Lake Simcoe Bass Tagging Research Project
In 2006 Wil Wegman Director of Conservation for the Ontario B.A.S.S. Federation Nation and the Aurora Bassmasters initiated a research project to determine the growth rates of Lake Simcoe's renowned trophy smallmouth bass. The project was to be conducted over several years and use fish caught in various tournaments throughout lakes Simcoe and Couchiching. .
The total project was a joint initiative with the local Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) District, Queens University, Bass Pro Shops and Barrie Bassmasters. Under supervision of OMNR staff, volunteers double tag bass caught from bass tournaments on Lake Simcoe and Couchiching. Data such as length, weight, scale/spine collection (for ageing) etc is collected and entered into a spreadsheet.
Bass that require fizzing were identified when they were floating side up in the post weigh-in tank. These fish were fizzed and accounted for on a data sheet as such. In 2008, three tournaments hosted by the Bassmasters were used to sample and tag bass. To date 39 recaptured fish have been confirmed from as far as 20 miles away from the original release site. Several bass were caught with just one tag adding to (and verifying) the value of double tagging.
An additional component of the research involves the physiology/fizzing research led by Dr Bruce Tufts and Matt DeMille of Queens University in Kingston ON. To date, 29 of the 39 recaptured fish caught were known to be previously fizzed from all three years of the project.
Several ‘control’ bass are housed in the public aquarium at BPS. Some are equipped with Pit tags – small computer chips loaded with data so that we can monitor them over the next few years.
One smallmouth bass from the tank that died which we knew was fizzed the year before, was examined in the lab at Queens and the air bladder was proven to still be fully functional.(Bladder was filled with air and observed for leakage). Therefore it was determined that cause of death was not likely related to fizzing.
Berkley Honors Aurora Bassmasters
John Bartlow of Berkley (left) Wil Wegman -Aurora Bassmasters (middle) and Chris Horton B.A.S.S. Conservation Director (right) with a cheque in the amount of $2000.00.
This marks the third year in a row that an Ontario B.A.S.S. Federation Nation chapter has won this prestigegous Berkley Conservation award. Previous awards were won by York Bassmasters in 2007 and Kitchener/Waterloo in 2006.
"Simcoe growth rates far above average"
To date ageing data is showing that we have an exceptionally fast growing population of smallmouth bass for this northern latitude. There are many speculative theories for this accelerated growth including an extremely healthy population of crayfish. In recent years the invasive Goby has been introduced to the lake and has quickly become a favored forage. This may add another source of easy prey for Simcoe's bass population but longer term effects of this aggressive invader are not known and until proven otherwise Goby should be viewed as a long term risk rather than dietary benefit.
An standout example of just how fast smallmouth bass can grow in Lake Simcoe would be 7.01 pound fish caught in October 2007. Aging tests showed the fish to be 12 years old. A typical fish of this size in other lakes this far north would be 20 to 30 years old.
Bass in post weigh-in holding tank that require fizzing
Bass being fizzed
Research Will Continue.....
This entire high profile project will continue to expand and move forward as funding and resources allow in 2009. Results are proving extremely fascinating on different fronts. The high tag return rate (for a relatively small sample size) within a 280 square mile lake is quite intriguing. We will consider increasing our tagging efforts in order to acquire more data on what we believe is one of the finest smallmouth bass fisheries in North America.
The great distances traveled by Simcoe bass are raising interest too. One of the primary end-goals of this project however will be to finally have some applied science completed that can definitively answer the question “ Does proper fizzing increase the long term survival of bass showing symptoms of decompression?”
The Aurora Bassmasters and their partners are certain the information they find within this multi-facetted project will be of interest and real value to the entire bass tournament community in North America. Further research continues.
Ten bass tournaments sampled 2006 - 2008:
Event #1 Aurora Bassmaster Club Tournament, Cooks Bay July 21/06
Event #2 Rick White Memorial, Cooks Bay Oct. 15/06
Event #3 Crackle Cup Lefroy Nov 5/06
Event #4 Aurora Bassmasters Club Tournament, Cooks Bay July 31/07
Event #5 Aurora Bassmasters Club Tournament, Cooks Bay Sept.16/07
Event #6 Barrie Bassmasters Tournament, Kempenfelt Bay Oct 21/07
Event #7 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open, Sutton Oct 27/07
Event # 8 Aurora Bassmasters Club Tournament, Cooks Bay Sept 28/08
Event # 9 Barrie Bassmasters Tournament, Kempenfelt Bay Oct 19/08
Event #10 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open, Sutton Oct 25/08
Number of Bass Sampled and Tagged:
Event #1, 29 lmb, 11 smb=40 total (single tag only) No scales/spines
Event #2, 2 lmb, 27 smb = 29 total bass sampled, 28 double tagged (one dead-not tagged). 9 bass fizzed. Scales/spines collected
Event #3, 57 smb, total. All double tagged, scales/spines collected, 55 fizzed
Event #4, 11 lmb, 0 smb =11 total. 8 lmb double tagged, 3 single tagged. Scales/spines collected. 0 fizzed
Event #5, 21 lmb, 7 smb = 28 bass. All double tagged. All scales/spines collected. 0 fizzed
Event #6, 44 smb total. All double tagged. All scales/spines collected
18 fizzed
Event #7, 115 smb total. 98 double tagged, 1 with one tag, 16 no tag
99 fizzed, 1 not fizzed, 14 unknown.
Event # 8, 15 lmb total. All double tagged, 3 fizzed
Event #9, 34 smb sampled, 1 lmb=35 bass; All double tagged 16 fizzed
Event #10, 92 smb sampled, 16 lmb=108 bass; All double tagged 106 fizzed
Largemouth bass sampled at all events = 95
Smallmouth bass sampled at all events= 387
TOTAL BASS SAMPLED= 482
Largemouth tagged= 29 single tag, 69 double tag= 98 tagged
Smallmouth tagged= 10 single tag, 364 double tag= 374 tagged
(16 bass sampled at 07 BPS Open that were not tagged)
Total Bass tagged in three years =472 bass
Aurora Bassmasters Lake Simcoe Bass Tagging Project (Continued)
Fizzed bass in 2006 & 2007 (all smb) =181
Fizzed bass in 2008 = 18 lmb + 98 smb = 116
Total fizzed bass =297
