River Reports and a New Fish!

[OceanSunfish]

Marty, notice the steep drops in 1995, 2002, and 2010 followed immediately by a steep rise with the drops bottoming at about the same levels. Are there any coinciding events or factors, weather pattern, ocean conditions etc. that can be tied to these drops in numbers?

IMO, instead of looking at the "drop" in 2002 as a decrease, focus instead on the rise from 1997 to 2000...... (There's no decrease unless there's a rise) So, what caused the rise? How about the release of salvaged fish (striped bass) from the pumps raised in pens in various locations in the upper bay and released in the early 90's when the section 10 permit was still valid.

I saw first hand the huge bio-mass (striped bass) that stretched from Pacifica to the Brothers in the summer of 1998.... all mostly 'cookie cutter' schoolies at around 8 pounds which indicates same year class for this observer. I am convinced that the acres and acres of 8# striped bass that sat off Pacifica for the entire month of July in 1998 was directly attributable to the net pen rearing project allowed under the Section 10 permit in the early 90's. (Section 10 permit was not reissued for reason we all know too well)

I also saw first hand what a tremendous impact all those fish had on the fishing economy from San Mateo County to entire delta region. I'm sure it bode well for areas higher up in the system, but I didn't see it first hand.

At the same time, Flyfishing for striped bass in the delta took off like a wildfire too. Everything to do with fishing for striped bass at that time from boat sales to bucktails was red hot.... Fly shops were actually opening for business, not closing like today......

It's safe to say that the delta striped bass fishing from 1998 to 2000 was very good.... remember how well simple locations like Mildred and Franks fished back in those days..... No need to boat around 50 to 60 miles a day to find fish.....

BTW, the salmon fishing wasn't too shabby during that same time too. The area was alive!

Of course, we all know what happened from 2001 to the present...... Hint... several 20,500 hp motors running night and day moving water 197 feet uphill at a record setting pace...... Still don't know.... how about a 25 to 40 year annuity that pays an elite group of people who continue to obtain tremendous favorable legislation for their annuity.....

[Marty Gingras]

IMO, instead of looking at the "drop" in 2002 as a decrease, focus instead on the rise from 1997 to 2000...... (There's no decrease unless there's a rise) So, what caused the rise? How about the release of salvaged fish (striped bass) from the pumps raised in pens in various locations in the upper bay and released in the early 90's when the section 10 permit was still valid...

The field 'Total Annual Stocking' here shows the numbers of fish stocked by year:

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...nia%202008.pdf

Stocking no doubt had something to do with the increase from the mid-1990s.

The Section 10 permit became valid in the year 2000. The increase from the mid-1990s appears not to have been predicted, because the permit (basically) required that stocking be stopped if abundance exceeded a particular threshold and --- as it happens --- abundance pretty-substantially exceeded a particular threshold the year the permit became valid.

[OceanSunfish]

The field 'Total Annual Stocking' here shows the numbers of fish stocked by year:

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...nia%202008.pdf

Stocking no doubt had something to do with the increase from the mid-1990s.

The Section 10 permit became valid in the year 2000. The increase from the mid-1990s appears not to have been predicted, because the permit (basically) required that stocking be stopped if abundance exceeded a particular threshold and ---as it happens --- abundance pretty-substantially exceeded a particular threshold the year the permit became valid.

Hard to remember all this stuff in conjunction with my real J-O-B.

As I recall, the Section 10 permit was granted under the ESA and placed a ceiling of 948K adult striped bass.

As a result, Mr. Tom Hampson's work of pen raising salvaged striped bass from the many 20,500 hp pumps was halted under the Section 10 permit. The logic is stupid since these fish were born free and would be swimming around the SF Bay and Delta had it not been for the pumps, etc.

This is a tangent to the original thread, but I wanted to make a point that IMO, there wouldn't be decline if there wasn't an uptick in population and catch rates, in the first place, due to the pen rearing/fish salvage operations led by Tom Hampson, Red B., et. al.

[STEELIES/26c3]

Of course, we all know what happened from 2001 to the present...... Hint... several 20,500 hp motors running night and day moving water 197 feet uphill at a record setting pace...... Still don't know.... how about a 25 to 40 year annuity that pays an elite group of people who continue to obtain tremendous favorable legislation for their annuity.....

I feel ya there~;(

Ironically, it's often the 'unofficial folks' who spend more time on the water and are more 'in the know' about our fisheries than those who get paid to supposedly manage them...

Go figure...

M

[Marty Gingras]

...As I recall, the Section 10 permit was granted under the ESA and placed a ceiling of 948K adult striped bass...

It's good to understand the Section 10 process and details, though it's ancient history now and has not been in effect for many years. We've scanned the Conservation Plan and posted it in several parts here:

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...%20of%202).pdf

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...%20of%202).pdf

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...%20of%202).pdf

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...%20of%202).pdf

In short, the objective was to assure an average of 712,000 adult striped bass primarily through stocking. The Plan called for adjustments due to change in the status of listed species or striped bass (e.g., abundance increasing to 947,000 or more), both of which have happened.

[Dabalone]

Marty, the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA) a private entity, over the years and up to 1992 planted millions of stripers under I believe some federal permit. Did the state track and document these plantings, when and where planted, numbers and size of the fish planted? Were all these fish included in official number counts?

[Marty Gingras]

Marty, the California Striped Bass Association (CSBA) a private entity, over the years and up to 1992 planted millions of stripers under I believe some federal permit. Did the state track and document these plantings, when and where planted, numbers and size of the fish planted? Were all these fish included in official number counts?

The first 4 columns of page 1 at the following link show a summary of what I understand to be the full extent of 'modern era' stocking of striped bass into the anadromous waters of California. I'd be surprised if any entity planted fish in anadromous waters that were not included in the document. If they did, it would be very helpful for us to know more.

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...nia%202008.pdf

Those fish were not included per se in the population indices and estimates, though some research was done on the rate of survival for some of those 'cohorts' to age 3 and on their contribution to the fishery. Here is a link to one paper that mentions some of that:

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...nia%201999.pdf

Here is a link to a draft manuscript with more details:

ftp://ftp.delta.dfg.ca.gov/Adult_Stu...aft%202002.pdf

[Tracy Chimenti]

No. It might not be helpful.