Tim Smith

Position Title: Fishery Biologist II Agency/Location: Alaska Department Fish & Game Responsibilities: Position: Assistant Area Management Biologist, Anchorage and North Gulf Coast, Alaska. Helps manage the largest urban Chinook and coho salmon sport fisheries in Alaska, and the largest marine coho salmon fishery in Alaska. You will help manage a diverse group of fisheries that range from stocked lakes, wild salmon runs, to complex marine fisheries such as rockfish and sharks. Qualifications: Bachelor's degree - biology, branch of biology, limnology, biometrics, oceanography, forestry, natural resource management - and one year professional level biologist work experience specific to fishery resource management or research activities or service as a Fishery Biologist I, Wildlife Biologist I, or Habitat Biologist I with the State of Alaska or the equivalent with another employer. Salary: $3,487/mon + benefits Closing Date: 10/19/2007, 5:00 PM ADT Contact: Dan Bosch, 907-267-2153 (dan.bosch@alaska.gov) View full announcement (ID Number 11-1845) apply online: http://notes4.state.ak.us/wa/mainentry.nsf...1HomePage/?Open

Position Title: Graduate Research Assistantships M.S. or Ph.D. beginning June-August 2008 Agency/Location: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in conjunction with the Illinois Natural History Survey Responsibilities: Research topics are varied and flexible, but individuals with interests related to three projects (1) recruitment, behavior, reproductive strategies, and management of largemouth bass, (2) population ecology of muskellunge and, (3) population and community ecology of Lake Michigan fishes. Salary: Graduate research assistantships will be $17,000/yr and include waiver of tuition. Application Date: January 1, 2008 Contact: Send a cover letter, resume, copies of transcripts, GRE scores, and three letters of reference to: Dr. David H. Wahl University of Illinois 1816 S. Oak Street Champaign, IL 61820 (217) 728 4400, d-wahl @uiuc.edu.

Position Title: Fisheries Field Technician Agency/location: Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit/Stillwater, OK Responsibilities: Assist with fisheries research projects on Oklahoma reservoirs and rivers. Sample fish with nets and electrofishing. Track fish movements with telemetry receivers. Measure water quality with field meters. Enter and proof data. Qualifications: Completion of fisheries or related degree. Experience with standard fisheries techniques. Ability to work with under supervision. Good physical condition. Valid driver’s license. Salary: Full-time, $10/hour, benefits Closing date: 31 October 2007, or until filled Contact: Send resume and contact information for three references to: Bill Fisher, Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 404 Life Sciences West, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078; email: wfisher@okstate.edu, phone: 405-744-6342, fax: 405-744-5006

Quantity is irrelevant. Quality, you got.

I wonder if that's the key right there, Jonn. I suspect this page promotes sites that have been stocked or are already obvious smallmouth fisheries (like the Fox and Kank). Notice how many of those stocked systems are complete failures as fisheries. There's your bottom line answer for why protecting natural reproduction is key.

Interesting. This fall I'm catching the biggest fish I've caught since March. Mr. Jozwiak?

Here's a great website for anyone who hasn't seen it or has forgotten about it: http://dnr.state.il.us/fish/digest/ Several things caught my eye here. One of them was the list of hot spots and "places to fish" for smallmouth bass. Along with some of the usual suspects (the Kankakee and Fox) were quite a few interesting locations such as: Banner Marsh. Kickapoo State Park Lakes. Lake Bloomington. Clinton Lake. The Iroquois River is a smallmouth hot spot?? Really??? I have some ideas about how these places got on this list, but maybe I'm wrong and these places actually DO have robust populations of these fish. Are there fishable smallmouth populations in these places??

True words, Norm. I had been to that stretch of river before when I was doing the phosphorus project at the Natural History Survey. It was part of our regular sampling. I'll state clearly for the record that I had NO interest in fishing it...ever. Even in the access site where there were garlands of 20 pound mono draped from the trees and forked sticks stuck all over the bank, Phil said "Oh, we'll catch several big ones here." I've been fishing with Phil before and I knew he had game, but after wading into the silt to retrieve a lure and sinking up to my calf in bubbly organic silt, I admit I was highly dubious. Ten minutes later...bingo. 17.5. That guy has it down.

True, Mark. Fishing isn't normally effective aerobic exercise. BUT, if losing weight is the issue, 4 miles is 4 miles. Most weight-loss programs prescribe walking, not running. Adding the resistance of walking in the water also adds to the work necessary to cover a given distance and increases the total number of calories burned. Also, if you're lifting your knees and driving forward into the water of moderate depth and your heart rate is accelerated and you're breathing hard while you walk, you could get into the aerobic range. Usually when I'm wading like that, I'm making far too much noise to fish. Walks like that usually happen on the way back to the truck. It doesn't make much sense as a work out routine...but as an EXCUSE TO FISH ("But honey this is my workout and I have to do it at least 3 times a week all year long")...priceless.

The morning bite was slower but had bigger fish on average. The afternoon bite in two of the pools we hit was pretty darn hot but the average size of the fish was smaller. One big spotted bass took a bait, got drug out of the niche where he was hiding, threw the hook and then went after the bait a SECOND time when Phil threw into the hole again. That time around he was finally hooked and landed. I'd say they were more active around mid-day. We didn't stay long enough to test the evening bite. I also think that dip in temperatures still hasn't affected them strongly.

Location: Michigan State University, Department of Fisheries & Wildlife,East Lansing, MI (http://www.fw.msu.edu <http://www.fw.msu.edu/> ). Responsibilities: The incumbents will participate in a series of fieldexperiments in the summers of 2008-2009 to evaluate sea lamprey behavioralresponses to two pheromone cues (one migratory and one mating). The overallgoal of this work is to determine our ability to manipulate sea lampreyreproductive behavior, with an eye towards developing a new managementstrategy based on trapping. However, each student will have the flexibilityin his/her second year to develop and test novel hypotheses related topheromone-mediated sea lamprey behaviors. Project #1 (migratory pheromone) - The student will ascertain the robustnessof migratory sea lamprey behavioral responses to different mixtures andconcentrations of three synthesized migratory pheromone component through anintegrated suite of field experiments designed to reveal fundamentalfeatures of pheromone-mediated sea lamprey migratory behavior most likely toinform an effective control program. The primary goals of this effort areto: 1) ascertain the functional role of each migratory pheromone componentduring lamprey migration, 2) identify the most effective recipes for use inproposed control strategies based on redistribution of migrants and/ortrapping, and 3) develop formulas for applying migratory pheromone inmanagement scenarios. Project #2 (mating pheromone) - The student will test the robustness offemale sea lamprey behavioral responses to synthesized mating pheromone intwo trapping-for-control management scenarios: 1) applying 3kPZS throughtraps integrated into barriers currently operated by the GLFC; and, 2)applying 3kPZS through free-standing traps dispersed among spawning males onnatural spawning grounds. It is our goal to perform a definitive field testof a single compound, 3kPZS, in preparation for its registration with theU.S. EPA under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act(FIFRA) and application to the control of Great Lakes sea lamprey in 2010. Compensation: stipend of $18,000/year (12 months), health benefits, and fulltuition waiver. Qualifications: BA/BS in biological sciences. Prefer experience and/orstrong interests in animal behavior, fisheries ecology, fishery management,or related field. Minimum GRE score of 1100 (verbal + quantitative) and GPAof 3.2. Start Date: Positions are available beginning in January 2008. Contact: Michael Wagner (mwagner@msu.edu). To apply, send cover letter, CV,contact information for three references, and unofficial transcripts and GREscores. The selected applicant will apply to the Fisheries and Wildlifegraduate program. Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply. Michael Wagner Assistant Professor Department of Fisheries and Wildlife 13 Natural Resources Building Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824-1222 517-353-5485

Ok, time for the next round of bets. Here's the air temperature pattern for the last few days: We're going again tomorrow. Weather calls for high in the low 60s with partly cloudy skies and wind out of the NNW less than 10mph. What will we find? 1. Total lockjaw? 2. Mid-afternoon bite? 3. Same heavy feeding in current early and late? I'm betting #2. I think a big fish is out there for us tomorrow too.

We are seeking an M.S. or Ph.D. applicant either through The University of North Carolina's Marine Sciences (http://www.marine.unc.edu) or Environmental Sciences and Engineering (http://www.sph.unc.edu/envr) programs beginning in the summer or fall of 2008. The graduate student will be involved in an interdisciplinary project to quantify air-sea CO2 fluxes in North Carolina's Neuse River-Pamlico Sound, and to evaluate and quantify environmental controls (climatic events, hydrology, nutrient dynamics, food web structure, etc.) upon those fluxes. This is a NSF- funded collaborative effort between researchers at the University of North Carolina's Institute of Marine Sciences (Hans Paerl and Mike Wetz; http://www.unc.edu/ims/paerllab) and Oregon State University's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (Burke Hales). Applicants should be self-motivated, have strong quantitative skills, and have training in chemistry AND ecology or marine science. Strong engineering and/or technical skills will be viewed as a plus, as will computer (i.e., MatLab, Labview programming, etc.) skills. This project will involve extensive field work. Funding (stipend, tuition) will be available for three years. Interested individuals should provide the following materials: 1) a brief cover letter describing your background, research interests and career goals, 2) a resume/CV, 3) unofficial transcripts, and if available, 4) GRE or TOEFL scores. Please send materials and/or inquiries to Drs. Mike Wetz (wetz@email.unc.edu) and Hans Paerl (hpaerl@email.unc.edu) by November 15, 2007. Upon reviewing the applicant pool, we will ask select applicant(s) to apply to the respective UNC graduate program to be considered for admission to UNC.

Glad you've made it this far and you've got the ball rolling to get things fixed, Norm. I'll be expecting you on the Salt Fork next spring.

We're going Friday. Hopefully giving the fish a few days to adjust to the cooler temps will get them started again. Come along if you like, Brenden! Yep. They're like Prozac with fins.

Northwest Service Academy seeks a leader and members for its Clark Public Utilities Stream Team. The complete team will consist of one Team Leader and five Stream Restoration Coordinators. The primary goal for the AmeriCorps Team at Clark Public Utilities focuses on watershed restoration. Team members will contribute to this goal in a variety of ways including developing, planning and implementing on the ground restoration activities. Additional objectives to meet this goal include environmental education, nursery management, monitoring and coordinating volunteers. Our goal for the AmeriCorps members serving at our site is to provide quality training on proven, successful riparian and wetland restoration techniques. Stream Restoration Coordinators will have a unique opportunity to learn how to manage real-world salmon restoration projects (including site assessment, planning and implementation). Coordinators will be exposed to a large variety of site conditions and restoration experiences ranging from 1 to 20 acres on small and large stream systems. Coordinators will also have a great deal of individual responsibility, including a member specialty (volunteer coordination, watershed education, Stream Stewards Program, nursery management, and water/survival monitoring) and coordination of team members, volunteers, and work crews. The Team Leader will supervise and manage a team of five Restoration Coordinators. The Team Leader is responsible for directly communicating with the staff to coordinate team activities, daily logistics, paperwork, and team progress. The leader will act as a liaison between CPU, NWSA, and the team and is also responsible for team development and team building. Positions start January 14 (leader)/January 24 (member), 2008. Benefits include a monthly stipend of $1,309 (leader)/$1,009 (member) before taxes, health insurance, a $4,725 AmeriCorps education scholarship, loan forbearance, childcare allowance and many training opportunities. Apply today at www.northwestserviceacademy.org!

Just back, Steve. I only had 2 hours to fish but... I hit a pool Jeff D and I fished two weeks ago and it was DEAD, DEAD, DEAD. Water clarity was good. Water temps were still warm. I managed nothing more than a rock bass after cycling through cranks, tubes, yum crayfish, rattle traps and in-line spinners. Hmph. I found myself wondering why I bother with this stupid sport, why my kids are so rotten and how the hell I ever ended up in a stupid state like Illinois anyway. The sun was already down and heading toward twilight when I decided to try the riffle at the top of the pool. It was a long paddle but when I got there, I caught a dink on my first cast, and got struck on the second. "Ok.", I though, "That's more like it." I parked the kayak and started fan casting the foam at the bottom of the riffle. I got two more dinks and a 14 incher, then I lost something that made a trash can lid-sized boil. Every other cast was catching fish and when they hit they were blasting the #2 Mepps. One of the dinks did that little buzz-saw shake they do and spit the spinner back at me. All of these fish were beside current in less than 2 feet of water. The sun was virtually gone by then and it was so dark I had to hold my spinner up to the sky to see it and check it for attached debris. If I was going to fish the boulders at the head of the riffle, now was my only chance. I crunched my way up the gravel bar to a point 20 feet downstream from the head of the riffle. The cast was closer to shore than I intended but it didn't matter. The 15 incher hit the spinner in less than a foot of water, took to the air and almost landed on the bank. After landing and releasing him, the next cast brought in another fish the same size. I hooked and lost another substantial fish before I finally decided was too dark to continue...mostly because the fish had stopped biting. On the paddle back, I found myself thinking what a great sport this is, how my kids are perfect angels and what a wonderful place Illinois is to live. I managed to paddle through a riffle in complete darkness...and then on the north bank on the downstream side of the riffle, there it was...the perfect capper for the evening. All along the water line were tiny green points of light, like little green stars set in the blackness of the bank. I've seen this before this time of year, but it has been a long time. They were bioluminescent invertebrates, I'm not sure but I think they were isopods. After a few fumbling attempts to photograph them in the dark I give up and finished the paddle back to the truck. Not a bad way to finish the day... ...oh, and yeah, the fish haven't moved out of the shallow water and current. That 15 minutes was some of the fastest action I've had all year.

MS research assistantships in basic and applied limnology Auburn University, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures ----- ------ Two MS research assistantships are available to study the ecological mechanisms mediating harmful cyanobacterial blooms using a suite of empirical approaches, including laboratory-based mechanistic studies and limnocorral and whole-pond experiments. To learn more about our research interests, visit <http://www.wilsonlab.com>http://www.wilsonlab.com Ideal candidates will be hard-working and creative, work well independently and as part of a team, and have a solid background in aquatic ecology. Starting dates are flexible, but preference will be given to students available January or May 2008. Stipends are competitive, based on qualifications, and accompanied by full tuition waivers. Interested students are encouraged to email (1) a letter of interest, (2) copies of transcripts and GRE scores, (3) names and contact information for three professional references, and (4) a resume to Alan Wilson at <mailto:wilson@auburn.edu>wilson@auburn.edu by 15 November 2007 for full consideration. --- Alan Wilson - Assistant Professor Auburn University - Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures www.wilsonlab.com - 334.844.9321 - wilson@auburn.edu

This is also a fascinating subject to me with lots of cool biology embeded in it. Let me throw in a couple of things: 1) Smallmouth apparently have spawning site fidelity. They come back to the same place to spawn where they were spawned, just like a salmon (and some have asserted that the males only survive one breeding season, but I'm not convinced that's true everywhere). So yes, for at least part of the year, you know they're coming back to a certain "range". How far they wander from that spot during the year seems to differ. 2) Even salmon and sea-run trout like steelhead that we think of as having predictable seasonal movements don't all do the same thing. Some of these fish never migrate out of the spots where they are spawned...they just skip the spawning run and wait for the females to come back in the spring. There may be a genetic component to this behavior but there are also probably environmental cues that determine whether or not a fish leaves an area seasonally. 3) During high water, fish generally have no a problem getting around migration barriers (unless you have a big enough dam). 4) The ability to forage during the winter strongly affects overwinter survival and spring condition of fish. Where a fish overwinters matters from the perspective of both temperature and forage.

Good points all around. I'm sitting here torn over whether or not to give it a try this morning (I can't stay more than 2 or 3 hours) or try later in the week after the transition has settled in completely. I think I'm leaning toward a trip this afternoon when it's warmer or perhaps later in the week when temps have stabilized a bit. That's an interesting point about predators following prey, especially in the context of a lower fall temperatures. I've always assumed that smallmouth tended to move out of smaller streams in fall due to declining temperatures, and to avoid being trapped in a low oxygen or frozen solid stream. It is true though that in the very smallest streams the smaller fish will also tend to move downstream. It seems to me that this happens much later in the fall. I've observed this on the upper Embarrass in late November and December well after the first freeze. When we shocked in Northwestern Illinois two weeks ago, Dan Sallee felt the smallmouth had already moved out of the small stream we sampled due to lowering temperatures. It sure seemed to me there was plenty of depth refuge in that creek, but he knows those streams awfully well so I would tend to believe him. Certainly there was still plenty of forage still available (as Gordon can attest, we worked up quite a sweat trying to dip all the stonerollers).

A must-have for the next blow out. Fine job, Mike!

I have been dying to fish and I noticed this front coming through today. If I had a free afternoon I would have taken it. As it is I have to think about doing what I can in its' aftermath. I've noticed more than one post indicating that smallmouth here in the central region have been hanging out in current during the day. It also seems the bite has been stronger in the morning than mid-day. With the passage of the front and the temperatures taking a dip (with minimal rain in most places) with highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s. ... ...what will the smallies do? 1) Continue to feed early and late in current? 2) Move toward deeper, slower water? 3) Feed more later in the day? 4) Reduce feeding for a few days since a front is passing through? 5) Feed more right away because the cooler temperatures are more ideal for growth?

Ok maybe that's too much of a blast.

A typical minnow seine tied to tool handles on either side (brailes, they're called) can be rolled up like a scroll and also works for kick seining. I zip-tie a chain into the leadline to give it extra weight and keep it tigher against the bottom. When you have someone available to help you, you can unroll it and cover open water as well. Kids love that stuff too. A net up to 10' long is legal in Illinois and can be used with a fishing lisence. NOTE: Transferring fish or crayfish between watersheds is almost always a terrible idea. There are some nasty fish diseases around these days. Moving fish increases the potential for passing those diseases between populations. The possibility of exotic transfers is also always a threat. Seine the river where you'll fish and never release fish or crayfish into a river from which they did not originate.