or floating are providing cover for fish include LT in Fish Cover Type Old logs that are partially buried in the substrate are not included unless they offer cover to fish UB undercut bank If there is an undercut bank that could provide cover for fish include UB in Fish Cove
42. he wings placing each wing separately on each side of the pile so that you will not be confused about which wing belongs to which side of the net when resetting Similarly continue retrieving the wing lines and place them on top of their respective wing 40 7 With one person pulling on the float line and the other person pulling on the lead line retrieve the leader folding it neatly back and forth on top of the net pile Be sure not to allow a twist to occur in the leader at this point 8 Pull in the leader anchor and safely place it on the floor or over the inside of the gunwale This anchor can usually remain attached for the next set NOTE If removing the trap net for transportation to another lake or back to the office untie the leader anchor and place it safely out of your way A tight carrying bundle can be created by laying the last metre 3 ft of leader over the net pile like a hair net and tucking the sides and ends in under the mesh piled on the platform This helps to keep pieces of the net from falling out of the bundle Next use a reasonable length of rope leader anchor line works well to wrap around the bundle Starting at one end wrap the rope around the bundle and link each subseguent wrap with one turn around the previous wrap Use a wrap about every 30 to 40 cm 12 to 16 in along the length of the bundle Pull each wrap tight to make the bundle as small and compact as possible One person can help to stea
43. high More than 75 of the area provides cover for fish Bottom Type optional Record a list of all the substrate types identified within the visible area 100 m 328 ft on each side of the net If water clarity is limited such that you can not see the lake bottom out to the depth of the trap net gap then describe the site based on the limited observations available in the shallow water and or use terrestrial indicators e g emergent vegetation shoreline substrate etc Note any limited visibility situations in the Comments section of the Effort Catch Form The following substrate descriptions have been taken from the OMNR Manual of Instructions for Aquatic Habitat Inventory Surveys OMNR 1987 and expanded for quick effective field assessment Use the following substrate acronyms as found on the ESTN Effort Catch Form to record the substrate composition Substrate Acronyms BR z bedrock Exposed bedrock with no overburden i e solid bedrock not individual rocks BO z boulder Large rocks estimated to be over 25 cm 10 in in diameter Visualize rocks larger than volleyballs RC z rubble cobble Stones estimated to be 8 to 25 cm 3 to 10 in in diameter Visualize stones ranging in size from tennis balls to volley balls GP z gravel pebble Small stones estimated to be 0 2 to 8 cm 1 12 to 3 in in diameter Visualize stones smaller than tennis balls SA z sand A grit like material of crystalline rock origin estimated to be
44. ice to retain the wood to shore arrangement Keep the brails 1 metre apart 3 ft while flipping This wraps the mesh of the crib around the brails and creates a sturdier platform Neatly place the king line and brail lines on top of the mesh platform Grasping the net s side lines float and lead lines along each side of the net guickly pull the net into the boat and continue piling it on the platform created between the two brails A fast net retrieval will reduce the amount of drifting caused by the wind and thus reduce the probability of net tangles and snags In extremely windy and wavy conditions the leader anchor can be removed first while the boat is being controlled by the field crew This allows the crew to retrieve and pile the net without having to get too close to shore Following the side lines you should retrieve the net working your way along the outside of the crib house heart and wings NOTE A few fish may be trapped in the hearts and should be shaken back down the heart to the gap where you can reach in and pull the fish out These fish are not part of the catch as they did not find their way into the crib via the tunnel Be careful not to lift the heart too high when shaking fish towards the gap There is a chance that you could shake fish down into the tunnel and eventually into the crib The crib is buried under the piled net and sealed shut making the removal of these fish very difficult Continue retrieving t
45. ield worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage 52 ESTN TRAP NET DESCRIPTION FORM 1 Features Description Features Description Head Identification Net Type heavyweight or lightweight Leader Identification Mesh Colour Mesh Material Yarn Type knotted knotless Twine Size Mesh Size stretched knot centers on leader on leader on top amp bottom of house amp heart on top amp bottom of house amp heart on remainder of head on remainder of head Line Material rope frame amp brail lines Net Preservative Wooden Brail Float Type Weight Type irons leads chains etc ce cial Net Builder name address phone number Construction Specifications To ensure a well built and durable spring haul trap net 1 Double salvage lines of black polypropylene twine should be attached around the entire perimeter of the mesh netting before attachment to the black 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene lines 2 Double salvage lines are to be attached to the black 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene lines with a minimum of 3 hitches per mesh using no less than 15 black treated nylon twine or equivalent Black 0 95 cm 3 8 in polypropylene chafing lines are to be attached across the entire bottom of the leader and head The chafing lines ar
46. ify the fish species that are likely to be caught A reference identification key may be a useful tool to include in the crew s field gear If a unique species is encountered that is new to the lake or difficult to identify then a reference sample could be collected 5 0 FIELD PROCEDURES These standard procedures must be followed to properly conduct the field portion of the ESTN program 5 1 Site Selection Use the sampling schedule and lake map prepared in section 4 1 Site Selection to determine where and when to set each trap net When the predetermined random site is reached verify that the location is suitable by observing the area for marine hazards e g high traffic area swim area dock access etc If the site is free from marine hazards then measure the water depth at a distance offshore approximately equal to the length of the trap net leader 46m 13 Use the water depth and offshore distance values to determine whether this site is a suitable sampling location as per the following ESTN criteria Table 2 Sampling Specifications Refer to the Set Description portion of section 5 3 Information to Record at Set for a detailed description of the last 5 net setting criteria from Table 2 If the site is not suitable use a predetermined method to select an alternate site An alternate site selection method must not introduce a bias to the selection process and should be easy to execute A common method is to assess the
47. ill deteriorate the netting materials Do not leave a dirty net tightly bundled The plants and algae will hold moisture in the bundle and cause the net to rot Polypropylene nets are more resistant to rotting than other traditional materials and will last much longer if properly maintained and stored in a building where they are protected from sunlight moisture and nuisance animals The trap nets must be carefully inspected during the off season for rips and tears This inspection should be completed at the beginning of the storage period to provide ample time to conduct or budget for the appropriate repairs Watch for areas where the mesh has separated from the lead line bottom of net as a result of damaged lashing When feasible major repairs should be done by the manufacturer to ensure that the correct techniques and materials are used 6 3 Gear Log Trap net inspections repairs and field seasons should be recorded in a trap net gear log to document the net s status and history Since these nets are often stored for long periods of time and or loaned to other users it is very useful and informative to keep track of what happens to each net In this way project leaders are less likely to be surprised with costly repair expenses scheduling conflicts or biased fishing results that can arise from being unaware of a net s status 42 7 0 DATA MANAGEMENT The information recorded on the ESTN forms are in a format compatible with the so
48. imes pull the head out of shape and cause a slack leader Repeat steps 10 to 12 for the other wing Carefully approach the net near the gap to verify that the net is properly set Ensure that the leader is not slack or bowed The wings should be tight and at the correct angles so that the gap opening is not restricted The house and crib should form a box that is not collapsed or slack on any side If adjustments are required the leader and head can usually be straightened and or tightened by pulling the king marker line and resetting the king anchor A wing can be adjusted by simply dragging the wing anchor to the correct location by pulling on the wing marker buoy The trap net can now be classified as set and fishing Note the set time While at the gap accurately measure the water depth with a graduated hand line Continue by attaching or setting any extra markers i e leader markers and flashing caution light with information message and then measure observe and record the appropriate net set information see section 5 3 5 3 Information to Record at Set Net set information is recorded with an HB pencil on the standard ESTN Effort Catch Form see Figure 6 For each trap net sampling effort one Effort Catch Form is completed to document site location set description lift data fish catch summary and comments The first part of this form is filled out at the time of the set The remainder of the form is used on the following day to
49. ine If the lake bottom is rough and not conducive to allowing the head to slide along the bottom this is a good time to carefully pull the net tight in a straight line while the head is being pulled up off the lake bottom Carefully use the power of the reversing boat in combination with a few strong arm pulls to achieve a taut set With the king line in hand double check that the king line knot at the toggle ring brail ring is secure and throw out the lift marker and line ensuring that it is not tangled this marker must be floating for future retrieval If setting the net for the first time i e not resetting then this is a good time to attach the king anchor to the offshore end of the king line A clove hitch with a locking half hitch is recommended for securing the king anchor Attach the king marker buoy to the king marker line with a secure knot or optional snap hook and unravel the marker line from the tines of the king anchor so that the whole rig can be deployed without any interruptions While maintaining some tension on the king line continue to reverse the boat and let the king line out When you reach the king anchor carefully pull the entire net tight so that the leader float line head center line and king line all form one long straight line NOTE On some boats this pulling can be done by hooking the anchor tines inside the front bow and letting the carefully controlled reversing boat motor do the work be prepared t
50. lat across the graduated ruler see Figure 8 29 Figure 8 Measuring the Fork and Total Lengths 6 7 8 9 10 11 Snout tight against zero 34 3 ll JUL 1 Nm Keeping the fish snug against the end and flat across the ruler measure the fork length to the nearest millimetre Call out the fork length to the data recorder If fish of this species are length tallied only the data recorder records the measurement by placing a tally dot in the appropriate size class under the appropriate species column on the ESTN Length Class Tally Form see section 5 7 If additional fish sampling is required i e all walleye and other species of interest then the data recorder enters the Species Fish and Fork Length mm on the ESTN Fish Sampling Form see section 5 7 The fish handler proceeds to collect additional information for all walleye and other species of interest steps 9 12 The data recorder records the additional data on the Fish Sampling Form and scale envelopes or may record the data on the Fish Sampling Form only and use scale envelopes for storing aging tissues The project leader should provide guidance prior to the field program on the data capture method to use Measure the total length to the nearest 1mm and record it on the ESTN Fish Sampling Form To measure the total length compress the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin rays to obtain the maximum length see Figure 8 Weigh the
51. least 10 of the ESTN standards ESTN Effort Catch Form SITE DESCRIPTION Project Code Waterbody Name UTM or Lat Long Coordinates TN Head TN Leader Sample Tag id Tag id Site Type Bottom Type Fish Cover Type substrate fish cover all types 100 m each side of net all types 100 m each side of net SET DESCRIPTION recorded at time of set Net Set Crew Set Date Set Time Leader Length Dist Off Shore Angle to Shore Start Depth Mid Depth Gap Depth yy mm dd 24hh mm 30 46 m 0 20 m 70 90 m m 1 7 3 5 m LIFT DESCRIPTION recorded at time of lift Net Lift Crew Lift Date Lift Time i i ip j Wind Ee ishi Direction Speed yy mm dd 24hh mm 1 360 in knots General Weather Through Set Precipitation Surface Conditions Site Type General Substrate codes 1 gravel pebble sand mix GP SA gt 75 2 boulder rubble cobble mix BO RC gt 75 3 sand SA gt 75 4 soft mix SI MU DE soft CL gt 75 5 bedrock BE gt 75 6 other Site Type Fish Cover Level codes zno cover 2 low 1 254906 3 moderate 25 75 4 high 27596 3Bottom Type codes BR bedrock BO boulder RC rubble cobble GP gravel pebble SA sand SIzsilt CL clay MU muck DE detritus MA marl Fish Cover Type codes BO boulders MA macrophytes LT log tree UB undercut bank OD organic debris OT other NC no cover Effort Status codes zno problem 2 minor pr
52. less than 0 2 cm 1 12 in in diameter but large enough to be palpable as grit Sand feels gritty and settles quickly in water SI silt A fine inorganic material of various origins but not palpable as grit and without a greasy or sticky feel Silt is like a very fine powder almost impossible to mold or feel in the water but when dried it has a floury feel Silt is easily stirred up in the water where it remains suspended for a considerable length of time CL clay A very fine material of inorganic origin with a greasy or sticky feel and often a moldable plasticity MU muck A soft material consisting of well decomposed organic matter intermixed with mineral matter such as silt and clay but not sand or gravel Muck is 19 dark in colour often gaseous and feels like a very soft mud DE detritus An organic material in which large pieces of sticks leaves decaying aquatic plants etc form at least 8590 of the total mass Detritus is like partly decayed compost MA marl A calcareous material composed principally of carbonates derived from mollusc shells and the photosynthetic activity of algae It is primarily light grey in colour It is not a widely distributed substrate type Fish Cover Type optional Record a list to describe all the cover types identified within the visible area 100 m 328 ft on each side of the net If water clarity is limited such that you can not see the lake bottom out to the depth of t
53. lied blank no data 0 no clip 1 right pectoral 2 left pectoral 3 right pelvic 4 left pelvic 5 adipose 6 anal 7 anterior dorsal 8 posterior dorsal A lower caudal B mid caudal C right opercular D left opercular E right maxillary F left maxillary Tag Status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the tag status code C existed on Capture A Applied Second Character is the tag disposition code 0 no change 1 retied same tag 2 replaced lost tag 3 removed 4 not known Third Character is the tag condition code 1 securely tied 2 some slack 3 loose 4 unknown Fourth Character is the fish condition c ode 1 healed 2 b it raw 3 festering 4 wear on fin 9 unknown 4 Selection Type 0 not defined in survey 1 defined in survey Page 2 of 3 36 Selection Type A single character code used to record the reason for selecting a fish for sampling biological characteristics other than size weight age sex maturity parasites etc The codes are O not defined in survey 1 defined in survey 5 7 3 ESTN Effort Catch Form The Effort portion of the ESTN Effort Catch Form was filled out when the net was set and lifted The same form is required to complete the Fish Catch Summary section The ESTN Length Class Tally Forms and Fish Sampling Forms that are completed to record fish data at a specific net set should correspond and be attached to the ESTN Effort Catch Form for that lift The Fish Catch Summar
54. lity Area Grid Site Number Age Aging Structures Collected Dorsal spines or fin rays see Table 3 should be collected and used as the primary structure for age interpretation They should be wrapped in waxed paper and placed in the scale envelope that has been labeled above Record the type of structures that were collected on the ESTN Fish Sampling Form When all the required information has been collected release the fish by gently tossing it back into the water on the offshore side of the boat If fish are released on the nearshore side of the boat they may remain around the gap and heart of the trap net and thus may be recaptured during the net removal procedure Continue sampling by species until the entire catch has been processed Once all of the fish have been processed the fish handler resumes net handling by closing the zipper and re sealing it see section 5 4 steps 6 and 7 The data recorder determines the total catch from the Length Tally Form s and Fish Sampling Form s and transfers the totals to the Fish Catch Summary section of the ESTN Effort Catch Form see section 5 8 5 7 Recording Fish Data Fish catch information is recorded with an HB pencil while processing the catch on ESTN Length Class Tally Forms see Figure 9 Fish Sampling Forms see Figure 10 and or scale envelopes After sampling the entire catch i e all fish that were captured in the crib of a particular net set a catch summary is completed on the
55. mall cliff edges and off shore sets the start shore end of the leader can be set in depths up to 1 0 metre 3 3 ft Mid Depth Record the water depth mid way along the length of the leader to the nearest 0 1 metre e g 1 5 m There is no target or acceptable depth specifications for this measurement However crews should avoid setting in areas where the leader drops into a deep hole or runs up over a very shallow shoal even though the start depth and gap depth are within acceptable ranges Gap Depth Record the measured water depth at the gap of the trap net to the nearest 0 1 metre e g 2 4 m Ideally the gap should be set in 2 0 to 2 5 metres 6 72 to 8 ft of water To accommodate more variable sites the gap can be set in 1 7 to 3 5 metres 5 to 11 75 ft of water An efficient ESTN trap net set should be in water deep enough to allow the head to be fully expanded but less than twice the height of the head Comments This field is used to document any useful descriptions or additional information Crews should provide any information that may help to explain the uniqueness of a site the net set or events that took place while netting at this location e g Met adjacent property owners and gave them our Public Information Sheet 22 Figure 6 Information Recorded at Set on the ESTN Effort Catch Form ESTN Effort Catch Form SITE DESCRIPTION Project Code Waterbody Name UTM or Lat Long Coordinates TN Head TN Le
56. ment provides some leeway within the site for net placement and the segments are at a workable scale Common shoreline segments used on previous ESTN and NSCIN projects range from 100 to 250 metres in length The UTM grid system is provided on both Topographic Maps Canada Department of Energy Mines and Resources and Ontario Base Maps OMNR The UTM grid system is geographically referenced which can simplify the process of transferring the netting sites and associated data into a Geographic Information System GIS Use of UTM grids will result in netting sites of different sizes depending on the shoreline orientation with the UTM grid system note the different lengths of shoreline in each grid on the island in Figure 4 UTM grids are 1000 metres or 1 kilometre long on each side of the grid The UTM grids may be divided into smaller sub grids which are more suitable for the size of waterbody being sampled e g 4 sub grids 500 m per side 16 sub grids 250 m per side 100 sub grids 100 m per side A convenient method to divide a UTM grid is to use a clear plastic overlay sheet with the sub grid boundaries marked on it The grids or sub grids that actually overlay or intersect the lake shoreline must be labeled with a numeric code and recorded on a list for the random site selection process Figure 4 Random Site Selection by Shoreline Segments and UTM Grid Overlay Shoreline Segmentation The second step of the site selection process
57. mmended that ESTN be conducted on each study lake for at least 2 consecutive years Using the mean of two years greatly increases the chances of obtaining a mean catch value that more accurately reflects the actual population abundance rather than a mean catch value influenced by unigue weather conditions or other phenomena that occurred during only one sampling period 3 0 GEAR DESCRIPTION A trap net is a passive fishing device that entraps fish as a result of their own movement and subseguent reactions to the net The net consists of two main parts a leader and a head The leader constructed of mesh netting is designed to impede the normal movements of fish and subseguently lead fish out to the head The head also constructed of mesh netting is designed to capture fish by funneling them into a box shaped crib The most common type of trap net used to conduct the ESTN program is a spring haul trap net Spring haul refers to the method of setting the net without the use of pulleys down hauling lifting the net by bringing it in over the boat and the location of the zipper near the house end of the crib Down haul trap nets may also be used but are not recommended due to the extra rigging and net handling time reguired For this reason the gear reguirements and net handling methodology presented in this manual are based on the spring haul trap net see Figure 1 Figure 1 Spring Haul Trap Net flashing caution OMNR A f leader anchor
58. ng the Net 1 2 3 4 5 6 To remove the spring haul trap net for use at another site lift one wing buoy and its marker line and retrieve the anchor from the lake bottom Remove the anchor from the wing line Cast the wing line back into the water While traveling to the next wing separate the recently retrieved marker buoy from its marker line neatly wrap the marker line around the tines of the anchor and safely place the anchor and buoy out of your way some prefer to hang the anchors on the inside of the gunwale Repeat this step for the other wing Retrieve the king anchor by lifting its marker line and pull the boat towards the net along the king line The king anchor and marker buoy can remain attached if you are moving to another site to reset the net Lay the king line and brail lines neatly on the floor of the boat while you pull the boat up parallel to the brails NOTE If you are removing the net for transportation to another lake or back to the office remove the king anchor and marker buoy and safely store the gear out of your way With a person at each end of the brails grasp the metal brail in one hand the wooden brail in the other hand and pull the brails into the center of the boat Spread the brails about 1 metre 3 ft apart to provide a platform to lay the rest of the net on NOTE If removing the net for transportation a tighter bundle can be created by flipping the brail formed platform over tw
59. o release the anchor by lifting the king marker line Otherwise the crew member will have to hold the anchor while their partner carefully reverses the boat When using a low powered motor the reverse thrust can be improved by surging the boat back and forth With a firm grip on the anchor and your feet well planted while the boat motor is thrusting backwards pull the anchor towards you about an arms length and then relax letting the motor surge backward with the slack rope you created until the rope pulls tight again Continue this procedure until the net is tight and straight Be careful because this surging technique requires sure footing good balance and a strong back Boat drivers must always pay close attention to the net setter and be prepared to quickly reduce the amount of reverse thrust When the net is tight and straight continue to slowly reverse while letting the anchor sink to the bottom by carefully letting out the king marker line Ensure that the king anchor does not get flipped upside down while being lowered if you are using one sided anchors When the anchor hits bottom give it a couple of tugs to drag it back along the 15 10 11 12 13 14 15 bottom as far as possible before releasing the marker line with the marker buoy attached NOTE If the reverse tugging method does not result in a tight set then the king line may be tightened at the toggle ring brail ring by dragging the anchor towards
60. oblem 3 major problem Precip Type codes 00 no precipitation at lift time 10 mist 40 fog 61 light rain 65 heavy rain COMMENTS 71 lt light snow 75 heavy snow 95 thunderstorm Precipitation Through Set codes no precip during set 2 4 hrs of precip 3 gt 4 hrs of precip 4 constant precip 9 unknown SSurface Conditions Through Set codes 1 calm waters for entire set duration 2 mostly calm waters amp some rough 3 mostly rough waters amp some calm Fish sampling data Form s Scale envelope s Length Tallies 4 rough waters for entire set duration 9 unknown ESTN Fish Sampling Form Waterbody Lift Date Net Location Sample Species Fork Total Round Age Clips Clips Tag Ident Tag Selection Group Length Length Weight Structures Observed Applied Status Type mm mm 9 Sampled Age Structures Sampled blank no data 0 no structure sampled 1 scales any side 2 scales left side 3 scales right side 4 pectoral ray 5 pectoral spine 6 pelvic ray 7 dorsal spine A otolith B operculum C sub operculum D cleithrum E centrum F branchiostegal G other Clips Observed Applied blank no data 0 no clip 1 right pectoral 2 left pectoral 3 right pelvic 4 left pelvic 5 adipose 6 anal 7 anterior dorsal 8 posterior dorsal A lower caudal B mid caudal C right opercular D left opercular E right maxillary F left maxillary Tag Status Record up to 4 characters as follow s First
61. of fish of a particular species that were caught and already had a mark or tag Comments gt This field is again used to document any useful descriptions or information Crews should provide any more information that may help to explain the uniqueness of the catch e g 3 SMB released from TN heart were not included in the total catch Fish Sampling Data gt This area is used to identify the number of other forms associated with this effort Enter the number of Fish Sampling Forms Scale Envelopes and Length Class Tally Forms associated with this set 38 Figure 11 A Completed ESTN Effort Catch Form ESTN Effort Catch Form SITE DESCRIPTION Tag id Tag id Chemong Lake 17 706632 4917024 TP 05 o7 Area Site Type Bottom Type Fish Cover Type substrate fish cover all types 100 m each side of net all types 100 m each side of net 6 e N A N A 1 4 3 MU SI BO Some MA a few BO 2 pipe docks SET DESCRIPTION recorded at time of set Leader Length Dist Off Shore Angle to Shore Start Depth Mid Depth Gap Depth C McCauley D 1 7 3 5 m G Cimbura Lift Time i ip x Wind m fishing Direction Speed C McCauley 24hh mm hours in eighths 1 360 in knots G Cimbura General Weather Through Set Precipitation Surface Conditions 1Site Type General Substrate codes 1 gravel pebble sand mix GP SA gt 75 2 boulder rubble cobble mix BO RC gt 75
62. on castaneus 020 POLYODONTIDAE Paddlefishes 021 paddlefish Polyodon spathula 030 ACIPENSERIDAE Sturgeons 031 lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens 032 caviar 040 LEPISOSTEIDAE Gars 041 longnose gar Lepisosteus osseus 042 spotted gar Lepisosteus oculatus 043 Lepisosteus sp 050 AMIIDAE Bowfins 051 bowfin Amia calva 060 CLUPEIDAE Herrings 061 alewife Alosa pseudoharengus 062 American shad Alosa sapidissima 063 Gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum 064 Alosa sp SALMONIDAE Trouts 070 SALMONINAE Salmon and Trout subfamily 071 pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha 072 chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta 073 coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch 074 sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka 075 chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha 076 rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss 077 Atlantic salmon Salmo salar 078 brown trout Salmo trutta 079 Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus 080 brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis 081 lake trout Salvelinus namaycush 45 090 110 120 130 140 150 160 082 splake Salvelinus fontinalis x Salvelinus namaycush 083 Aurora trout Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis 084 Oncorhynchus sp 085 Salmo sp 086 Salvelinus sp COREGONINAE Whitefish subfamily 091 lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis 092 longjaw cisco Coregonus alpenae 093 cisco lake herring Coregonus artedi 094 bloater Coregonus hoyi 095
63. onstans 282 threespine stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus 283 ninespine stickleback Pungitius pungitius 284 fourspine stickleback Apeltes quadracus PERCOPSIDAE Trout perches 291 trout perch Percopsis omiscomaycus 48 300 PERCICHTHYIDAE Temperate Basses 301 302 303 white perch Morone americana white bass Morone chrysops Morone sp 310 CENTRARCHIDAE Sunfishes 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 32 322 323 324 rock bass Ambloplites rupestris green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus pumpkinseed Lepomis gibbosus blue gill Lepomis macrochirus longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides white crappie Pomoxis annularis black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus Lepomis sp Micropterus sp Pomoxis sp warmouth Lepomis gulosus orangespotted sunfish Lepomis humilis 330 PERCIDAE Perches 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 yellow perch Perca flavescens sauger Stizostedion canadense blue pike blue pickerel Stizostedion vitreum glaucum walleye yellow pickerel Stizostedion vitreum eastern sand darter Ammocrypta pellucida greenside darter Etheostoma blennioides rainbow darter Etheostoma caeruleum Iowa darter Etheostoma exile fantail darter Etheostoma flabellare least darter Ethe
64. ostoma microperca johnny darter Etheostoma nigrum logperch Percina caprodes channel darter Percina copelandi blackside darter Percina maculata river darter Percina shumardi tessellated darter Etheostoma olmstedi Stizostedion sp Etheostoma sp Percina sp ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus 360 ATHERINIDAE Silversides 361 brook silverside Labidesthes sicculus 365 GOBIIDAE Gobies 366 367 round goby Neogobius melanostomus tubenose goby Proterorhinus marmoratus 49 370 380 390 395 400 420 450 500 550 600 650 SCIAENIDAE Drums 371 freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens COTTIDAE Sculpins 381 mottled sculpin Cottus bairdi 382 slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus 383 spoonhead sculpin Cottus ricei 384 deepwater sculpin Myoxocephalus thompsoni 385 Cottus sp 386 Myoxocephalus sp 387 fourhorn sculpin Myoxocephalus guadricornis CYCLOPTERIDAE Lumpfishes 391 lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus PLEURONECTIDAE Righteye Flounders 396 European Flounder Platichthys flesus SALMONIDAE Hybrids SALMONINAE Hybrids COREGONINAE Hybrids ESOCIDAE Hybrids 501 Esox lucius x Esox americanus vermiculatus 502 Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy CATOSTOMIDAE Hybrids 551 Ictiobus hybrids CYPRINIDAE Hybrids 601 Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio 602 Phoxinus hybrids 603 Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeus 604 Phoxinus eos x
65. over the nearshore side of the boat Keep the net up over the boat so that the tunnel opening is out of the water to prevent any fish from entering or exiting the crib Some crews prefer to remove all the fish at once and place them in a large mesh holding pen alongside the boat Record the appropriate net lift information see section 5 5 and sample the catch see sections 5 6 and 5 7 After the fish have been removed from the crib of the net pull the remainder of the crib into the boat to verify that all the fish have been removed Close the zipper and seal it plastic cable ties work well in preparation for the next sampling occasion NOTE If you want to leave this net where it is but you do not want it to continue fishing then the tunnel can be sealed off This technique is valuable when the net must be abandoned due to severely inclement weather To seal off the tunnel simply tie a rope tightly around the tunnel which is accessible through 24 7 the zipper opening A method that does not reguire breaking the zipper seal is to wrap a rope around the entire house area and cinch it tight When you are ready to remove the trap net from this site return the net to the water by simply sliding the net off over the bow of the boat Begin removing the net immediately as otherwise it will begin to catch fish again see section 5 8 5 5 Information to Record at Lift Net lift information is recorded at the time of lift on the ESTN
66. r Type OD organic debris If organic debris other than logs and trees is large enough and distributed such that it provides cover to fish include OD in Fish Cover Type OT other If any other type of structure provides cover for fish e g docks rafts boathouses overhanging terrestrial vegetation abandon cribs etc then that specific cover type should be described and recorded Enter OT in Fish Cover Type and use the Comments field to describe the other cover types 20 NC z no cover If there are no cover types in the area record NC to confirm your observation Set Description These 9 fields describe who set the net when and how Net Set Crew Record the names or initials of the field crew members that set the net e g C McCauley amp G Cimbura Set Date Record numerically the date that the trap net was set in the order year month day i e May 20 2002 would be recorded as 02 05 20 Set Time Record the time that the trap net began fishing to the nearest 74 hour 15 minutes on the 24 hour clock i e 2 15 p m would be recorded as 14 15 hrs This time is noted after both wings have been anchored and the net has been checked at the gap to verify that it is indeed properly set see section 5 2 step 15 Leader Length Record the length of leader that was set in the water to the nearest metre Ideally it is best to use the entire length of leader If absolutely necessary up to 16
67. r its maximum load capacity while coping safely with the effects of inclement weather and high waves While setting the trap net the boat is often reversed with the transom traveling directly into large on shore waves which if large enough can swamp the boat Therefore extreme care good judgment and safe boating practices should be exercised at all times This manual does not include safe boating instructions nor does it attempt to identify the legally required marine safety equipment First Aid As with any field project professional medical services are seldom close by Therefore all staff should receive first aid training before beginning their fieldwork Likewise all crews must carry a fully equipped first aid kit Knowledge of Applicable Laws This program involves both fishing and boating activities that require knowledge of a variety of legislation These include but are not limited to the Federal Fisheries Act Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act Canadian Boating Regulations Trespass to Property Act etc Field crews should be aware of their responsibilities with issues such as a Licence to Collect Fish for Scientific Purposes setting nets that may interfere with boat traffic speed limits on lakes necessary safety equipment etc Fish Identification It is essential that field crews are able to identify the fish they capture Project leaders should take the time before fieldwork begins to ensure that the field crew can ident
68. rap Netting ESTN is a standard live release trap netting program designed to estimate the relative abundance of a fish stock and provide other biological measures to assess the status of walleye populations in Ontario Fall Walleye Index Netting FWIN Morgan 2002 is the preferred standard netting procedure for monitoring Ontario walleye populations FWIN should be used where mortality is not an issue as it samples a greater diversity of habitat i e not just shoreline littoral zone and provides better information on the forage fish community especially yellow perch FWIN also allows for better age determination through the use of otoliths and can provide information on fecundity and maturity ESTN provides a standard procedure to accommodate managers of fisheries where walleye mortality associated with gill netting is not acceptable Fish attribute data such as age structure growth condition and recruitment can also be collected through ESTN but since it is a live release method data on maturity and fecundity are not collected ESTN is an adaptation of the Nearshore Community Index Netting NSCIN program Stirling 1999 that was designed to provide trend through time information on nearshore fish communities The ESTN method was proposed because the population density of walleye is better reflected when trap netting is completed in late spring and early summer rather than during the NSCIN period of August and early fall Sampling Standards
69. re included in the Forms Section Appendix B If additional fish sampling is required e g extra data for species of interest then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork forms manual maps schedule scientific collectors permit information sheets scale envelopes etc should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage ESTN forms can be printed laser printers only or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be reguired 4 3 Preparing a Public Information Notice If working on a lake with extensive shoreline development it is a good idea to prepare an Information Sheet to give to property owners and other members of the public when encountered near your sampling sites see Figure 5 Public Information Sheets can be left on docks or between doors of residents that appear to be away for the day These Information Sheets tend to satisfy most people s curiosity and significantly reduce the occurrence of negative reactions that can lead to net tampering or unnecessary complaints Local Conservation Officers should also be made aware of the project In some cases project leaders may want to contact local interest groups e g cottage association
70. red to other lakes in the province Relative comparisons based on such categories usually require less precision and therefore fewer net sets than most hypothesis testing analyses When the number of samples per lake increases the precision level increases Therefore the appropriate number of samples to collect i e nets to set depends on the purpose for doing the ESTN program A minimum sample size of 16 sets per lake is recommended for making relative comparisons of fish abundance i e comparing results to provincial benchmark categories More sampling should be considered for relatively large lakes and spatial stratification may also be advantageous to reduce the logistical problems associated with long travel distances between sites Based on within year variability in catch from previous ESTN projects 16 sets per lake will usually produce on average a 95 confidence interval whose total width is approximately 100 of the mean Increasing the sample size to 20 sets per lake should produce 95 confidence intervals that are approximately 88 of the mean A minimum sample size of 30 sets per lake is recommended where higher precision is required e g FAUs statistically testing for differences between years or lake characteristics For high precision targets increasing the sample size to 30 sets per lake should produce 9596 confidence intervals that are approximately 7096 of the mean In addition to the number of sets per lake it is reco
71. s First Nations angler groups etc prior to conducting the field program to inform them about the ESTN program A typical Information Sheet or contact letter should identify who is conducting the ESTN program why it is being conducted its duration and provide a telephone number to call for more information Be sure to mention that ESTN is a live release program Figure 5 Example of a Public Information Sheet TO CHEMONG LAKE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS The Kawartha Lakes Fisheries Assessment Unit of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources monitors the status of fish populations in Chemong Lake and other Kawartha Lakes This Season we will be collecting information on walleye smallmouth bass yellow perch black crappie and other fish species that inhabit the nearshore areas of Chemong Lake For this purpose live release trap nets will be set during the months of May and June They extend 60m 75m 150 to 200 feet from the shoreline out into the water These nets will be moved to a new site every day and are clearly marked with a yellow flashing light and numerous orange flagged marker buoys The nets and sampling procedures we use are not harmful to the fish The fish are measured for length and weight aging tissue is collected and all fish are released alive at the capture site It is very important for your safety and for the integrity of our programs that the nets are not disturbed Tf these nets cause any inconvenience or yo
72. s MA macrophytes LT log tree UB undercut bank OD organic debris OT other NC no cover 5Effort Status codes 1 no problem 2 minor problem 3 major problem Precip Type codes 00 no precipitation at lift time 10 mist COMM ENTS 40 fog 61 light rain 65 heavy rain 71 light snow 75 heavy snow 95 thunderstorm Met adjacent property owners and gave them our info sheet Precipitation Through Set codes 1 no precip during set 2 lt 4 hrs of precip 3 gt 4 hrs of precip 4 constant precip 9 unknown SSurface Conditions Through Set codes 1 calm waters for entire set duration 2 mostly calm waters amp some rough 3 mostly rough waters amp some calm Length Tal 4 rough waters for entire set duration 9 unknown 23 5 4 Lifting the Net 1 2 3 4 5 6 To lift the spring haul trap net for fish removal approach the lift marker at a 90 angle to the king line and retrieve the lift marker Using the lift line bring the brail lines and king line up and over the bow of the boat and slide the lines back until they are across the boat amidship Turn the outboard motor off note the lift time and status of the net set With a person on each side of the brail lines pull the boat sideways towards the brails Continue to pull the boat toward the zipper by lifting the brails up across the boat and over the other side NOTE Keep the net up high enough to allow fish
73. s retrieved 3 Set the leader anchor as close to shore as possible so that the gap will be located within the acceptable depth range Set the leader by reversing the boat away from shore while maintaining a course that is as close to perpendicular from shore as possible Guide the leader material out to ensure that it does not get twisted tangled or snagged on the 14 4 9 6 7 8 9 boat In some cases the leader can be tied directly to a tree or stump along the shoreline this should only be practiced on Crown Land Once the leader is set check the water depth before setting the wings to ensure that the gap will indeed be set within the acceptable depth range If the depth is unacceptable retrieve the leader and adjust the leader anchor accordingly If the depth looks good throw the wings out on their appropriate sides of the leader and as far out as possible to avoid any chance of tangling Ensure that the wing lines are floating freely as they must be retrieved later in the net setting process Continue to reverse the boat while letting out the remainder of the trap net head When it is time to let out the brails make sure the brail lines are free from tangles and not looped around the ends of the brails While holding the four brail lines this is a good time to double check that the zipper is closed and sealed If all looks good i e no tangles zipper sealed ease the brails into the water and grasp the king l
74. s where they encounter the trap net leader that is set perpendicular to shore Very small fish may pass through the mesh leader while larger fish swim around or away from the obstacle Other fish may actually be attracted to the net as it offers a source of cover and some fish may be attracted to fish already trapped in the net Eventually some of these larger fish will encounter the heart or wing of the trap net To follow the heart wing or leader away from the net requires that the fish swims back towards shore Alternatively there is a gap between the leader and heart Fish that pass through the gap enter into the heart and house of the net where they may continue to move about Due to the shape and location of the gap opening created by the trap net hearts fish rarely encounter the gap opening at the appropriate angle to exit the net s enclosure The funnel shaped tunnel at the back of the house gradually leads fish into the narrow restricted end of the tunnel where there is another opening Fish dart through the final tunnel opening and into the crib Once trapped in the box shaped crib the only available escape route is the tunnel opening suspended in the middle of the crib Due to the shape and location of the tunnel fish following the crib walls rarely encounter the tunnel opening and rarely escape The entire net must be set properly for fish to successfully make the journey along the leader through the gap through the tunnel and into t
75. t smaller organisms resting eggs or other tiny life stages survive take the following precautions e Inspect equipment and remove any mud plants organisms other debris and e Ensure all water is drained from equipment if floats leak they should be replaced and e spray equipment with high pressure water 250 psi or submerse equipment in hot water gt 40 C or submerse equipment in salt water 1 2 cup salt to 1 gallon water or submerse equipment in mild bleach solution 1 tablespoon to 1 gallon water or dry equipment for at least five days drying can occur inside or outside if the weather is warm and dry and the equipment is not sensitive to sunlight 6 2 Net Storage If the trap nets are clean at the end of the fieldwork they can be dried by being blocked up in a warm storage room Make sure that each net is exposed to the air all the way around the bundle and that any water running off will drain away from the net Ensure that your storage room is sealed to prevent mice or squirrels from getting to the nets These animals can damage the nets by chewing on the netting materials and will often build nests and over winter in the net bundles If a net has weeds or algae clinging to it the net should be unpacked and cleaned by pressure spraying and or hanging on a drying rack If quickly dried algae will break down and fall off the net If drying outside do not expose the net to the sunlight for a long period of time as the sun w
76. ter Make sure the rope used on the wing lines will float when not submerged by an anchor The polypropylene rope mentioned above is good for this purpose Marker buoys snap hooks marker lines anchors yellow flashing lights information message signs or flags identification tags and leader markers are usually manufactured and purchased separately from the rest of the trap net see Figure 1 section 3 0 Also most of these items except identification tags are not attached to the net until it is being set in the water The king anchor and wing anchors should be rigged prior to field use by attaching the marker lines and then wrapping the marker line around the tines of the anchor Optional snap hooks can be rigged at this time and used in the field to attach wing anchors and marker buoys These quick release snap hooks make attaching and removing these items faster and simpler On large bodies of water it may be necessary to attach a steel thimble to a braided loop in the rope where a snap hook is repeatedly attached This will provide protection from the chafing that occurs between the metal snap hook and the rope caused by movement from wave action An information message identifying the net s owner address and contact telephone number should be prepared in the form of a sign or flag attached to a highly visible marker buoy To warn boaters traveling in poor visibility conditions e g in fog or at night a flashing caution light can be att
77. the net so that the anchor tines will dig in or get caught on something This method is sometimes necessary in lakes with extremely soft or hard bottoms i e the anchor tines fail to dig into the substrate or the substrate is not stable enough to hold the tines Be careful not to lift the toggle ring brail ring too high when untying the king line knot Pull the king line through the toggle ring brail ring until the net is tight and then re tie the king line Be careful not to drag the king anchor too close to the net Long king lines are usually more helpful in poor anchoring conditions While traveling to the wing line prepare a wing anchor by unraveling the marker line from the anchor s tines and attach the marker buoy with a secure knot or snap hook Retrieve one of the floating wing lines with the boat orientated so that you can reverse away from the gap wing area at about a 45 angle towards shore and away from the leader i e extend the wing away from the net Pull the wing line and wing mesh to the water s surface and ensure that the wing is not twisted or tangled Attach the wing anchor to the wing line using either a clove hitch with a locking half hitch or a large heavy load snap hook Reverse away from the net while lowering the wing anchor with the marker line so that the anchor is dragged along bottom until the wing is snug Ensure that the anchor does not get flipped upside down and be careful not to over pull as it can somet
78. thunderstorm 40 z fog 71 light snow Wind Direction amp Speed Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of lift Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Record the wind direction to the nearest degree e g a wind originating slightly south of due west may be measured and recorded as 264 While measuring the wind direction estimate or measure with an anemometer the velocity of the wind Record the wind speed to the nearest knot e g 7 knots A knot equals one nautical mile per hour or 1 9 kilometres per hour 1 2 mph General Weather for Set Duration Use the following Precipitation and Surface Conditions Through Set codes as found on the ESTN Effort Catch Form to document the weather that occurred at the trap net site over the duration of the net set Precipitation Through Set codes 1 z no precipitation occurred during the entire set duration 2 precipitation occurred for less than 4 hours during the set 26 3 z precipitation occurred for more than 4 hours during the set 4 z constant precipitation during the entire set duration 9 unknown Surface Conditions Through Set codes 1 calm waters wave height lt 0 3 metres for the entire set duration 2 mostly calm waters with some rough periods during the set duration 3 z mostly rough waters with some calm periods during the set duration 4 z rough waters wave height 0 3 me
79. to slide back towards the zipper side of the net Do not allow any fish to cross over to the other side of the boat Continue pulling the net over the boat until the net s zipper is accessible alongside the gunwale At this point the fish should be concentrated in a bag of netting formed by the wall separating the house and crib tunnel netting and the crib floor which has been pulled up over the boat This will work as a holding pen while you remove the catch for processing NOTE Only fish that were captured by passing through the tunnel and into the crib can be considered part of the catch Other improperly caught fish e g trapped in hearts gilled in leader etc are not considered as part of the catch Prepare a fish holding tub with fresh lake water Remove the zipper seal plastic cable tie and open the zipper Use a dip net to remove as many fish as can be readily processed and place them in the holding tub NOTE The tunnel mesh is usually over the top of the fish in the middle of the bagged holding pen area This tunnel tends to interfere with the dip netting process Therefore the mesh of the tunnel will often need to be pulled off to one side to create a large enough area to scoop up the fish with the dip net If the fish that remain in the trap net are stressed due to overcrowding common with large catches or high sided boats then close the zipper and lower the trap net further into the water by simply sliding the net back
80. tres for the entire set duration 9 unknown Comments gt This field is again used to document any useful descriptions or information Crews should provide any information that may help to explain the uniqueness of the net set e g Leader slightly bowed at lift because a few small logs drifted into it 27 Figure 7 SITE DESCRIPTION Project Code Waterbody Name ESTN Effort Catch Form UTM or Lat Long Coordinates Information Recorded at Lift on the ESTN Effort Catch Form TN Leader Tag id KLA IAO2 CH1 Chemong Lake Site Type fish cover substrate 17 706632 4917024 Bottom Type all types 100 m each side of net 06 Fish Cover Type all types 100 m each side of net NA NA t6 4 3 MU SI BO Some MA a few BO 2 pipe docks SET DESCRIPTION recorded at time of set NetSetCrew C McCauley G Cimbura LIFT DESCRIPTION recorded at time of lift Net Lift Crew C McCauley G Cimbura Precipitation Gap Depth 1 7 3 5m 02 05 20 14 15 40 0 0 4m Set Date Set Time Leader Length Dist Off Shore Angle to Shore a ud Mid Depth yy mm dd 24hh mm 30 46 m 0 20 m 70 90 m 1 5m 2 4m General Weather Through Set Surface Conditions Lift Date Lift Time Effort Duration Water Secchi Cloud Precip Type Wind Status fishing Temp Depth Cover Direction Speed yy mm dd
81. two adjacent sites and if neither of these is acceptable then go to the next closest randomly selected site that is a suitable distance away from any other sets A trap net must not be reset within 500 metres 1640 ft of where it or any other trap net was set over the previous 48 hour period i e 2 nights net free This is to eliminate over fishing an area by providing at least a 2 net night break from sampling the same lake area 5 2 Setting the Net 1 Survey the site to ensure that you are aware of all obstacles that may affect the trap net set Estimate 46 metres 150 ft offshore and measure the water depth there with a graduated sounding line or depth sounder to determine a suitable placement for the trap net gap Use the offshore distance and water depth measurement to develop a net setting plan which will ensure that the trap net will be set within the acceptable ESTN sampling specifications and as close to the target specifications as possible see section 5 1 2 For a new set with the spring haul trap net laying wood to shore across the bow of the boat untie the rope that was used to pack the net bundle during transportation and use this rope to attach the leader anchor to the shore end of the leader If resetting the leader anchor will still be attached from the previous set To reset the trap net does not have to be orientated across the bow but rather it can be reset out over the side of the boat the reverse of how it wa
82. u have any questions or concerns about our monitoring programs please call the Kawartha Lakes Fisheries Assessment Unit at 705 324 2879 10 4 4 Preparation of Equipment The following gear should be assembled checked and organized to prepare for field activities e Standard ESTN trap nets see section 3 2 e Trap net anchors 5 per net 1 king 2 wings 1 leader 1 for caution info buoy e Marker buoys 5 to 6 per net 1 king 2 wings and 2 to 3 along leader e Flashing caution light and information buoy light used to warn boaters during poor visibility e Snap hooks optional to attach marker buoys amp or wing anchors e Plastic cable ties to seal the trap net zipper e Sounding line at least 5 m long with 0 1 m graduations e Depth sounder optional simplifies the site selection process e Thermometer attach 1 m string if using a hand held model for water temperatures e Tele thermometer optional excellent for water temperatures e Com pass to measure wind direction e Anemometer optional provides accurate wind speeds e Secchi Disc eDip net recommend a fine knotless mesh to capture small fish e Fish holding tub fish packers large coolers or outboard mesh holding pens work well e Pail recommend 10 litre plastic pails for filling amp emptying the fish tub e Fish measuring board metric and measuring tape back up e Cotton gloves assists fish handling and protects hands while pulling nets an
83. ucted field testing Beth MacKay provided the section on the control of invasive species A special thanks to Brad Allan Chuck Brady Terry Marshall and Mike Rawson who reviewed the final draft of this manual 43 References Lester N P P Chen M E Daniels C Deary R Korver R Kushneriuk and F McNeil 1996 Ontario Fisheries Information System FISHNET User Manual Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Mann Susan E 1992 Collection Techniques for Fish Ageing Structures Northwest Region Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Northwest Region Science and Technology Technical Report 73 20p Morgan George E 2002 Manual of Instructions Fall Walleye Index Netting FWIN Percid Community Synthesis Diagnostics and Sampling Standards Working Group Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 35p Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 1987 Aquatic Habitat Inventory Surveys Manual of Instructions Queens Printers for Ontario 248 p Stirling Mark A 1999 Manual of Instructions Nearshore Community Index Netting NSCIN Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 50p 44 Appendix A Master List of Species Codes and Common Names of Ontario Fish May 1998 010 PETROMYZONTIDAE Lampreys 011 American brook lamprey Lampetra appendix 012 northern brook lamprey Ichthyomyzon fossor 013 silver lamprey Ichthyomyzon unicuspis 014 sealamprey Petromyzon marinus 015 Ichthyomyzon sp 016 chestnut lamprey Jcthyomyz
84. um greater redhorse Moxostoma valenciennesi river redhorse Moxostoma carinatum black buffalo Jctiobus niger Catostomus sp Moxostoma sp Ictiobus sp CYPRINIDAE Carps and Minnows 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 goldfish Carassius auratus northern redbelly dace Phoxinus eos finescale dace Phoxinus neogaeus redside dace Clinostomus elongatus lake chub Couesius plumbeus common carp Cyprinus carpio gravel chub Erimystax x punctatus cutlips minnow Exoglossum maxillingua brassy minnow Hybognathus hankinsoni eastern silvery minnow Hybognathus regius silver chub Macrhybopsis storeriana hornyhead chub Nocomis biguttatus river chub Nocomis micropogon golden shiner Notemigonus crysoleucas pugnose shiner Notropis anogenus emerald shiner Notropis atherinoides bridle shiner Notropis bifrenatus common shiner Luxilus cornutus blackchin shiner Notropis heterodon blacknose shiner Notropis heterolepis spottail shiner Notropis hudsonius rosyface shiner Notropis rubellus spotfin shiner Cyprinella spiloptera sand shiner Notropis stramineus redfin shiner Lythrurus umbratilis mimic shiner Notropis volucellus pugnose minnow Opsopoeodus emiliae bluntnose minnow Pimephales notatus fathead minnow Pimephales promelas
85. until the lift time of 13 30 hrs equals 23 25 hrs At the project leader s discretion the Duration field on the ESTN Effort Catch Form can be completed at the time of the lift or at another more convenient time e g at the end of the day at the end of the field program or during the computer data entry process FISHNETS calculates this field automatically 25 Water Temp Record the surface water temperature in degrees Celsius as measured with a thermometer or tele thermometer at the time of lift beside the trap net and at a depth of 0 3 to 0 5 metres 1 to 1 77 ft Secchi Depth Measure and record the secchi depth to the nearest 0 1 metre Cloud Cover Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud at the time of the lift as per the following descriptions 0 sky is clear no clouds 5 z 5 8 of sky is covered by cloud 1 1 8 of sky is covered by cloud 6 6 8 of sky is covered by cloud 2 z 2 8 of sky is covered by cloud 7 7 8 of sky is covered by cloud 3 3 8 of sky is covered by cloud 8 sky is totally covered by cloud 4 z 4 8 of sky is covered by cloud 9 sky obscured by fog snow etc cloud cover cannot be estimated Precip Type Record the type of precipitation fog or mist occurring at the time of lift as per the following codes found on the ESTN Effort Catch Form Precip Type Codes at lift 00 none 61 light rain 75 heavy snow 10 mist 65 z heavy rain 95 z
86. what structures should be collected for aging other species Mann 1992 Table 3 Structures to be collected for aging purposes Species Age Structures Walleye Scales and first 3 dorsal spines Northern Pike Muskellunge Scales Bass Other Centrarchids Scales and first 3 dorsal spines Lake Trout Other Salmonids Scales and first 4 marginal pectoral fin rays Whitefish and Other Coregonids Others See Mann 1992 for guidance 1 A crew of two people can sample the fish Designate one person as the data recorder and another person as the fish handler 2 The data recorder initiates the fish sampling process by completing the header on the ESTN Fish Sampling and ESTN Length Tally Forms Record the Waterbody Lift Date Net Location and Sample as they correspond to the information on the ESTN Effort Catch Form for that set see section 5 7 3 Look in the fish holding tub or holding pen to identify the majority of the species caught Use this information to set up the ESTN Length Class Tally Forms if applicable by recording an appropriate species acronym or species number code at the top of each Species column see section 5 7 4 The fish handler should select a fish from the fish holding tub or holding pen identify the fish species and call out the species name to the data recorder 5 Place that fish on the measuring board so that the snout is snug against the zero end of the board and the fish is laying f
87. whether a tag existed on Capture or was Applied If observed on capture the disposition and condition of the tag site are also recorded here Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the tag status code C existed on Capture A Applied Second Character is the tag disposition code 0 no change 1 retied same tag 2 replaced lost tag 3 removed 4 not known Third Character is the tag condition code 1 securely tied 2 some slack 3 loose 4 unknown Fourth Character is the fish condition code 1 healed 2 bit raw 3 festering 4 wear on fin 9 unknown e g C tag observed but no other information on disposition or condition recorded C13 existing tag was retied because it was loose 35 Figure 10 A Completed ESTN Fish Sampling Form ESTN Fish Sampling Form Waterbody Chemong Lake Lift Date 02 05 21 Net Location 16 Sample ft 007 Species Age Clips Clips Tag Ident Tag Selection Group Structures Observed Applied Status Type Sampled 334 334 334 50 362 387 334 51 368 395 Age Structures Sampled blank no da ta 0 no structure sampled 1 scales any side 2 scales left side 3 scales right s ide 4 pectoral r ay 5 pectoral spine 6 pelvic ray 7 dorsal spine A otolith B operculum C sub operculum D cleithrum E centrum F branchiostegal G other 2Clips Observed App
88. y section of the ESTN Effort Catch Form should be completed as follows Fish Catch Summary gt These 7 fields summarize the catch by fish species Species Group Record the appropriate fish species represented in that row This field is relatively short as it is designed to record a fish acronym or number code e g SMB or 316 for smallmouth bass Some crews prefer to use their own series of distinguishable acronyms for recording fish species in the field as fish number codes can be difficult to remember and can be confusing See Appendix A for a complete list of OMNR fish species codes Total Catch Record the total number of fish per species that were captured in the crib of the trap net i e the sum of the Counted Only Length Tallied and Biosampled columns for that species Counted Only Record the total number of fish per species that were counted only i e these fish are not included in the Length Tallied column Length Tallied Record the total number of fish per species that were length tallied only as per the totals on the ESTN Length Class Tally Form Biosampled Record the number of fish per species that were sampled for additional biological information i e the total number of fish per species that had weights taken and or scales collected Marks Tags Applied The number of fish of a particular species that were caught and a mark or tag was applied 37 Marks Tags Recaptured The number

End of Spring Trap Netting (ESTN)

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