Fish News By Lenny Rudow
James River Muskie Study Complete
##Hayden with his new state record tripletail — sweet catch, Hayden!
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esearchers from Coastal Carolina University in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, and West Virginia University completed a two-year study on catch-and-release muskellunge fishing mortality during the summer months in the upper James River. Almost 100 fish were surgically implanted with tags, and tagged fish were caught and released when water temperatures were above 80 degrees. Researchers then used mortality estimates along with growth data and angler catch data to simulate how a summer closure might reduce mortality. The bottom line? Mortality did rise substantially when fish were caught and released in warm water, to the tune of 33.3 percent. However, few muskie are caught during this period of time due to a combination of low angler targeting effort and “extremely low” fishing action. As a result, researchers concluded that a summer closure would not significantly impact the size structure of the population in the upper James and no regulation changes are expected at this time.
The Original Invasive
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emember zebra mussels? All the way back in the 1980s these tiny shellfish were first recognized as a problematic invasive species, and when they began their biofouling blitz, biologists turned their attention to the issue of invasive species in a big way. Now, scientists say these pests could lead to significant scientific advances. Researchers at the University of Toronto are studying their impeccable ability to stick to things, and professor Eli Sone believes that understanding the proteinbased glue they secrete could be critical. “If we understand why they stick so well, that could help us design things like non-toxic biodegradable glue, which could offer an alternative to internal stitches for surgery or localized drug delivery applications,” he says. 76 March 2022 PropTalk.com
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Tripletail Record for VA
p until now Virginia didn’t have a state record for tripletail, but in 2020 they added the species to their list of potentials with a minimum size of eight pounds to start. Then last summer teen angler Hayden Head of Yorktown landed an eight-pound, nine-ounce fish while fishing near York Spit. The record tripletail was spotted hanging near a weed mat. Head flipped a live crab to it, and back on shore the catch was weighed and positively identified by a Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament committee member. This winter, the state of Virginia accepted the catch as a new official state record. Congrats, Hayden Head!
