Make yourself useful: Yak fishers needed.

I've been working on a study of coho and steelhead in Pudding Creek, near Fort Bragg.  One aspect of the study is to estimate the coho smolt numbers leaving the stream every spring.  However, our trap is above the 3-4 mile long pond formed by the Pudding Creek dam.  We know that there is a population of relatively large rainbows (and maybe bass and such) in the pond, but we don't know how heavily they feed on the coho smolt passing through the pond. To know this, we need to catch a bunch of these trout on different occasions and pump their stomachs.

So, we are in the initial stages of setting up a survey to catch trout in the Pudding Creek pond, probably 3 times this spring, and get gut contents.  It seemed to me that the yak fishers on this board would have the perfect skills and equipment for this study.

I need folks that, well, first would like to volunteer (we can do this on weekends).  Second, they would be reasonable pond trout fishers (these are all, without exception, wild fish).  Third, they need to have a yak with a GPS.

The way it would work is that we'll assign a certain range of the pond, defined by GPS coordinates, to each angler to fish .  They will fish the area, and as they catch fish they will hold them and signal to us (on a support skiff) that they have live fish.  We will pick up the fish and bring them back to the processing station where they will receive a stomach pump, then be released.

So I'm looking for maybe 6 - 8 guys to do this.  Any volunteers?  BTW: this is a cooperative project between CDFG and the timber company I work for.

Thanks in advance for any input or help - I've never been involved in an hook and line survey.

Dave

Also, logistics may make this thing fall through, but it's looking good right now.

Nice coho buck from this season:

                
 
Joel

               
 
Joel

 ...just want to make sure I make the cut 

Dude!  What an awesome opportunity.  I wish I could - maybe once my kids are in college!   

Good stuff, Dave.   

I'd be happy to help.


-Brian G

I am willing to help too. I should have my ff/gps unit in by next week.

Phil

Happy to help out is there camping close by ??

Happy to help out is there camping close by ??

Yes, At McKerricker state park.  Thank you guys for your help.  I will post more stuff as we figure it out.  Neither me or the CDFG guy have done a hook and line survey before, so any ideas anyone has would be greatly appreciated.

Here's a picture of what you'll be fishing.  It's the far side of the dam; the swampy looking side.  There's 3-4 miles of that stuff.  At the upper end of the pond I regularly trap 16 - 18" trout.

Dave - when????

Mooch, we're trying for two or three sessions from April till the end of June, maybe into July.  Dude, I'm stoked you're into it.

Sean (the other guy) and I will be meeting at the end  of this week to figure this out.  The first step was to figure out if I could get enough yak fishers to do this.  I'm hoping a few more folks will be interested.

By the weekend I should have more details, but basically this will be about yak fishers and what they want to do.  Look at that marsh.  Yak fishing will be the most effective method to fish it.

I'm not sure what the pond fishing will be like because it not open for fishing.  As I said though, we regularly catch 18 inch trout where the stream meets the pond.

This would be an opportunity to fish basically un-fished water.  To be honest, we don't even know what type of fish live in the pond anymore - which will be valuable information in itself.

Oh, and I forgot to mention: The reason we need to hook and line 'em is because we need gut contents.  Electro-fishing, besides being horrible for fish, causes them to puke.

Another Pond Picture:

Need dates that I can set aside. Frank

I would be down on a weekend if I can catch a ride with another NCKA'er that is a good 400 mile round trip...

I am very interested, but need some dates...for a trip that far, I need a few weeks lead time
the water looks awesome!

Jim

I'd be interested, need dates a few weeks in advance.

How deep is the pond? Bug life, minnows species info?

mikechin

Google turned up these surveys:

http://www.krisweb.com/biblio/noyo_cdfg_pintler_1957_pudding.pdf
http://www.krisweb.com/biblio/noyo_cdfg_primbs_1965_pudding.pdf
http://www.krisweb.com/biblio/noyo_geopac_xxxx_1994_pudsir.pdf