Manual of Instructions

Brook Trout Index Netting (BTIN)

2005

Brian Monroe Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources PO Box 219 Whitney ON K0J 2M0

Cette publication speacutecialiseacutee nrsquoest disponsible qursquoen anglais

copy 2005 Queenrsquos Printer for Ontario Printed in Ontario Canada

Copies of this publication are available from

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Fish and Wildlife Branch PO Box 7000 300 Water Street Peterborough ON K9J 8M5

i

Table of Contents

10 INTRODUCTION 1 11 Background 1

20 SURVEY DESIGN AND METHODS2 21 Sampling Methods 2 22 Sample Size 3

30 GEAR DESCRIPTION AND PREPARATION 3 31 Gillnets 3 32 Gear List 4

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES 5 41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata 5 42 Sample Site Selection 7 43 Creating a Sampling Schedule 8 44 Preparation of Field Forms 10

50 FIELD PROCEDURES 10 51 Setting the Net 10 52 Information to Record at Set 11 53 Lifting The Net 13 54 Information to Record at Lift 14 55 Fish Sampling 14

60 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES 17 61 Data Transcription 17 62 Data Entry 17

70 GENERAL SURVEY GUIDELINES AND TROUBLESHOOTING17

80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS18

90 REFERENCES 18

APPENDIX A (NET SPECIFICATIONS AND SUPPLIER) 19

APPENDIX B (CALCULATION OF AREA OF DEPTH STRATA) 20

APPENDIX C (FISH SPECIES CODES) 21

APPENDIX D (BTIN SAMPLING FORMS)28

ii

10 INTRODUCTION

The main objective of the Brook Trout Index Netting (BTIN) program is to provide an unbiased index of brook trout abundance as well as to provide biological information on the target species The program can be conducted with a minimum investment in training and equipment

The method involves setting small mesh gillnets at randomly selected sites for 30 minutes The set durations are short to minimize brook trout mortality There are two different gillnet gangs used each gang consisting of three panels of a single mesh size tied together (456 m total length) The stretched mesh sizes are 51mm (20rdquo) and 64mm (25rdquo)

This manual describes the standard methods and provides the technical information necessary for project leaders and field crews to conduct the BTIN field program

11 Background The BTIN method outlined here is an adaptation of the lake trout Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) method (Hicks 1999) The SLIN design was an adaptation of earlier index netting surveys conducted by the Algoma Fisheries Assessment Unit

A basic assumption of most index netting surveys such as BTIN is that the mean catch of fish per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) is proportional to the density of the species in the lake and that CPUE can therefore be used to track changes in species abundance or compare relative abundances from lake to lake Between 1999 and 2002 an experiment was conducted to test that assumption We stocked brook trout in nine small lakes (total of eleven different occasions) then developed a relationship between stocking densities and CPUE Details of this study including a graph of the relationship between stocking density and CPUE are included in a separate document (Monroe et al 2005)

In addition as part of the development of the BTIN protocol over 40 experimental surveys were conducted on lakes containing native brook trout Comparisons were made between different set durations depth strata net orientations seasons and mesh sizes

The standards proposed in this manual are based in part on the results of the above surveys on stocked and native brook trout lakes

1

20 SURVEY DESIGN AND METHODS

The BTIN method utilizes a stratified random sampling design in which the individual sampling units (sites) are selected without replacement on a daily basis ie no site can be sampled more that once in a day There are two depth strata used in the design Spatial stratification is generally not required unless a lake is large with potentially long travel times between sites The selection of sampling sites is done randomly to minimize the biases in locating sites and setting the gear Site selection is essentially a mapping exercise that is completed in the office before the field work begins

21 Sampling Methods

Survey design and methods for BTIN are summarized in Table 1 Sampling can start in June and go into early September as long as the lake remains thermally stratified If possible a temperaturedissolved oxygen profile (in the deepest part of the lake) should be taken sometime during the survey

All of the sets occur between 0800 and 1700 and are 30 minutes in duration The gear consists of two gangs of gillnets Each gang has 3 panels of one mesh size (either 51mm or 64 mm stretched mesh)

Sets are assigned to two depth strata (2-59 m and 6-10 m) based on the proportion of the surface areas of each stratum compared to the total surface area of the lake All sets are perpendicular to shore

Table 1 Summary of methods for Brook Trout Index Netting

Criteria Target Season June to early September (during thermal stratification) Time of Day Between 0800 and 1700 Set Duration 30 minutes Orientation Perpendicular to shore Gear 2 gillnet gangs (456 m in length and 24 m high)

- three 152 m panels of 51 mm mesh - three 152 m panels of 64 mm mesh

Site Selection random within depth strata Depth Strata 2 m ndash 59 and 6m - 10m (see section 41) Sample Size (minimum)

10 nets x 3 days = 30 sets

Crew Size 2 people

2

22 Sample Size

In small lakes (less than 100 hectares) sampling should be conducted for 3 to 5 days The minimum number of sets for a standard BTIN program is 30 (eg 10 sets per day x 3 days) Sample size can be increased to improve the precision of the CPUE estimate or increased for larger lakes to obtain a CPUE more representative of the whole lake A reasonable target for precision is a relative standard error of 20 although for low CPUEs this may not be possible within the 3 to 5 day sampling window

30 GEAR DESCRIPTION AND PREPARATION

31 Gillnets

Two different gillnet gangs are used Each gang consists of three 152 m (50 ft) panels of a single mesh size tied together (456 m total length) The stretched mesh sizes are 51mm (20rdquo) and 64mm (25rdquo) The gillnets are manufactured in Finland and adhere to specifications which were established by the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment Detailed net specifications and a Canadian supplier can be found in Appendix A

Gillnets will be shipped to you as individual panels To assemble the three panel gangs tie panels of the same mesh size together at the brail loops located at each end of the float and lead lines We found that taping over the knots with duct tape reduced the number of tangles in the net (the net tended to become caught on the knots or loose ends of rope) Each end of the net should be fitted with an anchor and a lift line These can be tied to the net as desired An example is provided in Figure 2 below

Attach a float to each of the lift lines Having a lift line and float on each end of the net ensures that the crew will still be able to find the net if one of the floats sinks or becomes detached YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE A NET The floats should be as large as common sense dictates If there is heavy boat traffic on the lake the floats should be made quite visible and if deemed necessary a float can be attached to the middle of the net Alternatively if there is little to no traffic on the lake the floats only need to be large enough to allow the crew to find the net again

Once assembled the nets can be placed into a laundry style basket or other container from which they can be set

3

Figure 2 Net set up for Brook Trout Index Netting

The diagram above illustrates a typical 3-panel gillnet gang configuration It is important to ensure that both ends of the net are weighted with an anchor and have a lift line with float attached

Reef Knot

Lift Line

Float

Rope Bridle

Gillnet Panel

Anchor

Anchor Line

32 Gear List

The following gear should be assembled checked serviced and organized in preparation for the field activities

321 Nets

bull 1 three-panel gang of 51mm monofilament gillnet bull 1 three-panel gang of 64mm monofilament gillnet bull 3 panels of each mesh size as backups in case of net damage

322 Misc netting equipment

bull 100 meters of 38rdquo twisted or braided polypropylene rope for anchor and lift lines

bull 4 anchors (1 L oil bottles filled with sand or concrete work well) bull 4 floats (antifreeze jugs may work well but more prominent floats may

be needed on lakes with heavy boat traffic) bull 2 spare anchors amp 2 spare floats

4

bull buckets or tubs for nets

323 Fish sampling equipment

bull scale envelopes bull otolith vials (to collect otoliths from dead brook trout) bull pocket knife (to collect scales and otoliths) bull forceps (to collect otoliths) bull scissors bull measuring board bull spring style weigh scales or electronic balance bull cotton gloves bull mesh weigh bag (knotless) bull field forms bull HB pencils

324 Other equipment

bull boat motor and related safety equipment bull cooler bull ice packs or pump and hose attachment to fill live well bull 12 V battery or power supply to power pump if used bull depth sounder bull bathymetric map of lake bull GPS Unit bull Sampling Schedule bull Site Map bull Dissolved Oxygen meter bull Hand held thermometer

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES

41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata The survey design includes two depth strata 2 - 59 m and 6-10 m Each depth stratum should be sampled proportional to the surface area of the lake within the stratum Several computer programs employing digital elevation models (eg ArcView Surfer) can calculate surface areas within a depth stratum The surface area can also be calculated using hypsographic curves or a grid overlay (see Appendix B) Within each depth stratum equal numbers of each mesh size should be set over the course of the survey although within a given day this may not always be possible Nets should be set so that the minimum depth (onshore end) is as close as possible to either two or six meters The depth of the offshore end need not be less than 6 metres in the first stratum but should not extend much deeper than 10 metres in either stratum (A good rule of thumb would be that no part of panel

5

1 or panel 2 can cross the 10m contour) In some lakes with a steep bottom slope nets set in the 6 to 10 metre stratum can extend well below the 10 metre depth For these lakes it is better to combine the two depth strata into one with a starting depth of 2 metres to keep as much net as possible in the 2 to 10 metre depth range

The objective of the BTIN program is to obtain a CPUE that is proportional to brook trout density above the 10m contour If parts of this zone are sampled disproportionately the resulting CPUE may be biased and not representative of fish density in the whole zone For example if we sampled only where the fish were concentrated the CPUE would be inflated giving a biased estimate of the true overall density

A hypothetical sampling design for a 4 day netting program (setting 12 nets per day) is shown below

Calculation of of nets required per stratum

Statistics for Hypothetical Lake

Lake surface area =50 ha Surface area between 2 - 10 m = 325 ha Surface area between 2 ndash59 m = 225 ha Surface area between 6 - 10 m = 100 ha

Sampling design

Total of nets to be set = 4 x 12 = 48 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 225ha325ha x 100 = 69 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 48 nets x 69 = 33 nets of nets to be set in 6-10m = 100ha325ha x 100 = 31 of nets to be set in 6-10m = 48 nets x 31 = 15 nets

The two mesh sizes must be set an equal number of times within each depth stratum therefore we must adjust the number of nets set in each stratum to be divisible by two (by rounding up or down) Accordingly we would set 34 nets in the 2- 59 m stratum and 14 nets in the 6-10m stratum

To facilitate organizing the netting schedule it is useful to make a table as follows

6

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

Table of Contents

10 INTRODUCTION 1 11 Background 1

20 SURVEY DESIGN AND METHODS2 21 Sampling Methods 2 22 Sample Size 3

30 GEAR DESCRIPTION AND PREPARATION 3 31 Gillnets 3 32 Gear List 4

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES 5 41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata 5 42 Sample Site Selection 7 43 Creating a Sampling Schedule 8 44 Preparation of Field Forms 10

50 FIELD PROCEDURES 10 51 Setting the Net 10 52 Information to Record at Set 11 53 Lifting The Net 13 54 Information to Record at Lift 14 55 Fish Sampling 14

60 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES 17 61 Data Transcription 17 62 Data Entry 17

70 GENERAL SURVEY GUIDELINES AND TROUBLESHOOTING17

80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS18

90 REFERENCES 18

APPENDIX A (NET SPECIFICATIONS AND SUPPLIER) 19

APPENDIX B (CALCULATION OF AREA OF DEPTH STRATA) 20

APPENDIX C (FISH SPECIES CODES) 21

APPENDIX D (BTIN SAMPLING FORMS)28

ii

10 INTRODUCTION

The main objective of the Brook Trout Index Netting (BTIN) program is to provide an unbiased index of brook trout abundance as well as to provide biological information on the target species The program can be conducted with a minimum investment in training and equipment

The method involves setting small mesh gillnets at randomly selected sites for 30 minutes The set durations are short to minimize brook trout mortality There are two different gillnet gangs used each gang consisting of three panels of a single mesh size tied together (456 m total length) The stretched mesh sizes are 51mm (20rdquo) and 64mm (25rdquo)

This manual describes the standard methods and provides the technical information necessary for project leaders and field crews to conduct the BTIN field program

11 Background The BTIN method outlined here is an adaptation of the lake trout Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) method (Hicks 1999) The SLIN design was an adaptation of earlier index netting surveys conducted by the Algoma Fisheries Assessment Unit

A basic assumption of most index netting surveys such as BTIN is that the mean catch of fish per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) is proportional to the density of the species in the lake and that CPUE can therefore be used to track changes in species abundance or compare relative abundances from lake to lake Between 1999 and 2002 an experiment was conducted to test that assumption We stocked brook trout in nine small lakes (total of eleven different occasions) then developed a relationship between stocking densities and CPUE Details of this study including a graph of the relationship between stocking density and CPUE are included in a separate document (Monroe et al 2005)

In addition as part of the development of the BTIN protocol over 40 experimental surveys were conducted on lakes containing native brook trout Comparisons were made between different set durations depth strata net orientations seasons and mesh sizes

The standards proposed in this manual are based in part on the results of the above surveys on stocked and native brook trout lakes

1

20 SURVEY DESIGN AND METHODS

The BTIN method utilizes a stratified random sampling design in which the individual sampling units (sites) are selected without replacement on a daily basis ie no site can be sampled more that once in a day There are two depth strata used in the design Spatial stratification is generally not required unless a lake is large with potentially long travel times between sites The selection of sampling sites is done randomly to minimize the biases in locating sites and setting the gear Site selection is essentially a mapping exercise that is completed in the office before the field work begins

21 Sampling Methods

Survey design and methods for BTIN are summarized in Table 1 Sampling can start in June and go into early September as long as the lake remains thermally stratified If possible a temperaturedissolved oxygen profile (in the deepest part of the lake) should be taken sometime during the survey

All of the sets occur between 0800 and 1700 and are 30 minutes in duration The gear consists of two gangs of gillnets Each gang has 3 panels of one mesh size (either 51mm or 64 mm stretched mesh)

Sets are assigned to two depth strata (2-59 m and 6-10 m) based on the proportion of the surface areas of each stratum compared to the total surface area of the lake All sets are perpendicular to shore

Table 1 Summary of methods for Brook Trout Index Netting

Criteria Target Season June to early September (during thermal stratification) Time of Day Between 0800 and 1700 Set Duration 30 minutes Orientation Perpendicular to shore Gear 2 gillnet gangs (456 m in length and 24 m high)

- three 152 m panels of 51 mm mesh - three 152 m panels of 64 mm mesh

Site Selection random within depth strata Depth Strata 2 m ndash 59 and 6m - 10m (see section 41) Sample Size (minimum)

10 nets x 3 days = 30 sets

Crew Size 2 people

2

22 Sample Size

In small lakes (less than 100 hectares) sampling should be conducted for 3 to 5 days The minimum number of sets for a standard BTIN program is 30 (eg 10 sets per day x 3 days) Sample size can be increased to improve the precision of the CPUE estimate or increased for larger lakes to obtain a CPUE more representative of the whole lake A reasonable target for precision is a relative standard error of 20 although for low CPUEs this may not be possible within the 3 to 5 day sampling window

30 GEAR DESCRIPTION AND PREPARATION

31 Gillnets

Two different gillnet gangs are used Each gang consists of three 152 m (50 ft) panels of a single mesh size tied together (456 m total length) The stretched mesh sizes are 51mm (20rdquo) and 64mm (25rdquo) The gillnets are manufactured in Finland and adhere to specifications which were established by the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment Detailed net specifications and a Canadian supplier can be found in Appendix A

Gillnets will be shipped to you as individual panels To assemble the three panel gangs tie panels of the same mesh size together at the brail loops located at each end of the float and lead lines We found that taping over the knots with duct tape reduced the number of tangles in the net (the net tended to become caught on the knots or loose ends of rope) Each end of the net should be fitted with an anchor and a lift line These can be tied to the net as desired An example is provided in Figure 2 below

Attach a float to each of the lift lines Having a lift line and float on each end of the net ensures that the crew will still be able to find the net if one of the floats sinks or becomes detached YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE A NET The floats should be as large as common sense dictates If there is heavy boat traffic on the lake the floats should be made quite visible and if deemed necessary a float can be attached to the middle of the net Alternatively if there is little to no traffic on the lake the floats only need to be large enough to allow the crew to find the net again

Once assembled the nets can be placed into a laundry style basket or other container from which they can be set

3

Figure 2 Net set up for Brook Trout Index Netting

The diagram above illustrates a typical 3-panel gillnet gang configuration It is important to ensure that both ends of the net are weighted with an anchor and have a lift line with float attached

Reef Knot

Lift Line

Float

Rope Bridle

Gillnet Panel

Anchor

Anchor Line

32 Gear List

The following gear should be assembled checked serviced and organized in preparation for the field activities

321 Nets

bull 1 three-panel gang of 51mm monofilament gillnet bull 1 three-panel gang of 64mm monofilament gillnet bull 3 panels of each mesh size as backups in case of net damage

322 Misc netting equipment

bull 100 meters of 38rdquo twisted or braided polypropylene rope for anchor and lift lines

bull 4 anchors (1 L oil bottles filled with sand or concrete work well) bull 4 floats (antifreeze jugs may work well but more prominent floats may

be needed on lakes with heavy boat traffic) bull 2 spare anchors amp 2 spare floats

4

bull buckets or tubs for nets

323 Fish sampling equipment

bull scale envelopes bull otolith vials (to collect otoliths from dead brook trout) bull pocket knife (to collect scales and otoliths) bull forceps (to collect otoliths) bull scissors bull measuring board bull spring style weigh scales or electronic balance bull cotton gloves bull mesh weigh bag (knotless) bull field forms bull HB pencils

324 Other equipment

bull boat motor and related safety equipment bull cooler bull ice packs or pump and hose attachment to fill live well bull 12 V battery or power supply to power pump if used bull depth sounder bull bathymetric map of lake bull GPS Unit bull Sampling Schedule bull Site Map bull Dissolved Oxygen meter bull Hand held thermometer

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES

41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata The survey design includes two depth strata 2 - 59 m and 6-10 m Each depth stratum should be sampled proportional to the surface area of the lake within the stratum Several computer programs employing digital elevation models (eg ArcView Surfer) can calculate surface areas within a depth stratum The surface area can also be calculated using hypsographic curves or a grid overlay (see Appendix B) Within each depth stratum equal numbers of each mesh size should be set over the course of the survey although within a given day this may not always be possible Nets should be set so that the minimum depth (onshore end) is as close as possible to either two or six meters The depth of the offshore end need not be less than 6 metres in the first stratum but should not extend much deeper than 10 metres in either stratum (A good rule of thumb would be that no part of panel

5

1 or panel 2 can cross the 10m contour) In some lakes with a steep bottom slope nets set in the 6 to 10 metre stratum can extend well below the 10 metre depth For these lakes it is better to combine the two depth strata into one with a starting depth of 2 metres to keep as much net as possible in the 2 to 10 metre depth range

The objective of the BTIN program is to obtain a CPUE that is proportional to brook trout density above the 10m contour If parts of this zone are sampled disproportionately the resulting CPUE may be biased and not representative of fish density in the whole zone For example if we sampled only where the fish were concentrated the CPUE would be inflated giving a biased estimate of the true overall density

A hypothetical sampling design for a 4 day netting program (setting 12 nets per day) is shown below

Calculation of of nets required per stratum

Statistics for Hypothetical Lake

Lake surface area =50 ha Surface area between 2 - 10 m = 325 ha Surface area between 2 ndash59 m = 225 ha Surface area between 6 - 10 m = 100 ha

Sampling design

Total of nets to be set = 4 x 12 = 48 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 225ha325ha x 100 = 69 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 48 nets x 69 = 33 nets of nets to be set in 6-10m = 100ha325ha x 100 = 31 of nets to be set in 6-10m = 48 nets x 31 = 15 nets

The two mesh sizes must be set an equal number of times within each depth stratum therefore we must adjust the number of nets set in each stratum to be divisible by two (by rounding up or down) Accordingly we would set 34 nets in the 2- 59 m stratum and 14 nets in the 6-10m stratum

To facilitate organizing the netting schedule it is useful to make a table as follows

6

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

10 INTRODUCTION

The main objective of the Brook Trout Index Netting (BTIN) program is to provide an unbiased index of brook trout abundance as well as to provide biological information on the target species The program can be conducted with a minimum investment in training and equipment

The method involves setting small mesh gillnets at randomly selected sites for 30 minutes The set durations are short to minimize brook trout mortality There are two different gillnet gangs used each gang consisting of three panels of a single mesh size tied together (456 m total length) The stretched mesh sizes are 51mm (20rdquo) and 64mm (25rdquo)

This manual describes the standard methods and provides the technical information necessary for project leaders and field crews to conduct the BTIN field program

11 Background The BTIN method outlined here is an adaptation of the lake trout Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) method (Hicks 1999) The SLIN design was an adaptation of earlier index netting surveys conducted by the Algoma Fisheries Assessment Unit

A basic assumption of most index netting surveys such as BTIN is that the mean catch of fish per unit of sampling effort (CPUE) is proportional to the density of the species in the lake and that CPUE can therefore be used to track changes in species abundance or compare relative abundances from lake to lake Between 1999 and 2002 an experiment was conducted to test that assumption We stocked brook trout in nine small lakes (total of eleven different occasions) then developed a relationship between stocking densities and CPUE Details of this study including a graph of the relationship between stocking density and CPUE are included in a separate document (Monroe et al 2005)

In addition as part of the development of the BTIN protocol over 40 experimental surveys were conducted on lakes containing native brook trout Comparisons were made between different set durations depth strata net orientations seasons and mesh sizes

The standards proposed in this manual are based in part on the results of the above surveys on stocked and native brook trout lakes

1

20 SURVEY DESIGN AND METHODS

The BTIN method utilizes a stratified random sampling design in which the individual sampling units (sites) are selected without replacement on a daily basis ie no site can be sampled more that once in a day There are two depth strata used in the design Spatial stratification is generally not required unless a lake is large with potentially long travel times between sites The selection of sampling sites is done randomly to minimize the biases in locating sites and setting the gear Site selection is essentially a mapping exercise that is completed in the office before the field work begins

21 Sampling Methods

Survey design and methods for BTIN are summarized in Table 1 Sampling can start in June and go into early September as long as the lake remains thermally stratified If possible a temperaturedissolved oxygen profile (in the deepest part of the lake) should be taken sometime during the survey

All of the sets occur between 0800 and 1700 and are 30 minutes in duration The gear consists of two gangs of gillnets Each gang has 3 panels of one mesh size (either 51mm or 64 mm stretched mesh)

Sets are assigned to two depth strata (2-59 m and 6-10 m) based on the proportion of the surface areas of each stratum compared to the total surface area of the lake All sets are perpendicular to shore

Table 1 Summary of methods for Brook Trout Index Netting

Criteria Target Season June to early September (during thermal stratification) Time of Day Between 0800 and 1700 Set Duration 30 minutes Orientation Perpendicular to shore Gear 2 gillnet gangs (456 m in length and 24 m high)

- three 152 m panels of 51 mm mesh - three 152 m panels of 64 mm mesh

Site Selection random within depth strata Depth Strata 2 m ndash 59 and 6m - 10m (see section 41) Sample Size (minimum)

10 nets x 3 days = 30 sets

Crew Size 2 people

2

22 Sample Size

In small lakes (less than 100 hectares) sampling should be conducted for 3 to 5 days The minimum number of sets for a standard BTIN program is 30 (eg 10 sets per day x 3 days) Sample size can be increased to improve the precision of the CPUE estimate or increased for larger lakes to obtain a CPUE more representative of the whole lake A reasonable target for precision is a relative standard error of 20 although for low CPUEs this may not be possible within the 3 to 5 day sampling window

30 GEAR DESCRIPTION AND PREPARATION

31 Gillnets

Two different gillnet gangs are used Each gang consists of three 152 m (50 ft) panels of a single mesh size tied together (456 m total length) The stretched mesh sizes are 51mm (20rdquo) and 64mm (25rdquo) The gillnets are manufactured in Finland and adhere to specifications which were established by the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment Detailed net specifications and a Canadian supplier can be found in Appendix A

Gillnets will be shipped to you as individual panels To assemble the three panel gangs tie panels of the same mesh size together at the brail loops located at each end of the float and lead lines We found that taping over the knots with duct tape reduced the number of tangles in the net (the net tended to become caught on the knots or loose ends of rope) Each end of the net should be fitted with an anchor and a lift line These can be tied to the net as desired An example is provided in Figure 2 below

Attach a float to each of the lift lines Having a lift line and float on each end of the net ensures that the crew will still be able to find the net if one of the floats sinks or becomes detached YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE A NET The floats should be as large as common sense dictates If there is heavy boat traffic on the lake the floats should be made quite visible and if deemed necessary a float can be attached to the middle of the net Alternatively if there is little to no traffic on the lake the floats only need to be large enough to allow the crew to find the net again

Once assembled the nets can be placed into a laundry style basket or other container from which they can be set

3

Figure 2 Net set up for Brook Trout Index Netting

The diagram above illustrates a typical 3-panel gillnet gang configuration It is important to ensure that both ends of the net are weighted with an anchor and have a lift line with float attached

Reef Knot

Lift Line

Float

Rope Bridle

Gillnet Panel

Anchor

Anchor Line

32 Gear List

The following gear should be assembled checked serviced and organized in preparation for the field activities

321 Nets

bull 1 three-panel gang of 51mm monofilament gillnet bull 1 three-panel gang of 64mm monofilament gillnet bull 3 panels of each mesh size as backups in case of net damage

322 Misc netting equipment

bull 100 meters of 38rdquo twisted or braided polypropylene rope for anchor and lift lines

bull 4 anchors (1 L oil bottles filled with sand or concrete work well) bull 4 floats (antifreeze jugs may work well but more prominent floats may

be needed on lakes with heavy boat traffic) bull 2 spare anchors amp 2 spare floats

4

bull buckets or tubs for nets

323 Fish sampling equipment

bull scale envelopes bull otolith vials (to collect otoliths from dead brook trout) bull pocket knife (to collect scales and otoliths) bull forceps (to collect otoliths) bull scissors bull measuring board bull spring style weigh scales or electronic balance bull cotton gloves bull mesh weigh bag (knotless) bull field forms bull HB pencils

324 Other equipment

bull boat motor and related safety equipment bull cooler bull ice packs or pump and hose attachment to fill live well bull 12 V battery or power supply to power pump if used bull depth sounder bull bathymetric map of lake bull GPS Unit bull Sampling Schedule bull Site Map bull Dissolved Oxygen meter bull Hand held thermometer

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES

41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata The survey design includes two depth strata 2 - 59 m and 6-10 m Each depth stratum should be sampled proportional to the surface area of the lake within the stratum Several computer programs employing digital elevation models (eg ArcView Surfer) can calculate surface areas within a depth stratum The surface area can also be calculated using hypsographic curves or a grid overlay (see Appendix B) Within each depth stratum equal numbers of each mesh size should be set over the course of the survey although within a given day this may not always be possible Nets should be set so that the minimum depth (onshore end) is as close as possible to either two or six meters The depth of the offshore end need not be less than 6 metres in the first stratum but should not extend much deeper than 10 metres in either stratum (A good rule of thumb would be that no part of panel

5

1 or panel 2 can cross the 10m contour) In some lakes with a steep bottom slope nets set in the 6 to 10 metre stratum can extend well below the 10 metre depth For these lakes it is better to combine the two depth strata into one with a starting depth of 2 metres to keep as much net as possible in the 2 to 10 metre depth range

The objective of the BTIN program is to obtain a CPUE that is proportional to brook trout density above the 10m contour If parts of this zone are sampled disproportionately the resulting CPUE may be biased and not representative of fish density in the whole zone For example if we sampled only where the fish were concentrated the CPUE would be inflated giving a biased estimate of the true overall density

A hypothetical sampling design for a 4 day netting program (setting 12 nets per day) is shown below

Calculation of of nets required per stratum

Statistics for Hypothetical Lake

Lake surface area =50 ha Surface area between 2 - 10 m = 325 ha Surface area between 2 ndash59 m = 225 ha Surface area between 6 - 10 m = 100 ha

Sampling design

Total of nets to be set = 4 x 12 = 48 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 225ha325ha x 100 = 69 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 48 nets x 69 = 33 nets of nets to be set in 6-10m = 100ha325ha x 100 = 31 of nets to be set in 6-10m = 48 nets x 31 = 15 nets

The two mesh sizes must be set an equal number of times within each depth stratum therefore we must adjust the number of nets set in each stratum to be divisible by two (by rounding up or down) Accordingly we would set 34 nets in the 2- 59 m stratum and 14 nets in the 6-10m stratum

To facilitate organizing the netting schedule it is useful to make a table as follows

6

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

20 SURVEY DESIGN AND METHODS

The BTIN method utilizes a stratified random sampling design in which the individual sampling units (sites) are selected without replacement on a daily basis ie no site can be sampled more that once in a day There are two depth strata used in the design Spatial stratification is generally not required unless a lake is large with potentially long travel times between sites The selection of sampling sites is done randomly to minimize the biases in locating sites and setting the gear Site selection is essentially a mapping exercise that is completed in the office before the field work begins

21 Sampling Methods

Survey design and methods for BTIN are summarized in Table 1 Sampling can start in June and go into early September as long as the lake remains thermally stratified If possible a temperaturedissolved oxygen profile (in the deepest part of the lake) should be taken sometime during the survey

All of the sets occur between 0800 and 1700 and are 30 minutes in duration The gear consists of two gangs of gillnets Each gang has 3 panels of one mesh size (either 51mm or 64 mm stretched mesh)

Sets are assigned to two depth strata (2-59 m and 6-10 m) based on the proportion of the surface areas of each stratum compared to the total surface area of the lake All sets are perpendicular to shore

Table 1 Summary of methods for Brook Trout Index Netting

Criteria Target Season June to early September (during thermal stratification) Time of Day Between 0800 and 1700 Set Duration 30 minutes Orientation Perpendicular to shore Gear 2 gillnet gangs (456 m in length and 24 m high)

- three 152 m panels of 51 mm mesh - three 152 m panels of 64 mm mesh

Site Selection random within depth strata Depth Strata 2 m ndash 59 and 6m - 10m (see section 41) Sample Size (minimum)

10 nets x 3 days = 30 sets

Crew Size 2 people

2

22 Sample Size

In small lakes (less than 100 hectares) sampling should be conducted for 3 to 5 days The minimum number of sets for a standard BTIN program is 30 (eg 10 sets per day x 3 days) Sample size can be increased to improve the precision of the CPUE estimate or increased for larger lakes to obtain a CPUE more representative of the whole lake A reasonable target for precision is a relative standard error of 20 although for low CPUEs this may not be possible within the 3 to 5 day sampling window

30 GEAR DESCRIPTION AND PREPARATION

31 Gillnets

Two different gillnet gangs are used Each gang consists of three 152 m (50 ft) panels of a single mesh size tied together (456 m total length) The stretched mesh sizes are 51mm (20rdquo) and 64mm (25rdquo) The gillnets are manufactured in Finland and adhere to specifications which were established by the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment Detailed net specifications and a Canadian supplier can be found in Appendix A

Gillnets will be shipped to you as individual panels To assemble the three panel gangs tie panels of the same mesh size together at the brail loops located at each end of the float and lead lines We found that taping over the knots with duct tape reduced the number of tangles in the net (the net tended to become caught on the knots or loose ends of rope) Each end of the net should be fitted with an anchor and a lift line These can be tied to the net as desired An example is provided in Figure 2 below

Attach a float to each of the lift lines Having a lift line and float on each end of the net ensures that the crew will still be able to find the net if one of the floats sinks or becomes detached YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE A NET The floats should be as large as common sense dictates If there is heavy boat traffic on the lake the floats should be made quite visible and if deemed necessary a float can be attached to the middle of the net Alternatively if there is little to no traffic on the lake the floats only need to be large enough to allow the crew to find the net again

Once assembled the nets can be placed into a laundry style basket or other container from which they can be set

3

Figure 2 Net set up for Brook Trout Index Netting

The diagram above illustrates a typical 3-panel gillnet gang configuration It is important to ensure that both ends of the net are weighted with an anchor and have a lift line with float attached

Reef Knot

Lift Line

Float

Rope Bridle

Gillnet Panel

Anchor

Anchor Line

32 Gear List

The following gear should be assembled checked serviced and organized in preparation for the field activities

321 Nets

bull 1 three-panel gang of 51mm monofilament gillnet bull 1 three-panel gang of 64mm monofilament gillnet bull 3 panels of each mesh size as backups in case of net damage

322 Misc netting equipment

bull 100 meters of 38rdquo twisted or braided polypropylene rope for anchor and lift lines

bull 4 anchors (1 L oil bottles filled with sand or concrete work well) bull 4 floats (antifreeze jugs may work well but more prominent floats may

be needed on lakes with heavy boat traffic) bull 2 spare anchors amp 2 spare floats

4

bull buckets or tubs for nets

323 Fish sampling equipment

bull scale envelopes bull otolith vials (to collect otoliths from dead brook trout) bull pocket knife (to collect scales and otoliths) bull forceps (to collect otoliths) bull scissors bull measuring board bull spring style weigh scales or electronic balance bull cotton gloves bull mesh weigh bag (knotless) bull field forms bull HB pencils

324 Other equipment

bull boat motor and related safety equipment bull cooler bull ice packs or pump and hose attachment to fill live well bull 12 V battery or power supply to power pump if used bull depth sounder bull bathymetric map of lake bull GPS Unit bull Sampling Schedule bull Site Map bull Dissolved Oxygen meter bull Hand held thermometer

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES

41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata The survey design includes two depth strata 2 - 59 m and 6-10 m Each depth stratum should be sampled proportional to the surface area of the lake within the stratum Several computer programs employing digital elevation models (eg ArcView Surfer) can calculate surface areas within a depth stratum The surface area can also be calculated using hypsographic curves or a grid overlay (see Appendix B) Within each depth stratum equal numbers of each mesh size should be set over the course of the survey although within a given day this may not always be possible Nets should be set so that the minimum depth (onshore end) is as close as possible to either two or six meters The depth of the offshore end need not be less than 6 metres in the first stratum but should not extend much deeper than 10 metres in either stratum (A good rule of thumb would be that no part of panel

5

1 or panel 2 can cross the 10m contour) In some lakes with a steep bottom slope nets set in the 6 to 10 metre stratum can extend well below the 10 metre depth For these lakes it is better to combine the two depth strata into one with a starting depth of 2 metres to keep as much net as possible in the 2 to 10 metre depth range

The objective of the BTIN program is to obtain a CPUE that is proportional to brook trout density above the 10m contour If parts of this zone are sampled disproportionately the resulting CPUE may be biased and not representative of fish density in the whole zone For example if we sampled only where the fish were concentrated the CPUE would be inflated giving a biased estimate of the true overall density

A hypothetical sampling design for a 4 day netting program (setting 12 nets per day) is shown below

Calculation of of nets required per stratum

Statistics for Hypothetical Lake

Lake surface area =50 ha Surface area between 2 - 10 m = 325 ha Surface area between 2 ndash59 m = 225 ha Surface area between 6 - 10 m = 100 ha

Sampling design

Total of nets to be set = 4 x 12 = 48 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 225ha325ha x 100 = 69 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 48 nets x 69 = 33 nets of nets to be set in 6-10m = 100ha325ha x 100 = 31 of nets to be set in 6-10m = 48 nets x 31 = 15 nets

The two mesh sizes must be set an equal number of times within each depth stratum therefore we must adjust the number of nets set in each stratum to be divisible by two (by rounding up or down) Accordingly we would set 34 nets in the 2- 59 m stratum and 14 nets in the 6-10m stratum

To facilitate organizing the netting schedule it is useful to make a table as follows

6

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

22 Sample Size

In small lakes (less than 100 hectares) sampling should be conducted for 3 to 5 days The minimum number of sets for a standard BTIN program is 30 (eg 10 sets per day x 3 days) Sample size can be increased to improve the precision of the CPUE estimate or increased for larger lakes to obtain a CPUE more representative of the whole lake A reasonable target for precision is a relative standard error of 20 although for low CPUEs this may not be possible within the 3 to 5 day sampling window

30 GEAR DESCRIPTION AND PREPARATION

31 Gillnets

Two different gillnet gangs are used Each gang consists of three 152 m (50 ft) panels of a single mesh size tied together (456 m total length) The stretched mesh sizes are 51mm (20rdquo) and 64mm (25rdquo) The gillnets are manufactured in Finland and adhere to specifications which were established by the British Columbia Ministry of the Environment Detailed net specifications and a Canadian supplier can be found in Appendix A

Gillnets will be shipped to you as individual panels To assemble the three panel gangs tie panels of the same mesh size together at the brail loops located at each end of the float and lead lines We found that taping over the knots with duct tape reduced the number of tangles in the net (the net tended to become caught on the knots or loose ends of rope) Each end of the net should be fitted with an anchor and a lift line These can be tied to the net as desired An example is provided in Figure 2 below

Attach a float to each of the lift lines Having a lift line and float on each end of the net ensures that the crew will still be able to find the net if one of the floats sinks or becomes detached YOU DO NOT WANT TO LOSE A NET The floats should be as large as common sense dictates If there is heavy boat traffic on the lake the floats should be made quite visible and if deemed necessary a float can be attached to the middle of the net Alternatively if there is little to no traffic on the lake the floats only need to be large enough to allow the crew to find the net again

Once assembled the nets can be placed into a laundry style basket or other container from which they can be set

3

Figure 2 Net set up for Brook Trout Index Netting

The diagram above illustrates a typical 3-panel gillnet gang configuration It is important to ensure that both ends of the net are weighted with an anchor and have a lift line with float attached

Reef Knot

Lift Line

Float

Rope Bridle

Gillnet Panel

Anchor

Anchor Line

32 Gear List

The following gear should be assembled checked serviced and organized in preparation for the field activities

321 Nets

bull 1 three-panel gang of 51mm monofilament gillnet bull 1 three-panel gang of 64mm monofilament gillnet bull 3 panels of each mesh size as backups in case of net damage

322 Misc netting equipment

bull 100 meters of 38rdquo twisted or braided polypropylene rope for anchor and lift lines

bull 4 anchors (1 L oil bottles filled with sand or concrete work well) bull 4 floats (antifreeze jugs may work well but more prominent floats may

be needed on lakes with heavy boat traffic) bull 2 spare anchors amp 2 spare floats

4

bull buckets or tubs for nets

323 Fish sampling equipment

bull scale envelopes bull otolith vials (to collect otoliths from dead brook trout) bull pocket knife (to collect scales and otoliths) bull forceps (to collect otoliths) bull scissors bull measuring board bull spring style weigh scales or electronic balance bull cotton gloves bull mesh weigh bag (knotless) bull field forms bull HB pencils

324 Other equipment

bull boat motor and related safety equipment bull cooler bull ice packs or pump and hose attachment to fill live well bull 12 V battery or power supply to power pump if used bull depth sounder bull bathymetric map of lake bull GPS Unit bull Sampling Schedule bull Site Map bull Dissolved Oxygen meter bull Hand held thermometer

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES

41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata The survey design includes two depth strata 2 - 59 m and 6-10 m Each depth stratum should be sampled proportional to the surface area of the lake within the stratum Several computer programs employing digital elevation models (eg ArcView Surfer) can calculate surface areas within a depth stratum The surface area can also be calculated using hypsographic curves or a grid overlay (see Appendix B) Within each depth stratum equal numbers of each mesh size should be set over the course of the survey although within a given day this may not always be possible Nets should be set so that the minimum depth (onshore end) is as close as possible to either two or six meters The depth of the offshore end need not be less than 6 metres in the first stratum but should not extend much deeper than 10 metres in either stratum (A good rule of thumb would be that no part of panel

5

1 or panel 2 can cross the 10m contour) In some lakes with a steep bottom slope nets set in the 6 to 10 metre stratum can extend well below the 10 metre depth For these lakes it is better to combine the two depth strata into one with a starting depth of 2 metres to keep as much net as possible in the 2 to 10 metre depth range

The objective of the BTIN program is to obtain a CPUE that is proportional to brook trout density above the 10m contour If parts of this zone are sampled disproportionately the resulting CPUE may be biased and not representative of fish density in the whole zone For example if we sampled only where the fish were concentrated the CPUE would be inflated giving a biased estimate of the true overall density

A hypothetical sampling design for a 4 day netting program (setting 12 nets per day) is shown below

Calculation of of nets required per stratum

Statistics for Hypothetical Lake

Lake surface area =50 ha Surface area between 2 - 10 m = 325 ha Surface area between 2 ndash59 m = 225 ha Surface area between 6 - 10 m = 100 ha

Sampling design

Total of nets to be set = 4 x 12 = 48 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 225ha325ha x 100 = 69 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 48 nets x 69 = 33 nets of nets to be set in 6-10m = 100ha325ha x 100 = 31 of nets to be set in 6-10m = 48 nets x 31 = 15 nets

The two mesh sizes must be set an equal number of times within each depth stratum therefore we must adjust the number of nets set in each stratum to be divisible by two (by rounding up or down) Accordingly we would set 34 nets in the 2- 59 m stratum and 14 nets in the 6-10m stratum

To facilitate organizing the netting schedule it is useful to make a table as follows

6

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

Figure 2 Net set up for Brook Trout Index Netting

The diagram above illustrates a typical 3-panel gillnet gang configuration It is important to ensure that both ends of the net are weighted with an anchor and have a lift line with float attached

Reef Knot

Lift Line

Float

Rope Bridle

Gillnet Panel

Anchor

Anchor Line

32 Gear List

The following gear should be assembled checked serviced and organized in preparation for the field activities

321 Nets

bull 1 three-panel gang of 51mm monofilament gillnet bull 1 three-panel gang of 64mm monofilament gillnet bull 3 panels of each mesh size as backups in case of net damage

322 Misc netting equipment

bull 100 meters of 38rdquo twisted or braided polypropylene rope for anchor and lift lines

bull 4 anchors (1 L oil bottles filled with sand or concrete work well) bull 4 floats (antifreeze jugs may work well but more prominent floats may

be needed on lakes with heavy boat traffic) bull 2 spare anchors amp 2 spare floats

4

bull buckets or tubs for nets

323 Fish sampling equipment

bull scale envelopes bull otolith vials (to collect otoliths from dead brook trout) bull pocket knife (to collect scales and otoliths) bull forceps (to collect otoliths) bull scissors bull measuring board bull spring style weigh scales or electronic balance bull cotton gloves bull mesh weigh bag (knotless) bull field forms bull HB pencils

324 Other equipment

bull boat motor and related safety equipment bull cooler bull ice packs or pump and hose attachment to fill live well bull 12 V battery or power supply to power pump if used bull depth sounder bull bathymetric map of lake bull GPS Unit bull Sampling Schedule bull Site Map bull Dissolved Oxygen meter bull Hand held thermometer

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES

41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata The survey design includes two depth strata 2 - 59 m and 6-10 m Each depth stratum should be sampled proportional to the surface area of the lake within the stratum Several computer programs employing digital elevation models (eg ArcView Surfer) can calculate surface areas within a depth stratum The surface area can also be calculated using hypsographic curves or a grid overlay (see Appendix B) Within each depth stratum equal numbers of each mesh size should be set over the course of the survey although within a given day this may not always be possible Nets should be set so that the minimum depth (onshore end) is as close as possible to either two or six meters The depth of the offshore end need not be less than 6 metres in the first stratum but should not extend much deeper than 10 metres in either stratum (A good rule of thumb would be that no part of panel

5

1 or panel 2 can cross the 10m contour) In some lakes with a steep bottom slope nets set in the 6 to 10 metre stratum can extend well below the 10 metre depth For these lakes it is better to combine the two depth strata into one with a starting depth of 2 metres to keep as much net as possible in the 2 to 10 metre depth range

The objective of the BTIN program is to obtain a CPUE that is proportional to brook trout density above the 10m contour If parts of this zone are sampled disproportionately the resulting CPUE may be biased and not representative of fish density in the whole zone For example if we sampled only where the fish were concentrated the CPUE would be inflated giving a biased estimate of the true overall density

A hypothetical sampling design for a 4 day netting program (setting 12 nets per day) is shown below

Calculation of of nets required per stratum

Statistics for Hypothetical Lake

Lake surface area =50 ha Surface area between 2 - 10 m = 325 ha Surface area between 2 ndash59 m = 225 ha Surface area between 6 - 10 m = 100 ha

Sampling design

Total of nets to be set = 4 x 12 = 48 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 225ha325ha x 100 = 69 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 48 nets x 69 = 33 nets of nets to be set in 6-10m = 100ha325ha x 100 = 31 of nets to be set in 6-10m = 48 nets x 31 = 15 nets

The two mesh sizes must be set an equal number of times within each depth stratum therefore we must adjust the number of nets set in each stratum to be divisible by two (by rounding up or down) Accordingly we would set 34 nets in the 2- 59 m stratum and 14 nets in the 6-10m stratum

To facilitate organizing the netting schedule it is useful to make a table as follows

6

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

bull buckets or tubs for nets

323 Fish sampling equipment

bull scale envelopes bull otolith vials (to collect otoliths from dead brook trout) bull pocket knife (to collect scales and otoliths) bull forceps (to collect otoliths) bull scissors bull measuring board bull spring style weigh scales or electronic balance bull cotton gloves bull mesh weigh bag (knotless) bull field forms bull HB pencils

324 Other equipment

bull boat motor and related safety equipment bull cooler bull ice packs or pump and hose attachment to fill live well bull 12 V battery or power supply to power pump if used bull depth sounder bull bathymetric map of lake bull GPS Unit bull Sampling Schedule bull Site Map bull Dissolved Oxygen meter bull Hand held thermometer

40 PRE-FIELD ACTIVITIES

41 Allocation of sampling effort to depth strata The survey design includes two depth strata 2 - 59 m and 6-10 m Each depth stratum should be sampled proportional to the surface area of the lake within the stratum Several computer programs employing digital elevation models (eg ArcView Surfer) can calculate surface areas within a depth stratum The surface area can also be calculated using hypsographic curves or a grid overlay (see Appendix B) Within each depth stratum equal numbers of each mesh size should be set over the course of the survey although within a given day this may not always be possible Nets should be set so that the minimum depth (onshore end) is as close as possible to either two or six meters The depth of the offshore end need not be less than 6 metres in the first stratum but should not extend much deeper than 10 metres in either stratum (A good rule of thumb would be that no part of panel

5

1 or panel 2 can cross the 10m contour) In some lakes with a steep bottom slope nets set in the 6 to 10 metre stratum can extend well below the 10 metre depth For these lakes it is better to combine the two depth strata into one with a starting depth of 2 metres to keep as much net as possible in the 2 to 10 metre depth range

The objective of the BTIN program is to obtain a CPUE that is proportional to brook trout density above the 10m contour If parts of this zone are sampled disproportionately the resulting CPUE may be biased and not representative of fish density in the whole zone For example if we sampled only where the fish were concentrated the CPUE would be inflated giving a biased estimate of the true overall density

A hypothetical sampling design for a 4 day netting program (setting 12 nets per day) is shown below

Calculation of of nets required per stratum

Statistics for Hypothetical Lake

Lake surface area =50 ha Surface area between 2 - 10 m = 325 ha Surface area between 2 ndash59 m = 225 ha Surface area between 6 - 10 m = 100 ha

Sampling design

Total of nets to be set = 4 x 12 = 48 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 225ha325ha x 100 = 69 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 48 nets x 69 = 33 nets of nets to be set in 6-10m = 100ha325ha x 100 = 31 of nets to be set in 6-10m = 48 nets x 31 = 15 nets

The two mesh sizes must be set an equal number of times within each depth stratum therefore we must adjust the number of nets set in each stratum to be divisible by two (by rounding up or down) Accordingly we would set 34 nets in the 2- 59 m stratum and 14 nets in the 6-10m stratum

To facilitate organizing the netting schedule it is useful to make a table as follows

6

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

1 or panel 2 can cross the 10m contour) In some lakes with a steep bottom slope nets set in the 6 to 10 metre stratum can extend well below the 10 metre depth For these lakes it is better to combine the two depth strata into one with a starting depth of 2 metres to keep as much net as possible in the 2 to 10 metre depth range

The objective of the BTIN program is to obtain a CPUE that is proportional to brook trout density above the 10m contour If parts of this zone are sampled disproportionately the resulting CPUE may be biased and not representative of fish density in the whole zone For example if we sampled only where the fish were concentrated the CPUE would be inflated giving a biased estimate of the true overall density

A hypothetical sampling design for a 4 day netting program (setting 12 nets per day) is shown below

Calculation of of nets required per stratum

Statistics for Hypothetical Lake

Lake surface area =50 ha Surface area between 2 - 10 m = 325 ha Surface area between 2 ndash59 m = 225 ha Surface area between 6 - 10 m = 100 ha

Sampling design

Total of nets to be set = 4 x 12 = 48 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 225ha325ha x 100 = 69 of nets to be set in 2- 59 m = 48 nets x 69 = 33 nets of nets to be set in 6-10m = 100ha325ha x 100 = 31 of nets to be set in 6-10m = 48 nets x 31 = 15 nets

The two mesh sizes must be set an equal number of times within each depth stratum therefore we must adjust the number of nets set in each stratum to be divisible by two (by rounding up or down) Accordingly we would set 34 nets in the 2- 59 m stratum and 14 nets in the 6-10m stratum

To facilitate organizing the netting schedule it is useful to make a table as follows

6

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

Table 2 Number of nets to be set within each depth stratum by day

Day 2- 59 m Depth Stratum

(34 nets) 6-10 m Depth Stratum

(14 nets) 51mm

(17 nets) 64mm

(17 nets) 51mm

(7 nets) 64mm

(7 nets) 1 4 4 2 2 2 4 4 2 2 3 5 5 1 1 4 4 4 2 2

Total Nets 17 17 7 7

42 Sample Site Selection

There are two options for designating potential sampling sites Both require a contour map of the study lake showing at least the 2 6 and 10 metre contours In one method the shoreline of the lake is marked off into 100 metre sections In the other method a 100 metre grid is drawn on the map

All sites should then be categorized by the depth strata they contain Sites that are too shallow too deep or are otherwise unacceptable because of docks boathouses heavy boat traffic etc are removed from further consideration The shoreline sectors or grid squares are then numbered sequentially (usually going clockwise around the lake) and each represents a potential sampling site

Randomly select the sites to be sampled prior to going into the field (a random number table or telephone book works well for this) The following guidelines should be kept in mind when selecting sites

bull sites should be selected so that the same site is not sampled more than once in a day

bull on a given day nets should be set at least 3 sites apart from each other to minimize the chance that one net will interfere with the catch in another net On smaller lakes where this may not be possible ensure that no two nets fishing at the same time are less than 3 sites apart

If you are sampling a large lake (eg greater than 500 hectares) and travel time between sites would prohibit sampling the entire lake on any given day the lake should then be divided into manageable areas of roughly equal size which are then further divided into 100 metre sites Each day a different area could be sampled

7

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

43 Creating a Sampling Schedule

It should be possible to set 10 or 12 nets per day In some cases you may find that time will permit more nets to be set (if catches are low or travel time between sites is relatively short) If due to lengthy travel time to and from the lake or because of large catches you cannot set 10 nets per day you may have to scale back to 8 sets per day

The time interval between setting nets is dependent upon the number of fish you think you will catch and the extent to which you sample the fish In other words the longer it takes to clear a net and sample the fish the more time you should allow between sets

For a lake with moderate catches and a moderate sampling intensity (eg 1 - 2 brook trout per net taking only fork lengths total lengths weights and scale samples) a typical schedule may look something like Table 3 below

Table 3 Example of a Daily Sampling Schedule

Time Set Net

Lift Net Time

Set Net

Lift Net

900 1 1300 7 915 2 1315 8 930 1 1330 7 945 2 1345 8 1000 3 1400 9 1015 4 1415 10 1030 3 1430 9 1045 4 1445 10 1100 5 1500 11 1115 6 1515 12 1130 5 1530 11 1145 6 1545 12 1200 Lunch 1600 End of

day

You will find that various factors (eg tangled nets large numbers of fish time spent trying to revive a fish etc) will interfere with such a schedule and it is provided only as an example It is not critical that each net be fished for exactly 30 minutes Fishing a net five to ten minutes either side of 30 minutes is acceptable if there were delays The mean set duration should work out to 30 minutes on a daily basis In other words if you are late lifting a net by 5 minutes because of many fish in the previous net lift the next one five minutes early to average it out to 30 minutes

8

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

Order of sampling Once sites are selected the order in which they are sampled needs to be determined Select an order which makes the most logistical sense Since the sites were randomly selected the order in which they are netted should not bias the results Remember the distance-between-nets requirement so that nets fishing at the same time are not too close together This means that on a small lake you may end up leapfrogging around the shoreline several times during the day You should pick your starting sites so that you begin at different areas of the lake each day

Assigning mesh sizes After selecting the sites mesh sizes can be assigned to them Randomly assign a mesh size to the first site to be netted then alternate between mesh sizes for the rest of the day This may require a further adjustment in the order that sites are sampled if two different depth strata are used Refer to the sampling schedule (Table 2) to determine how many nets and which mesh sizes are set in each depth stratum

Example Set up a schedule for Day 3 from Table 2 on a lake with 50 useable grid squares (Figure 1) First generate a list of about 20 random numbers between 1 and 50 (eg 20 3 4418 20 7 10 31 40 13 18 22 12 3 13 47 1 9 16 33 ) Remove all duplicate numbers (2018313) Select the first 2 sites that have a 6 to 10 metre stratum (20 44) Select the first 10 sites with a 2 to 59 metre stratum (3 7 10 31 40 13 22 12 47 1) Now with the map in front of you pick a starting site then pick the next site that is close but not within 3 sites Continue in this manner around the lake until all sites have been selected Assign mesh sizes to each site (alternating between the two mesh sizes) Check that the mesh sizes are correct for each depth stratum You may have to re-start this process several times to produce a workable schedule Figure 1 shows an example for a hypothetical lake

Figure 1 Example of a hypothetical lake and itrsquos daily sampling schedule

1 2

3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24

25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32

33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 -6 43m

-10m 44

45 46 -2m

47 48 49 50

Set

Set Time Site Gear Start Depth

1 0900 12 51mm 2 2 0915 7 64mm 2 3 1000 40 51mm 2 4 1015 44 64mm 6 5 1100 20 51mm 6 6 1115 3 64mm 2 7 1200 22 51mm 2 8 1215 47 64mm 2 9 1300 31 51mm 2

10 1315 10 64mm 2 11 1400 13 51mm 2 12 1415 1 64mm 2

9

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

44 Preparation of Field Forms

Prior to the first field sampling day crews will need to prepare enough BTIN Effort Forms Catch Forms and Fish Sampling Forms to record their results while in the field One Effort Form several Catch Forms and several Fish Sampling Forms should be prepared for each field day Blank copies of standard BTIN forms are included in Appendix D Check the current Fishnet V3 User Guide for definitions of any fields not described in this manual

If additional fish sampling is required (eg extra data for species of interest) then the appropriate paperwork for that task should also be prepared at this time All paperwork (forms manual maps schedule information sheets scale envelopes etc) should be placed in plastic bags and sealed in a suitable storage container for protection from wind and water damage

BTIN forms can be printed (laser printers only) or photocopied on weatherproof or waterproof paper for working in inclement weather It is recommended that a small set of weatherproof or waterproof forms be available to the field crew for the days when such forms would be required

50 FIELD PROCEDURES

51 Setting the Net

Although nets may be set anywhere within the site boundaries try to set near the middle of the site Occasionally obstructions such as docks fallen trees and campsites will force you to set more towards the site boundaries If you are unable to set a net at a scheduled site we suggest that you try setting at the next adjacent site either to the left or right (choose one side and be consistent whenever this happens) instead of randomly choosing another site This minimizes disruption to the netting schedule and should not introduce any bias If a suitable netting site still cannot be found then randomly select another site

Steps in Setting the Net

1) Drive towards shore until the desired minimum depth of two or six metres is reached On the Effort Form record Effort Number Site Number Mesh Size UTM Coordinates and Start Depth as described below

2) Shift the boat into reverse and instruct the person at the bow to throw out the anchor and float and to begin feeding out the net

3) While backing out slowly from shore feed the net from the bow making sure to keep the float and lead lines from crossing If the net has been packed neatly it will go out neatly At the end of each panel record the bottom depth in the appropriate place on the form

10

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

4) When the net is fully played out drop the anchor line while holding onto the float line

5) Continue reversing the boat until the net is taut and then release the float line Record start time and wind direction

52 Information to Record at Set

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net set

Effort Number

Record the unique (and sequential) number assigned to each individual setting of a net The first set of the project would be effort 001 the second would be effort 002 and so on until the final effort number is recorded (eg effort 048)

Site Number

Record the grid reference number or shoreline segment number used to identify the specific geographic location of the netting site

Mesh Size

Enter the mesh size (stretched) used in this set For the BTIN program the sizes are 51 mm and 64 mm (20rdquo and 25rdquo respectively)

UTM coordinates

Record the UTM coordinates and datum (NAD27 or NAD83) at the start of each set

Gear Depth Start (m)

Record the depth of the net at the nearshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 1 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the first gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

Depth at end of Panel 2 (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the second gillnet panel in metres to one decimal place

11

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

Gear Depth End (m)

Record the depth of the net at the offshore end of the set in metres to one decimal place

Start time

Record the time that the net was set (24 hr clock hhmm) Start time is recorded as the time when the last panel has been set and the anchor is in place (ie step 5 is completed)

Wind Direction amp Speed (optional)

Record the wind direction expressed in degrees and the wind speed expressed in knots at the time of the set Use a compass to measure the direction that the wind is coming from Estimate (or measure with an anemometer) the velocity of the wind

Record the following data on the Effort Form immediately after making the first set of the day This information is applicable to all sets on that day and only the weather information needs to be changed if appropriate

Waterbody

Record the official name of the waterbody in which the net was set

Date

(yymmdd) Record the date that the net was set and lifted

Field Crew

Record the names or initials of the field crew members who fished the net

Water Temperature

Measure and record the water temperature in degrees Celcius taken 50cm below the waterrsquos surface

Air Temperature (optional)

Record the air temperature in degrees Celcius as measured with a dry thermometer

Cloud Cover (optional)

Record the estimated fraction of the sky in eighths that is covered by cloud ndash according to the following descriptions

12

0 = sky is clear (no clouds) 5 = 58 of sky is covered by cloud

1 = 18 of sky is covered by cloud 6 = 68 of sky is covered by cloud

2 = 28 of sky is covered by cloud 7 = 78 of sky is covered by cloud

3 = 38 of sky is covered by cloud 8 = sky is totally covered by cloud

4 = 48 of sky is covered by cloud 9 = sky obscured by fog snow etc (cloud cover cannot be estimated)

Precipitation (optional)

Record the type of precipitation fog or mist using the following codes found on the BTIN Effort Form

00 = none 61 = light rain 75 = heavy snow

10 = mist 65 = heavy rain 95 = thunderstorm

40 = fog 71 = light snow

53 Lifting The Net

Prior to lifting the net a cooler of cool fresh water should be set up to hold captured fish for recovery A portable 12V water pump can be hooked up to either a 12V battery or a rechargeable 12V power supply A regular garden hose (7 m in length) weighted on one end is connected to the pump and lowered into the water Filling a large cooler about frac34 full takes less than 5 minutes Alternatively fill the cooler with fresh surface water and add several ice packs Bring enough ice packs for the entire day If not many fish are caught this water can be used for a few net lifts instead of changing the water every net Using cool water noticeably reduces short-term brook trout mortality Keeping the cooler covered and the fish out of direct light is also beneficial

Record the catch by panel if possible Although not essential this information can be useful for interpreting the results of the survey The panels are numbered from one to three one being the nearshore panel and three being the offshore panel In the interests of consistency it is recommended the net be fished from the offshore end first weather permitting Consistently fishing the net from the offshore end (panel three) reduces the chance of assigning fish to the wrong panel However if safety is an issue eg because of wind or wave direction then start at the nearshore end

13

Steps in Lifting the Net

1) Prepare the coolers as indicated above

2) Retrieve the marker buoy at the offshore end of the net and place it in the net basket

3) Start to retrieve the net Note the time and record it on the effort form under ldquoEnd timerdquo

4) Retrieve the net carefully removing the fish as you go Fish taken from the net can either be processed as the net is taken in (if conditions permit the catch is small enough and the crew experienced enough) or the fish can be placed into the cooler and kept to be processed after the net has been fished Remember to keep track of which panel each fish is taken from (eg use one or two fine-mesh dipnets sitting in the cooler)

54 Information to Record at Lift

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net lift

End time

End time is recorded as the time when you start to lift the first panel (24 hr clock hhmm)

Complete the header on the BTIN Catch Form by recording the Waterbody and Date to correspond with the information on the BTIN Effort Form

Fill in one row of the Catch Form for each species caught in each panel (panel = Sub-Effort) It may be easier to complete this step after all fish from the set have been sampled

55 Fish Sampling

The level of fish sampling is determined by the local project coordinator and may depend upon the species and whether the fish are stocked or native For brook trout it is recommended that a minimum of total length fork length weight and clip-on-capture be recorded Any tag numbers should of course be recorded as well A plot of fork length vs total length can be used to quickly check for data entry or recording errors It is also suggested that scale samples be taken for age determination (unless the age can be determined from previously applied fin clips or tags) Any dead fish should be kept to have further biological information taken This could include recording sex and maturity taking additional aging structures (ie otoliths pectoral rays) and stomach samples

14

If enough brook trout are captured it may be feasible to do a mark-recapture population estimate by fin clipping or tagging released fish

For species other than brook trout the intensity of sampling will vary according to the type of information desired by the office but it is recommended that fork lengths be taken as a minimum

Steps in Sampling the Fish

1) Designate one person as the fish handler and another person as the data recorder The fish handler samples the fish and calls out the data the data recorder writes the data on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

2) Start by completing the header on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form Record the Waterbody Date and Crew to correspond with the information on the BTIN Effort Form

3) Record the Effort Number on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

4) The fish handler should select a fish identify the fish species and call out the species name and panel number (Sub-Effort ) to the data recorder A list of Fish Species and codes is provided in Appendix C

5) Record a Fish Number for the fish Fish Numbers must be unique for each fish sampled One approach is to number every fish sequentially starting at the first catch of the first day and continuing to the end of the project

6) Place that fish on the measuring board so that the snout is snug against the zero end of the board and the fish is laying flat along the graduated ruler (see Figure 8)

7) Measure and record the fork length to the nearest millimetre

8) Measure and record the total length to the nearest millimetre To measure the total length compress the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin rays to obtain the maximum length (see Figure 8)

9) Weigh the fish using a hand held spring-loaded weigh scale or electronic balance Hand held spring-loaded scales should be calibrated each day and tared with the damp weigh sock Weigh fish with the appropriate capacity scale Do not record weights of fish that are lt10 of the scale capacity (100 g for a 1 kg scale) when spring-loaded mechanical scales are used (ie do not weight an 80 g fish on the 1 kg scale use the 100 g scale) Enter the weight of the fish on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

15

Figure 3 Measuring the Fork and Total Lengths

10) Scale samples should be collected for aging purposes To collect a scale sample gently wipe away with the blade of your knife any excess mucous and dirt from the area to be sampled Clean the knife blade carefully by wiping with a cloth or rinsing in water With the tip of the knife gently pull the scales from the left side of the body and place in a scale envelope For soft rayed fish (salmonids coregonids etc) remove at least 20 scales from above the lateral line and anterior to the dorsal fin For spiny rayed fish (yellow perch etc) remove at least 10 scales from below the lateral line and posterior to the insertion of the pectoral fin The following information should be recorded on scale envelopes

Typical Fields on Scale Sample Envelope Data to Record Species Fish Species Code Party No Effort Number No Fish Number Date Date Locality Waterbody Grid or Site Age Structures Aging Structures Collected

11) If some brook trout are dead when captured otoliths should be collected and used as the primary structure for age interpretation They should be placed in otolith containers and placed in the scale envelope that has been labeled above Record the type of structures that were collected on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

12) When all the required information has been collected release the fish by gently tossing it back into the water or back into the cooler if it has not fully recovered Be sure it is separated from fish not already sampled Return to step 4 if there are more fish to sample

16

60 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES

61 Data Transcription

If data are recorded in field notebooks the crew should transcribe the data onto forms This transcription step may be avoided by using field forms printed on waterproof paper Sample forms which may be modified to suit your particular project are provided in Appendix D

62 Data Entry

A data entry template for BTIN projects is provided in FISHNET3 and has been designed to reflect the structure of the field forms provided in this manual

70 GENERAL SURVEY GUIDELINES AND TROUBLESHOOTING

While designing or conducting a survey problems unique to your lake may arise which are not covered in this manual Most problems can be worked out by logically thinking them through The following is a list of the basic Dos and Donrsquots of the method Keep these in mind when setting up your sampling design

bull Do use the random site selection process described in this manual Donrsquot use prior knowledge of lsquogoodrsquo or lsquopoorrsquo fishinghabitatnetting locations as a basis for selecting sites An unbiased index of abundance depends on random sampling design The overall objective is to get a CPUE that is representative of the entire lake above the 10 metre contour That means sampling both the ldquogoodrdquo and ldquopoorrdquo areas

bull Do ensure that the mean set duration within each day is 30 minutes The index is based upon this Not every net has to be set for exactly 30 minutes however the average set should be 30 minutes

bull Do distribute netting effort evenly throughout the entire work day Brook trout activity levels likely vary with time of day Therefore so will their encounter rate with the nets By spreading effort throughout the day you will get a better ldquoaveragerdquo CPUE

bull Do spread netting effort over as many days as practical to average the effect of environmental conditions on CPUE (ie if you have two lakes to sample simply alternate between them) Brook trout activity levels likely vary with environmental conditions such as weather patterns so distributing the effort over a longer period will tend to even out the effect of weather conditions and produce a more representative CPUE

17

bull Do set the same number of sets of each mesh size each day Each mesh size has different capture efficiencies for different sized fish so setting more of one size could bias the catch

bull Do try to maintain the minimum distance between nets that are set at the same time This can be a real challenge in small lakes It may happen that many of the randomly chosen sites are clustered in one area of the lake which makes it very difficult to create a schedule that keeps sites the required distance apart It may be necessary to reject one or two sites near the beginning of the random number list in favour of sites that are farther down the list in order to keep the nets far enough apart

80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The organization of the BTIN manual was based largely on the SLIN manual that was written by Frank Hicks Trevor Middel wrote the first draft of the BTIN manual and helped with survey design and field activities Mike Powell initiated the calibration exercise Wendy Stott contributed to survey design data analysis and field activities Stephen Belfry from the North Bay MNR office Andre Dupont from Sault Ste Marie MNR office and George Morgan from Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit at Laurentian University helped in the calibration exercise Many other Ministry of Natural Resources staff throughout the province provided data from their brook trout surveys Others helping with field work and preparation of the manual include Greg Betteridge Glenn Forward Audie Skinner Chuck Brady and many seasonal staff at the Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

90 REFERENCES

Hicks FJ 1999 Manual of Instructions Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) Ont Ministry of Natural Resources - Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

Monroe B M Powell W Stott G Betteridge and G Forward 2005 Calibration of the brook trout index netting protocol in stocked brook trout lakes Ont Ministry of Natural Resources ndash Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

18

Appendix A (Net Specifications and Supplier)

Net specifications ( per panel)

bull Length 152 m (50 ft) bull Height 24 m (8 ft) bull Mesh size 51 mm 64 mm ( 20rdquo 25rdquo) stretched mesh bull Mesh Type double knotted monofilament bull Filament dia 020 mm for 51 mm mesh sizes 025 mm for 64 mm mesh size bull Color light green (Miracle R-13L) bull Lead Line braided 75gm bull Cork line braided nylon corks 15 - 20 cm Apart

General Details Nets are hung on a 21 basis thus there is twice as much web as leadcork line and the ratio of meshes is 1731 Nylon gables (side lines) are approximately 18 kg test

Supplier

The nets referred to as ldquoMonofilament Nylon Gillnetsrdquo are available from

Redden Net Co Ltd 1638 West 3rd Ave Vancouver BC V6J 1K2 Phone 800-667-9455 or 866-233-1422 Fax (604) 736-9161 Website wwwredden-netcomgillnetscfm

19

Steps in Lifting the Net

1) Prepare the coolers as indicated above

2) Retrieve the marker buoy at the offshore end of the net and place it in the net basket

3) Start to retrieve the net Note the time and record it on the effort form under ldquoEnd timerdquo

4) Retrieve the net carefully removing the fish as you go Fish taken from the net can either be processed as the net is taken in (if conditions permit the catch is small enough and the crew experienced enough) or the fish can be placed into the cooler and kept to be processed after the net has been fished Remember to keep track of which panel each fish is taken from (eg use one or two fine-mesh dipnets sitting in the cooler)

54 Information to Record at Lift

Record the following data on the Effort Form for each individual net lift

End time

End time is recorded as the time when you start to lift the first panel (24 hr clock hhmm)

Complete the header on the BTIN Catch Form by recording the Waterbody and Date to correspond with the information on the BTIN Effort Form

Fill in one row of the Catch Form for each species caught in each panel (panel = Sub-Effort) It may be easier to complete this step after all fish from the set have been sampled

55 Fish Sampling

The level of fish sampling is determined by the local project coordinator and may depend upon the species and whether the fish are stocked or native For brook trout it is recommended that a minimum of total length fork length weight and clip-on-capture be recorded Any tag numbers should of course be recorded as well A plot of fork length vs total length can be used to quickly check for data entry or recording errors It is also suggested that scale samples be taken for age determination (unless the age can be determined from previously applied fin clips or tags) Any dead fish should be kept to have further biological information taken This could include recording sex and maturity taking additional aging structures (ie otoliths pectoral rays) and stomach samples

14

If enough brook trout are captured it may be feasible to do a mark-recapture population estimate by fin clipping or tagging released fish

For species other than brook trout the intensity of sampling will vary according to the type of information desired by the office but it is recommended that fork lengths be taken as a minimum

Steps in Sampling the Fish

1) Designate one person as the fish handler and another person as the data recorder The fish handler samples the fish and calls out the data the data recorder writes the data on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

2) Start by completing the header on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form Record the Waterbody Date and Crew to correspond with the information on the BTIN Effort Form

3) Record the Effort Number on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

4) The fish handler should select a fish identify the fish species and call out the species name and panel number (Sub-Effort ) to the data recorder A list of Fish Species and codes is provided in Appendix C

5) Record a Fish Number for the fish Fish Numbers must be unique for each fish sampled One approach is to number every fish sequentially starting at the first catch of the first day and continuing to the end of the project

6) Place that fish on the measuring board so that the snout is snug against the zero end of the board and the fish is laying flat along the graduated ruler (see Figure 8)

7) Measure and record the fork length to the nearest millimetre

8) Measure and record the total length to the nearest millimetre To measure the total length compress the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin rays to obtain the maximum length (see Figure 8)

9) Weigh the fish using a hand held spring-loaded weigh scale or electronic balance Hand held spring-loaded scales should be calibrated each day and tared with the damp weigh sock Weigh fish with the appropriate capacity scale Do not record weights of fish that are lt10 of the scale capacity (100 g for a 1 kg scale) when spring-loaded mechanical scales are used (ie do not weight an 80 g fish on the 1 kg scale use the 100 g scale) Enter the weight of the fish on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

15

Figure 3 Measuring the Fork and Total Lengths

10) Scale samples should be collected for aging purposes To collect a scale sample gently wipe away with the blade of your knife any excess mucous and dirt from the area to be sampled Clean the knife blade carefully by wiping with a cloth or rinsing in water With the tip of the knife gently pull the scales from the left side of the body and place in a scale envelope For soft rayed fish (salmonids coregonids etc) remove at least 20 scales from above the lateral line and anterior to the dorsal fin For spiny rayed fish (yellow perch etc) remove at least 10 scales from below the lateral line and posterior to the insertion of the pectoral fin The following information should be recorded on scale envelopes

Typical Fields on Scale Sample Envelope Data to Record Species Fish Species Code Party No Effort Number No Fish Number Date Date Locality Waterbody Grid or Site Age Structures Aging Structures Collected

11) If some brook trout are dead when captured otoliths should be collected and used as the primary structure for age interpretation They should be placed in otolith containers and placed in the scale envelope that has been labeled above Record the type of structures that were collected on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

12) When all the required information has been collected release the fish by gently tossing it back into the water or back into the cooler if it has not fully recovered Be sure it is separated from fish not already sampled Return to step 4 if there are more fish to sample

16

60 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES

61 Data Transcription

If data are recorded in field notebooks the crew should transcribe the data onto forms This transcription step may be avoided by using field forms printed on waterproof paper Sample forms which may be modified to suit your particular project are provided in Appendix D

62 Data Entry

A data entry template for BTIN projects is provided in FISHNET3 and has been designed to reflect the structure of the field forms provided in this manual

70 GENERAL SURVEY GUIDELINES AND TROUBLESHOOTING

While designing or conducting a survey problems unique to your lake may arise which are not covered in this manual Most problems can be worked out by logically thinking them through The following is a list of the basic Dos and Donrsquots of the method Keep these in mind when setting up your sampling design

bull Do use the random site selection process described in this manual Donrsquot use prior knowledge of lsquogoodrsquo or lsquopoorrsquo fishinghabitatnetting locations as a basis for selecting sites An unbiased index of abundance depends on random sampling design The overall objective is to get a CPUE that is representative of the entire lake above the 10 metre contour That means sampling both the ldquogoodrdquo and ldquopoorrdquo areas

bull Do ensure that the mean set duration within each day is 30 minutes The index is based upon this Not every net has to be set for exactly 30 minutes however the average set should be 30 minutes

bull Do distribute netting effort evenly throughout the entire work day Brook trout activity levels likely vary with time of day Therefore so will their encounter rate with the nets By spreading effort throughout the day you will get a better ldquoaveragerdquo CPUE

bull Do spread netting effort over as many days as practical to average the effect of environmental conditions on CPUE (ie if you have two lakes to sample simply alternate between them) Brook trout activity levels likely vary with environmental conditions such as weather patterns so distributing the effort over a longer period will tend to even out the effect of weather conditions and produce a more representative CPUE

17

bull Do set the same number of sets of each mesh size each day Each mesh size has different capture efficiencies for different sized fish so setting more of one size could bias the catch

bull Do try to maintain the minimum distance between nets that are set at the same time This can be a real challenge in small lakes It may happen that many of the randomly chosen sites are clustered in one area of the lake which makes it very difficult to create a schedule that keeps sites the required distance apart It may be necessary to reject one or two sites near the beginning of the random number list in favour of sites that are farther down the list in order to keep the nets far enough apart

80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The organization of the BTIN manual was based largely on the SLIN manual that was written by Frank Hicks Trevor Middel wrote the first draft of the BTIN manual and helped with survey design and field activities Mike Powell initiated the calibration exercise Wendy Stott contributed to survey design data analysis and field activities Stephen Belfry from the North Bay MNR office Andre Dupont from Sault Ste Marie MNR office and George Morgan from Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit at Laurentian University helped in the calibration exercise Many other Ministry of Natural Resources staff throughout the province provided data from their brook trout surveys Others helping with field work and preparation of the manual include Greg Betteridge Glenn Forward Audie Skinner Chuck Brady and many seasonal staff at the Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

90 REFERENCES

Hicks FJ 1999 Manual of Instructions Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) Ont Ministry of Natural Resources - Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

Monroe B M Powell W Stott G Betteridge and G Forward 2005 Calibration of the brook trout index netting protocol in stocked brook trout lakes Ont Ministry of Natural Resources ndash Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

18

Appendix A (Net Specifications and Supplier)

Net specifications ( per panel)

bull Length 152 m (50 ft) bull Height 24 m (8 ft) bull Mesh size 51 mm 64 mm ( 20rdquo 25rdquo) stretched mesh bull Mesh Type double knotted monofilament bull Filament dia 020 mm for 51 mm mesh sizes 025 mm for 64 mm mesh size bull Color light green (Miracle R-13L) bull Lead Line braided 75gm bull Cork line braided nylon corks 15 - 20 cm Apart

General Details Nets are hung on a 21 basis thus there is twice as much web as leadcork line and the ratio of meshes is 1731 Nylon gables (side lines) are approximately 18 kg test

Supplier

The nets referred to as ldquoMonofilament Nylon Gillnetsrdquo are available from

Redden Net Co Ltd 1638 West 3rd Ave Vancouver BC V6J 1K2 Phone 800-667-9455 or 866-233-1422 Fax (604) 736-9161 Website wwwredden-netcomgillnetscfm

19

If enough brook trout are captured it may be feasible to do a mark-recapture population estimate by fin clipping or tagging released fish

For species other than brook trout the intensity of sampling will vary according to the type of information desired by the office but it is recommended that fork lengths be taken as a minimum

Steps in Sampling the Fish

1) Designate one person as the fish handler and another person as the data recorder The fish handler samples the fish and calls out the data the data recorder writes the data on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

2) Start by completing the header on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form Record the Waterbody Date and Crew to correspond with the information on the BTIN Effort Form

3) Record the Effort Number on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

4) The fish handler should select a fish identify the fish species and call out the species name and panel number (Sub-Effort ) to the data recorder A list of Fish Species and codes is provided in Appendix C

5) Record a Fish Number for the fish Fish Numbers must be unique for each fish sampled One approach is to number every fish sequentially starting at the first catch of the first day and continuing to the end of the project

6) Place that fish on the measuring board so that the snout is snug against the zero end of the board and the fish is laying flat along the graduated ruler (see Figure 8)

7) Measure and record the fork length to the nearest millimetre

8) Measure and record the total length to the nearest millimetre To measure the total length compress the upper and lower lobes of the caudal fin rays to obtain the maximum length (see Figure 8)

9) Weigh the fish using a hand held spring-loaded weigh scale or electronic balance Hand held spring-loaded scales should be calibrated each day and tared with the damp weigh sock Weigh fish with the appropriate capacity scale Do not record weights of fish that are lt10 of the scale capacity (100 g for a 1 kg scale) when spring-loaded mechanical scales are used (ie do not weight an 80 g fish on the 1 kg scale use the 100 g scale) Enter the weight of the fish on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

15

Figure 3 Measuring the Fork and Total Lengths

10) Scale samples should be collected for aging purposes To collect a scale sample gently wipe away with the blade of your knife any excess mucous and dirt from the area to be sampled Clean the knife blade carefully by wiping with a cloth or rinsing in water With the tip of the knife gently pull the scales from the left side of the body and place in a scale envelope For soft rayed fish (salmonids coregonids etc) remove at least 20 scales from above the lateral line and anterior to the dorsal fin For spiny rayed fish (yellow perch etc) remove at least 10 scales from below the lateral line and posterior to the insertion of the pectoral fin The following information should be recorded on scale envelopes

Typical Fields on Scale Sample Envelope Data to Record Species Fish Species Code Party No Effort Number No Fish Number Date Date Locality Waterbody Grid or Site Age Structures Aging Structures Collected

11) If some brook trout are dead when captured otoliths should be collected and used as the primary structure for age interpretation They should be placed in otolith containers and placed in the scale envelope that has been labeled above Record the type of structures that were collected on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

12) When all the required information has been collected release the fish by gently tossing it back into the water or back into the cooler if it has not fully recovered Be sure it is separated from fish not already sampled Return to step 4 if there are more fish to sample

16

60 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES

61 Data Transcription

If data are recorded in field notebooks the crew should transcribe the data onto forms This transcription step may be avoided by using field forms printed on waterproof paper Sample forms which may be modified to suit your particular project are provided in Appendix D

62 Data Entry

A data entry template for BTIN projects is provided in FISHNET3 and has been designed to reflect the structure of the field forms provided in this manual

70 GENERAL SURVEY GUIDELINES AND TROUBLESHOOTING

While designing or conducting a survey problems unique to your lake may arise which are not covered in this manual Most problems can be worked out by logically thinking them through The following is a list of the basic Dos and Donrsquots of the method Keep these in mind when setting up your sampling design

bull Do use the random site selection process described in this manual Donrsquot use prior knowledge of lsquogoodrsquo or lsquopoorrsquo fishinghabitatnetting locations as a basis for selecting sites An unbiased index of abundance depends on random sampling design The overall objective is to get a CPUE that is representative of the entire lake above the 10 metre contour That means sampling both the ldquogoodrdquo and ldquopoorrdquo areas

bull Do ensure that the mean set duration within each day is 30 minutes The index is based upon this Not every net has to be set for exactly 30 minutes however the average set should be 30 minutes

bull Do distribute netting effort evenly throughout the entire work day Brook trout activity levels likely vary with time of day Therefore so will their encounter rate with the nets By spreading effort throughout the day you will get a better ldquoaveragerdquo CPUE

bull Do spread netting effort over as many days as practical to average the effect of environmental conditions on CPUE (ie if you have two lakes to sample simply alternate between them) Brook trout activity levels likely vary with environmental conditions such as weather patterns so distributing the effort over a longer period will tend to even out the effect of weather conditions and produce a more representative CPUE

17

bull Do set the same number of sets of each mesh size each day Each mesh size has different capture efficiencies for different sized fish so setting more of one size could bias the catch

bull Do try to maintain the minimum distance between nets that are set at the same time This can be a real challenge in small lakes It may happen that many of the randomly chosen sites are clustered in one area of the lake which makes it very difficult to create a schedule that keeps sites the required distance apart It may be necessary to reject one or two sites near the beginning of the random number list in favour of sites that are farther down the list in order to keep the nets far enough apart

80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The organization of the BTIN manual was based largely on the SLIN manual that was written by Frank Hicks Trevor Middel wrote the first draft of the BTIN manual and helped with survey design and field activities Mike Powell initiated the calibration exercise Wendy Stott contributed to survey design data analysis and field activities Stephen Belfry from the North Bay MNR office Andre Dupont from Sault Ste Marie MNR office and George Morgan from Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit at Laurentian University helped in the calibration exercise Many other Ministry of Natural Resources staff throughout the province provided data from their brook trout surveys Others helping with field work and preparation of the manual include Greg Betteridge Glenn Forward Audie Skinner Chuck Brady and many seasonal staff at the Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

90 REFERENCES

Hicks FJ 1999 Manual of Instructions Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) Ont Ministry of Natural Resources - Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

Monroe B M Powell W Stott G Betteridge and G Forward 2005 Calibration of the brook trout index netting protocol in stocked brook trout lakes Ont Ministry of Natural Resources ndash Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

18

Appendix A (Net Specifications and Supplier)

Net specifications ( per panel)

bull Length 152 m (50 ft) bull Height 24 m (8 ft) bull Mesh size 51 mm 64 mm ( 20rdquo 25rdquo) stretched mesh bull Mesh Type double knotted monofilament bull Filament dia 020 mm for 51 mm mesh sizes 025 mm for 64 mm mesh size bull Color light green (Miracle R-13L) bull Lead Line braided 75gm bull Cork line braided nylon corks 15 - 20 cm Apart

General Details Nets are hung on a 21 basis thus there is twice as much web as leadcork line and the ratio of meshes is 1731 Nylon gables (side lines) are approximately 18 kg test

Supplier

The nets referred to as ldquoMonofilament Nylon Gillnetsrdquo are available from

Redden Net Co Ltd 1638 West 3rd Ave Vancouver BC V6J 1K2 Phone 800-667-9455 or 866-233-1422 Fax (604) 736-9161 Website wwwredden-netcomgillnetscfm

19

Figure 3 Measuring the Fork and Total Lengths

10) Scale samples should be collected for aging purposes To collect a scale sample gently wipe away with the blade of your knife any excess mucous and dirt from the area to be sampled Clean the knife blade carefully by wiping with a cloth or rinsing in water With the tip of the knife gently pull the scales from the left side of the body and place in a scale envelope For soft rayed fish (salmonids coregonids etc) remove at least 20 scales from above the lateral line and anterior to the dorsal fin For spiny rayed fish (yellow perch etc) remove at least 10 scales from below the lateral line and posterior to the insertion of the pectoral fin The following information should be recorded on scale envelopes

Typical Fields on Scale Sample Envelope Data to Record Species Fish Species Code Party No Effort Number No Fish Number Date Date Locality Waterbody Grid or Site Age Structures Aging Structures Collected

11) If some brook trout are dead when captured otoliths should be collected and used as the primary structure for age interpretation They should be placed in otolith containers and placed in the scale envelope that has been labeled above Record the type of structures that were collected on the BTIN Fish Sampling Form

12) When all the required information has been collected release the fish by gently tossing it back into the water or back into the cooler if it has not fully recovered Be sure it is separated from fish not already sampled Return to step 4 if there are more fish to sample

16

60 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES

61 Data Transcription

If data are recorded in field notebooks the crew should transcribe the data onto forms This transcription step may be avoided by using field forms printed on waterproof paper Sample forms which may be modified to suit your particular project are provided in Appendix D

62 Data Entry

A data entry template for BTIN projects is provided in FISHNET3 and has been designed to reflect the structure of the field forms provided in this manual

70 GENERAL SURVEY GUIDELINES AND TROUBLESHOOTING

While designing or conducting a survey problems unique to your lake may arise which are not covered in this manual Most problems can be worked out by logically thinking them through The following is a list of the basic Dos and Donrsquots of the method Keep these in mind when setting up your sampling design

bull Do use the random site selection process described in this manual Donrsquot use prior knowledge of lsquogoodrsquo or lsquopoorrsquo fishinghabitatnetting locations as a basis for selecting sites An unbiased index of abundance depends on random sampling design The overall objective is to get a CPUE that is representative of the entire lake above the 10 metre contour That means sampling both the ldquogoodrdquo and ldquopoorrdquo areas

bull Do ensure that the mean set duration within each day is 30 minutes The index is based upon this Not every net has to be set for exactly 30 minutes however the average set should be 30 minutes

bull Do distribute netting effort evenly throughout the entire work day Brook trout activity levels likely vary with time of day Therefore so will their encounter rate with the nets By spreading effort throughout the day you will get a better ldquoaveragerdquo CPUE

bull Do spread netting effort over as many days as practical to average the effect of environmental conditions on CPUE (ie if you have two lakes to sample simply alternate between them) Brook trout activity levels likely vary with environmental conditions such as weather patterns so distributing the effort over a longer period will tend to even out the effect of weather conditions and produce a more representative CPUE

17

bull Do set the same number of sets of each mesh size each day Each mesh size has different capture efficiencies for different sized fish so setting more of one size could bias the catch

bull Do try to maintain the minimum distance between nets that are set at the same time This can be a real challenge in small lakes It may happen that many of the randomly chosen sites are clustered in one area of the lake which makes it very difficult to create a schedule that keeps sites the required distance apart It may be necessary to reject one or two sites near the beginning of the random number list in favour of sites that are farther down the list in order to keep the nets far enough apart

80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The organization of the BTIN manual was based largely on the SLIN manual that was written by Frank Hicks Trevor Middel wrote the first draft of the BTIN manual and helped with survey design and field activities Mike Powell initiated the calibration exercise Wendy Stott contributed to survey design data analysis and field activities Stephen Belfry from the North Bay MNR office Andre Dupont from Sault Ste Marie MNR office and George Morgan from Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit at Laurentian University helped in the calibration exercise Many other Ministry of Natural Resources staff throughout the province provided data from their brook trout surveys Others helping with field work and preparation of the manual include Greg Betteridge Glenn Forward Audie Skinner Chuck Brady and many seasonal staff at the Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

90 REFERENCES

Hicks FJ 1999 Manual of Instructions Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) Ont Ministry of Natural Resources - Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

Monroe B M Powell W Stott G Betteridge and G Forward 2005 Calibration of the brook trout index netting protocol in stocked brook trout lakes Ont Ministry of Natural Resources ndash Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

18

Appendix A (Net Specifications and Supplier)

Net specifications ( per panel)

bull Length 152 m (50 ft) bull Height 24 m (8 ft) bull Mesh size 51 mm 64 mm ( 20rdquo 25rdquo) stretched mesh bull Mesh Type double knotted monofilament bull Filament dia 020 mm for 51 mm mesh sizes 025 mm for 64 mm mesh size bull Color light green (Miracle R-13L) bull Lead Line braided 75gm bull Cork line braided nylon corks 15 - 20 cm Apart

General Details Nets are hung on a 21 basis thus there is twice as much web as leadcork line and the ratio of meshes is 1731 Nylon gables (side lines) are approximately 18 kg test

Supplier

The nets referred to as ldquoMonofilament Nylon Gillnetsrdquo are available from

Redden Net Co Ltd 1638 West 3rd Ave Vancouver BC V6J 1K2 Phone 800-667-9455 or 866-233-1422 Fax (604) 736-9161 Website wwwredden-netcomgillnetscfm

19

60 POST FIELD ACTIVITIES

61 Data Transcription

If data are recorded in field notebooks the crew should transcribe the data onto forms This transcription step may be avoided by using field forms printed on waterproof paper Sample forms which may be modified to suit your particular project are provided in Appendix D

62 Data Entry

A data entry template for BTIN projects is provided in FISHNET3 and has been designed to reflect the structure of the field forms provided in this manual

70 GENERAL SURVEY GUIDELINES AND TROUBLESHOOTING

While designing or conducting a survey problems unique to your lake may arise which are not covered in this manual Most problems can be worked out by logically thinking them through The following is a list of the basic Dos and Donrsquots of the method Keep these in mind when setting up your sampling design

bull Do use the random site selection process described in this manual Donrsquot use prior knowledge of lsquogoodrsquo or lsquopoorrsquo fishinghabitatnetting locations as a basis for selecting sites An unbiased index of abundance depends on random sampling design The overall objective is to get a CPUE that is representative of the entire lake above the 10 metre contour That means sampling both the ldquogoodrdquo and ldquopoorrdquo areas

bull Do ensure that the mean set duration within each day is 30 minutes The index is based upon this Not every net has to be set for exactly 30 minutes however the average set should be 30 minutes

bull Do distribute netting effort evenly throughout the entire work day Brook trout activity levels likely vary with time of day Therefore so will their encounter rate with the nets By spreading effort throughout the day you will get a better ldquoaveragerdquo CPUE

bull Do spread netting effort over as many days as practical to average the effect of environmental conditions on CPUE (ie if you have two lakes to sample simply alternate between them) Brook trout activity levels likely vary with environmental conditions such as weather patterns so distributing the effort over a longer period will tend to even out the effect of weather conditions and produce a more representative CPUE

17

bull Do set the same number of sets of each mesh size each day Each mesh size has different capture efficiencies for different sized fish so setting more of one size could bias the catch

bull Do try to maintain the minimum distance between nets that are set at the same time This can be a real challenge in small lakes It may happen that many of the randomly chosen sites are clustered in one area of the lake which makes it very difficult to create a schedule that keeps sites the required distance apart It may be necessary to reject one or two sites near the beginning of the random number list in favour of sites that are farther down the list in order to keep the nets far enough apart

80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The organization of the BTIN manual was based largely on the SLIN manual that was written by Frank Hicks Trevor Middel wrote the first draft of the BTIN manual and helped with survey design and field activities Mike Powell initiated the calibration exercise Wendy Stott contributed to survey design data analysis and field activities Stephen Belfry from the North Bay MNR office Andre Dupont from Sault Ste Marie MNR office and George Morgan from Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit at Laurentian University helped in the calibration exercise Many other Ministry of Natural Resources staff throughout the province provided data from their brook trout surveys Others helping with field work and preparation of the manual include Greg Betteridge Glenn Forward Audie Skinner Chuck Brady and many seasonal staff at the Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

90 REFERENCES

Hicks FJ 1999 Manual of Instructions Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) Ont Ministry of Natural Resources - Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

Monroe B M Powell W Stott G Betteridge and G Forward 2005 Calibration of the brook trout index netting protocol in stocked brook trout lakes Ont Ministry of Natural Resources ndash Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

18

Appendix A (Net Specifications and Supplier)

Net specifications ( per panel)

bull Length 152 m (50 ft) bull Height 24 m (8 ft) bull Mesh size 51 mm 64 mm ( 20rdquo 25rdquo) stretched mesh bull Mesh Type double knotted monofilament bull Filament dia 020 mm for 51 mm mesh sizes 025 mm for 64 mm mesh size bull Color light green (Miracle R-13L) bull Lead Line braided 75gm bull Cork line braided nylon corks 15 - 20 cm Apart

General Details Nets are hung on a 21 basis thus there is twice as much web as leadcork line and the ratio of meshes is 1731 Nylon gables (side lines) are approximately 18 kg test

Supplier

The nets referred to as ldquoMonofilament Nylon Gillnetsrdquo are available from

Redden Net Co Ltd 1638 West 3rd Ave Vancouver BC V6J 1K2 Phone 800-667-9455 or 866-233-1422 Fax (604) 736-9161 Website wwwredden-netcomgillnetscfm

19

bull Do set the same number of sets of each mesh size each day Each mesh size has different capture efficiencies for different sized fish so setting more of one size could bias the catch

bull Do try to maintain the minimum distance between nets that are set at the same time This can be a real challenge in small lakes It may happen that many of the randomly chosen sites are clustered in one area of the lake which makes it very difficult to create a schedule that keeps sites the required distance apart It may be necessary to reject one or two sites near the beginning of the random number list in favour of sites that are farther down the list in order to keep the nets far enough apart

80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The organization of the BTIN manual was based largely on the SLIN manual that was written by Frank Hicks Trevor Middel wrote the first draft of the BTIN manual and helped with survey design and field activities Mike Powell initiated the calibration exercise Wendy Stott contributed to survey design data analysis and field activities Stephen Belfry from the North Bay MNR office Andre Dupont from Sault Ste Marie MNR office and George Morgan from Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit at Laurentian University helped in the calibration exercise Many other Ministry of Natural Resources staff throughout the province provided data from their brook trout surveys Others helping with field work and preparation of the manual include Greg Betteridge Glenn Forward Audie Skinner Chuck Brady and many seasonal staff at the Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

90 REFERENCES

Hicks FJ 1999 Manual of Instructions Spring Littoral Index Netting (SLIN) Ont Ministry of Natural Resources - Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

Monroe B M Powell W Stott G Betteridge and G Forward 2005 Calibration of the brook trout index netting protocol in stocked brook trout lakes Ont Ministry of Natural Resources ndash Algonquin Fisheries Assessment Unit

18

Appendix A (Net Specifications and Supplier)

Net specifications ( per panel)

bull Length 152 m (50 ft) bull Height 24 m (8 ft) bull Mesh size 51 mm 64 mm ( 20rdquo 25rdquo) stretched mesh bull Mesh Type double knotted monofilament bull Filament dia 020 mm for 51 mm mesh sizes 025 mm for 64 mm mesh size bull Color light green (Miracle R-13L) bull Lead Line braided 75gm bull Cork line braided nylon corks 15 - 20 cm Apart

General Details Nets are hung on a 21 basis thus there is twice as much web as leadcork line and the ratio of meshes is 1731 Nylon gables (side lines) are approximately 18 kg test

Supplier

The nets referred to as ldquoMonofilament Nylon Gillnetsrdquo are available from

Redden Net Co Ltd 1638 West 3rd Ave Vancouver BC V6J 1K2 Phone 800-667-9455 or 866-233-1422 Fax (604) 736-9161 Website wwwredden-netcomgillnetscfm

19

Appendix A (Net Specifications and Supplier)

Net specifications ( per panel)

bull Length 152 m (50 ft) bull Height 24 m (8 ft) bull Mesh size 51 mm 64 mm ( 20rdquo 25rdquo) stretched mesh bull Mesh Type double knotted monofilament bull Filament dia 020 mm for 51 mm mesh sizes 025 mm for 64 mm mesh size bull Color light green (Miracle R-13L) bull Lead Line braided 75gm bull Cork line braided nylon corks 15 - 20 cm Apart

General Details Nets are hung on a 21 basis thus there is twice as much web as leadcork line and the ratio of meshes is 1731 Nylon gables (side lines) are approximately 18 kg test

Supplier

The nets referred to as ldquoMonofilament Nylon Gillnetsrdquo are available from

Redden Net Co Ltd 1638 West 3rd Ave Vancouver BC V6J 1K2 Phone 800-667-9455 or 866-233-1422 Fax (604) 736-9161 Website wwwredden-netcomgillnetscfm

19

Appendix B (Calculation of Area of Depth Strata)

1 Using a hypsographic curve

This method can only be done if you know the surface area of the lake in question at different depth contours This information is available for most lakes from the aquatic habitat inventory database at OFIS or may be available in your office Generally it will be of the form shown in the table below Once you have this information you can draw a curve as shown in Fig 1 below and interpolate surface areas for the required depths

Depth (m)

Surface Area(ha)

0 50 11 46 23 40 35 32 58 21 74 12 106 8 121 4 167 125 20 5

0

1 0

2 0

3 0

4 0

5 0

6 0

0 2 4 6 8 1 0 1 2 1 4 1 6 1 8 2 0 2 2

D ep th (m e tres)

Surf

ace

Are

a (h

ecta

res)

Based on this graph we can approximate the following areas for each depth strata

Surface area of entire lake = 50 ha Surface area of lake ge 2m cong 405 ha Surface area of lake ge 6 m cong 195 ha there4 surface area of lake between 2-59 m = 405 ndash 195 = 21 ha

Surface area of lake ge 10m cong 9 ha there4 surface area of lake between 6-10 m = 195 ndash 90 = 105 ha

As a percentage of the total nettable area within the lake we can break this down as follows

2- 59 m stratum = 21 ha315 ha 100 = 667 there467 of nets set in 2-6m 6-10m stratum = 105 ha 315 ha 100 = 333 there433 of nets set in 6-10m

2 Grid Overlay

Another method you could use which may be a bit more tedious depending on the size of your lake is a grid overlay on a bathymetric map By overlaying the grid and simply counting the squares contained within each depth stratum you should be able to obtain a good estimate of the relative surface area within each stratum

20

Appendix C (Fish Species Codes)

Master List of Species Codes and Common Names of Ontario Fish (May 1998)

010 PETROMYZONTIDAE - Lampreys

011 012 013 014 015 016

American brook lamprey - Lampetra appendix northern brook lamprey - Ichthyomyzon fossor silver lamprey - Ichthyomyzon unicuspis sea lamprey - Petromyzon marinus Ichthyomyzon sp chestnut lamprey - Icthyomyzon castaneus

020 POLYODONTIDAE - Paddlefishes

021 paddlefish - Polyodon spathula

030 ACIPENSERIDAE - Sturgeons

031 032

lake sturgeon - Acipenser fulvescens caviar

040 LEPISOSTEIDAE - Gars

041 042 043

longnose gar - Lepisosteus osseus spotted gar - Lepisosteus oculatus Lepisosteus sp

050 AMIIDAE - Bowfins

051 bowfin - Amia calva

060 CLUPEIDAE - Herrings

061 062 063 064

alewife - Alosa pseudoharengus American shad - Alosa sapidissima Gizzard shad - Dorosoma cepedianum Alosa sp

SALMONIDAE - Trouts

070 SALMONINAE - Salmon and Trout subfamily

071 072 073 074 075 076 077 078 079 080 081

pink salmon - Oncorhynchus gorbuscha chum salmon - Oncorhynchus keta coho salmon - Oncorhynchus kisutch sockeye salmon - Oncorhynchus nerka chinook salmon - Oncorhynchus tshawytscha rainbow trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss Atlantic salmon - Salmo salar brown trout - Salmo trutta Arctic char - Salvelinus alpinus brook trout - Salvelinus fontinalis lake trout - Salvelinus namaycush

21

082 splake - Salvelinus fontinalis x Salvelinus namaycush 083 Aurora trout - Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis 084 Oncorhynchus sp 085 Salmo sp 086 Salvelinus sp

090 COREGONINAE - Whitefish subfamily

091 lake whitefish - Coregonus clupeaformis 092 longjaw cisco - Coregonus alpenae 093 cisco (lake herring) - Coregonus artedi 094 bloater - Coregonus hoyi 095 deepwater cisco - Coregonus johannae 096 kiyi - Coregonus kiyi 097 blackfin cisco - Coregonus nigripinnis 098 Nipigon cisco - Coregonus nipigon 099 shortnose cisco - Coregonus reighardi 100 shortjaw cisco - Coregonus zenithicus 101 pygmy whitefish - Prosopium coulteri 102 round whitefish - Prosopium cylindraceum 103 chub - Coregonus sp (Cisco species other than C artedi) 106 Coregonus sp 107 Prosopium sp

110 THYMALLINAE - Grayling subfamily

111 Arctic grayling - Thymallus arcticus

120 OSMERIDAE - Smelts

121 rainbow smelt - Osmerus mordax

130 ESOCIDAE - Pikes

131 northern pike - Esox lucius 132 muskellunge - Esox masquinongy 133 grass pickerel - Esox americanus vermiculatus 134 Esox sp 135 chain pickerel - Esox niger

140 UMBRIDAE - Mudminnows

141 central mudminnow - Umbra limi

150 HIODONTIDAE - Mooneyes

151 goldeye - Hiodon alosoides 152 mooneye - Hiodon tergisus

160 CATOSTOMIDAE - Suckers

161 quillback - Carpiodes cyprinus 162 longnose sucker - Catostomus catostomus

22

163 white sucker - Catostomus commersoni 164 lake chubsucker - Erimyzon sucetta 165 northern hog sucker - Hypentelium nigricans 166 bigmouth buffalo - Ictiobus cyprinellus 167 spotted sucker - Minytrema melanops 168 silver redhorse - Moxostoma anisurum 169 black redhorse - Moxostoma duquesnei 170 golden redhorse - Moxostoma erythrurum 171 shorthead redhorse - Moxostoma macrolepidotum 172 greater redhorse - Moxostoma valenciennesi 173 river redhorse - Moxostoma carinatum 174 black buffalo - Ictiobus niger 176 Catostomus sp 177 Moxostoma sp 178 Ictiobus sp

180 CYPRINIDAE - Carps and Minnows

181 goldfish - Carassius auratus 182 northern redbelly dace - Phoxinus eos 183 finescale dace - Phoxinus neogaeus 184 redside dace - Clinostomus elongatus 185 lake chub - Couesius plumbeus 186 common carp - Cyprinus carpio 187 gravel chub - Erimystax x punctatus 188 cutlips minnow - Exoglossum maxillingua 189 brassy minnow - Hybognathus hankinsoni 190 eastern silvery minnow - Hybognathus regius 191 silver chub - Macrhybopsis storeriana 192 hornyhead chub - Nocomis biguttatus 193 river chub - Nocomis micropogon 194 golden shiner - Notemigonus crysoleucas 195 pugnose shiner - Notropis anogenus 196 emerald shiner - Notropis atherinoides 197 bridle shiner - Notropis bifrenatus 198 common shiner - Luxilus cornutus 199 blackchin shiner - Notropis heterodon 200 blacknose shiner - Notropis heterolepis 201 spottail shiner - Notropis hudsonius 202 rosyface shiner - Notropis rubellus 203 spotfin shiner - Cyprinella spiloptera 204 sand shiner - Notropis stramineus 205 redfin shiner - Lythrurus umbratilis 206 mimic shiner - Notropis volucellus 207 pugnose minnow - Opsopoeodus emiliae 208 bluntnose minnow - Pimephales notatus 209 fathead minnow - Pimephales promelas 210 blacknose dace - Rhinichthys atratulus 211 longnose dace - Rhinichthys cataractae 212 creek chub - Semotilus atromaculatus 213 fallfish - Semotilus corporalis 214 pearl dace - Margariscus margarita 215 silver shiner - Notropis photogenis

23

216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229

central stoneroller - Campostoma anomalum striped shiner - Luxilus chrysocephalus ghost shiner - Notropis buchanani grass carp - Ctenopharyngodon idella rudd - Scardinius erythrophthalmus Phoxinus sp Hybognathus sp Nocomis sp Notropis sp Pimephales sp Rhinichthys sp Semotilus sp Hybopsis sp Luxilus sp

230 ICTALURIDAE - Bullhead Catfishes

231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 241 242 243 244

black bullhead - Ameiurus melas yellow bullhead - Ameiurus natalis brown bullhead - Ameiurus nebulosus channel catfish - Ictalurus punctatus stonecat - Noturus flavus tadpole madtom - Noturus gyrinus brindled madtom - Noturus miurus margined madtom - Noturus insignis flathead catfish - Pylodictis olivaris Ictalurus sp Noturus sp Ameiurus sp northern madtom - Noturus stigmosus

250 ANGUILLIDAE - Freshwater Eels

251 American eel - Anguilla rostrata

260 CYPRINODONTIDAE - Killifishes

261 262

banded killifish - Fundulus diaphanus blackstripe topminnow - Fundulus notatus

270 GADIDAE - Cods

271 burbot - Lota lota

280 GASTEROSTEIDAE - Sticklebacks

281 282 283 284

brook stickleback - Culaea inconstans threespine stickleback - Gasterosteus aculeatus ninespine stickleback - Pungitius pungitius fourspine stickleback - Apeltes quadracus

290 PERCOPSIDAE - Trout-perches

291 trout-perch - Percopsis omiscomaycus

300 PERCICHTHYIDAE - Temperate Basses

301 302

white perch - Morone americana white bass - Morone chrysops

24

303 Morone sp

310 CENTRARCHIDAE - Sunfishes

311 rock bass - Ambloplites rupestris 312 green sunfish - Lepomis cyanellus 313 pumpkinseed - Lepomis gibbosus 314 blue gill - Lepomis macrochirus 315 longear sunfish - Lepomis megalotis 316 smallmouth bass - Micropterus dolomieu 317 largemouth bass - Micropterus salmoides 318 white crappie - Pomoxis annularis 319 black crappie - Pomoxis nigromaculatus 320 Lepomis sp 321 Micropterus sp 322 Pomoxis sp 323 warmouth - Lepomis gulosus 324 orangespotted sunfish - Lepomis humilis

330 PERCIDAE - Perches

331 yellow perch - Perca flavescens 332 sauger - Stizostedion canadense 333 blue pike (blue pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum glaucum 334 walleye (yellow pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum 335 eastern sand darter - Ammocrypta pellucida 336 greenside darter - Etheostoma blennioides 337 rainbow darter - Etheostoma caeruleum 338 Iowa darter - Etheostoma exile 339 fantail darter - Etheostoma flabellare 340 least darter - Etheostoma microperca 341 johnny darter - Etheostoma nigrum 342 logperch - Percina caprodes 343 channel darter - Percina copelandi 344 blackside darter - Percina maculata 345 river darter - Percina shumardi 346 tessellated darter - Etheostoma olmstedi 347 Stizostedion sp 348 Etheostoma sp 349 Percina sp 350 ruffe - Gymnocephalus cernuus

360 ATHERINIDAE - Silversides

361 brook silverside - Labidesthes sicculus

365GOBIIDAE ndash Gobies

366 round goby - Neogobius melanostomus 367 tubenose goby - Proterorhinus marmoratus

25

370 SCIAENIDAE - Drums

371 freshwater drum - Aplodinotus grunniens

380 COTTIDAE - Sculpins

381 382 383 384 385 386 387

mottled sculpin - Cottus bairdi slimy sculpin - Cottus cognatus spoonhead sculpin - Cottus ricei deepwater sculpin - Myoxocephalus thompsoni Cottus sp Myoxocephalus sp fourhorn sculpin - Myoxocephalus quadricornis

390 CYCLOPTERIDAE - Lumpfishes

391 lumpfish - Cyclopterus lumpus

395 PLEURONECTIDAE - Righteye Flounders

396 European Flounder - Platichthys flesus

400 SALMONIDAE - Hybrids

420 SALMONINAE - Hybrids

450 COREGONINAE - Hybrids

500 ESOCIDAE - Hybrids

501 502

Esox lucius x Esox americanus vermiculatus Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy

550 CATOSTOMIDAE - Hybrids

551 Ictiobus hybrids

600 CYPRINIDAE - Hybrids

601 602 603 604 605 610 611 612 620

Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio Phoxinus hybrids Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeusPhoxinus eos x Margariscus margaritaPhoxinus neogaeus x Margariscus margaritaNotropis hybrids Luxilus cornutus x Notropis rubellusLuxilus cornutus x Semotilus atromaculatus Pimephales promelas x Pimephales notatus

650 ICTALURIDAE - Hybrids

651 Ameiurus melas x Ameiurus nebulosus

26

700 CENTRARCHIDAE - Hybrids

701 Lepomis hybrids 702 Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus 703 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus 704 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis 705 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus 706 Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus

750 PERCIDAE - Hybrids

751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum

800 COTTIDAE - Hybrids

801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus

27

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

Appendix C (Fish Species Codes)

Master List of Species Codes and Common Names of Ontario Fish (May 1998)

010 PETROMYZONTIDAE - Lampreys

011 012 013 014 015 016

American brook lamprey - Lampetra appendix northern brook lamprey - Ichthyomyzon fossor silver lamprey - Ichthyomyzon unicuspis sea lamprey - Petromyzon marinus Ichthyomyzon sp chestnut lamprey - Icthyomyzon castaneus

020 POLYODONTIDAE - Paddlefishes

021 paddlefish - Polyodon spathula

030 ACIPENSERIDAE - Sturgeons

031 032

lake sturgeon - Acipenser fulvescens caviar

040 LEPISOSTEIDAE - Gars

041 042 043

longnose gar - Lepisosteus osseus spotted gar - Lepisosteus oculatus Lepisosteus sp

050 AMIIDAE - Bowfins

051 bowfin - Amia calva

060 CLUPEIDAE - Herrings

061 062 063 064

alewife - Alosa pseudoharengus American shad - Alosa sapidissima Gizzard shad - Dorosoma cepedianum Alosa sp

SALMONIDAE - Trouts

070 SALMONINAE - Salmon and Trout subfamily

071 072 073 074 075 076 077 078 079 080 081

pink salmon - Oncorhynchus gorbuscha chum salmon - Oncorhynchus keta coho salmon - Oncorhynchus kisutch sockeye salmon - Oncorhynchus nerka chinook salmon - Oncorhynchus tshawytscha rainbow trout - Oncorhynchus mykiss Atlantic salmon - Salmo salar brown trout - Salmo trutta Arctic char - Salvelinus alpinus brook trout - Salvelinus fontinalis lake trout - Salvelinus namaycush

21

082 splake - Salvelinus fontinalis x Salvelinus namaycush 083 Aurora trout - Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis 084 Oncorhynchus sp 085 Salmo sp 086 Salvelinus sp

090 COREGONINAE - Whitefish subfamily

091 lake whitefish - Coregonus clupeaformis 092 longjaw cisco - Coregonus alpenae 093 cisco (lake herring) - Coregonus artedi 094 bloater - Coregonus hoyi 095 deepwater cisco - Coregonus johannae 096 kiyi - Coregonus kiyi 097 blackfin cisco - Coregonus nigripinnis 098 Nipigon cisco - Coregonus nipigon 099 shortnose cisco - Coregonus reighardi 100 shortjaw cisco - Coregonus zenithicus 101 pygmy whitefish - Prosopium coulteri 102 round whitefish - Prosopium cylindraceum 103 chub - Coregonus sp (Cisco species other than C artedi) 106 Coregonus sp 107 Prosopium sp

110 THYMALLINAE - Grayling subfamily

111 Arctic grayling - Thymallus arcticus

120 OSMERIDAE - Smelts

121 rainbow smelt - Osmerus mordax

130 ESOCIDAE - Pikes

131 northern pike - Esox lucius 132 muskellunge - Esox masquinongy 133 grass pickerel - Esox americanus vermiculatus 134 Esox sp 135 chain pickerel - Esox niger

140 UMBRIDAE - Mudminnows

141 central mudminnow - Umbra limi

150 HIODONTIDAE - Mooneyes

151 goldeye - Hiodon alosoides 152 mooneye - Hiodon tergisus

160 CATOSTOMIDAE - Suckers

161 quillback - Carpiodes cyprinus 162 longnose sucker - Catostomus catostomus

22

163 white sucker - Catostomus commersoni 164 lake chubsucker - Erimyzon sucetta 165 northern hog sucker - Hypentelium nigricans 166 bigmouth buffalo - Ictiobus cyprinellus 167 spotted sucker - Minytrema melanops 168 silver redhorse - Moxostoma anisurum 169 black redhorse - Moxostoma duquesnei 170 golden redhorse - Moxostoma erythrurum 171 shorthead redhorse - Moxostoma macrolepidotum 172 greater redhorse - Moxostoma valenciennesi 173 river redhorse - Moxostoma carinatum 174 black buffalo - Ictiobus niger 176 Catostomus sp 177 Moxostoma sp 178 Ictiobus sp

180 CYPRINIDAE - Carps and Minnows

181 goldfish - Carassius auratus 182 northern redbelly dace - Phoxinus eos 183 finescale dace - Phoxinus neogaeus 184 redside dace - Clinostomus elongatus 185 lake chub - Couesius plumbeus 186 common carp - Cyprinus carpio 187 gravel chub - Erimystax x punctatus 188 cutlips minnow - Exoglossum maxillingua 189 brassy minnow - Hybognathus hankinsoni 190 eastern silvery minnow - Hybognathus regius 191 silver chub - Macrhybopsis storeriana 192 hornyhead chub - Nocomis biguttatus 193 river chub - Nocomis micropogon 194 golden shiner - Notemigonus crysoleucas 195 pugnose shiner - Notropis anogenus 196 emerald shiner - Notropis atherinoides 197 bridle shiner - Notropis bifrenatus 198 common shiner - Luxilus cornutus 199 blackchin shiner - Notropis heterodon 200 blacknose shiner - Notropis heterolepis 201 spottail shiner - Notropis hudsonius 202 rosyface shiner - Notropis rubellus 203 spotfin shiner - Cyprinella spiloptera 204 sand shiner - Notropis stramineus 205 redfin shiner - Lythrurus umbratilis 206 mimic shiner - Notropis volucellus 207 pugnose minnow - Opsopoeodus emiliae 208 bluntnose minnow - Pimephales notatus 209 fathead minnow - Pimephales promelas 210 blacknose dace - Rhinichthys atratulus 211 longnose dace - Rhinichthys cataractae 212 creek chub - Semotilus atromaculatus 213 fallfish - Semotilus corporalis 214 pearl dace - Margariscus margarita 215 silver shiner - Notropis photogenis

23

216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229

central stoneroller - Campostoma anomalum striped shiner - Luxilus chrysocephalus ghost shiner - Notropis buchanani grass carp - Ctenopharyngodon idella rudd - Scardinius erythrophthalmus Phoxinus sp Hybognathus sp Nocomis sp Notropis sp Pimephales sp Rhinichthys sp Semotilus sp Hybopsis sp Luxilus sp

230 ICTALURIDAE - Bullhead Catfishes

231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 241 242 243 244

black bullhead - Ameiurus melas yellow bullhead - Ameiurus natalis brown bullhead - Ameiurus nebulosus channel catfish - Ictalurus punctatus stonecat - Noturus flavus tadpole madtom - Noturus gyrinus brindled madtom - Noturus miurus margined madtom - Noturus insignis flathead catfish - Pylodictis olivaris Ictalurus sp Noturus sp Ameiurus sp northern madtom - Noturus stigmosus

250 ANGUILLIDAE - Freshwater Eels

251 American eel - Anguilla rostrata

260 CYPRINODONTIDAE - Killifishes

261 262

banded killifish - Fundulus diaphanus blackstripe topminnow - Fundulus notatus

270 GADIDAE - Cods

271 burbot - Lota lota

280 GASTEROSTEIDAE - Sticklebacks

281 282 283 284

brook stickleback - Culaea inconstans threespine stickleback - Gasterosteus aculeatus ninespine stickleback - Pungitius pungitius fourspine stickleback - Apeltes quadracus

290 PERCOPSIDAE - Trout-perches

291 trout-perch - Percopsis omiscomaycus

300 PERCICHTHYIDAE - Temperate Basses

301 302

white perch - Morone americana white bass - Morone chrysops

24

303 Morone sp

310 CENTRARCHIDAE - Sunfishes

311 rock bass - Ambloplites rupestris 312 green sunfish - Lepomis cyanellus 313 pumpkinseed - Lepomis gibbosus 314 blue gill - Lepomis macrochirus 315 longear sunfish - Lepomis megalotis 316 smallmouth bass - Micropterus dolomieu 317 largemouth bass - Micropterus salmoides 318 white crappie - Pomoxis annularis 319 black crappie - Pomoxis nigromaculatus 320 Lepomis sp 321 Micropterus sp 322 Pomoxis sp 323 warmouth - Lepomis gulosus 324 orangespotted sunfish - Lepomis humilis

330 PERCIDAE - Perches

331 yellow perch - Perca flavescens 332 sauger - Stizostedion canadense 333 blue pike (blue pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum glaucum 334 walleye (yellow pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum 335 eastern sand darter - Ammocrypta pellucida 336 greenside darter - Etheostoma blennioides 337 rainbow darter - Etheostoma caeruleum 338 Iowa darter - Etheostoma exile 339 fantail darter - Etheostoma flabellare 340 least darter - Etheostoma microperca 341 johnny darter - Etheostoma nigrum 342 logperch - Percina caprodes 343 channel darter - Percina copelandi 344 blackside darter - Percina maculata 345 river darter - Percina shumardi 346 tessellated darter - Etheostoma olmstedi 347 Stizostedion sp 348 Etheostoma sp 349 Percina sp 350 ruffe - Gymnocephalus cernuus

360 ATHERINIDAE - Silversides

361 brook silverside - Labidesthes sicculus

365GOBIIDAE ndash Gobies

366 round goby - Neogobius melanostomus 367 tubenose goby - Proterorhinus marmoratus

25

370 SCIAENIDAE - Drums

371 freshwater drum - Aplodinotus grunniens

380 COTTIDAE - Sculpins

381 382 383 384 385 386 387

mottled sculpin - Cottus bairdi slimy sculpin - Cottus cognatus spoonhead sculpin - Cottus ricei deepwater sculpin - Myoxocephalus thompsoni Cottus sp Myoxocephalus sp fourhorn sculpin - Myoxocephalus quadricornis

390 CYCLOPTERIDAE - Lumpfishes

391 lumpfish - Cyclopterus lumpus

395 PLEURONECTIDAE - Righteye Flounders

396 European Flounder - Platichthys flesus

400 SALMONIDAE - Hybrids

420 SALMONINAE - Hybrids

450 COREGONINAE - Hybrids

500 ESOCIDAE - Hybrids

501 502

Esox lucius x Esox americanus vermiculatus Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy

550 CATOSTOMIDAE - Hybrids

551 Ictiobus hybrids

600 CYPRINIDAE - Hybrids

601 602 603 604 605 610 611 612 620

Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio Phoxinus hybrids Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeusPhoxinus eos x Margariscus margaritaPhoxinus neogaeus x Margariscus margaritaNotropis hybrids Luxilus cornutus x Notropis rubellusLuxilus cornutus x Semotilus atromaculatus Pimephales promelas x Pimephales notatus

650 ICTALURIDAE - Hybrids

651 Ameiurus melas x Ameiurus nebulosus

26

700 CENTRARCHIDAE - Hybrids

701 Lepomis hybrids 702 Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus 703 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus 704 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis 705 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus 706 Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus

750 PERCIDAE - Hybrids

751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum

800 COTTIDAE - Hybrids

801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus

27

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

082 splake - Salvelinus fontinalis x Salvelinus namaycush 083 Aurora trout - Salvelinus fontinalis timagamiensis 084 Oncorhynchus sp 085 Salmo sp 086 Salvelinus sp

090 COREGONINAE - Whitefish subfamily

091 lake whitefish - Coregonus clupeaformis 092 longjaw cisco - Coregonus alpenae 093 cisco (lake herring) - Coregonus artedi 094 bloater - Coregonus hoyi 095 deepwater cisco - Coregonus johannae 096 kiyi - Coregonus kiyi 097 blackfin cisco - Coregonus nigripinnis 098 Nipigon cisco - Coregonus nipigon 099 shortnose cisco - Coregonus reighardi 100 shortjaw cisco - Coregonus zenithicus 101 pygmy whitefish - Prosopium coulteri 102 round whitefish - Prosopium cylindraceum 103 chub - Coregonus sp (Cisco species other than C artedi) 106 Coregonus sp 107 Prosopium sp

110 THYMALLINAE - Grayling subfamily

111 Arctic grayling - Thymallus arcticus

120 OSMERIDAE - Smelts

121 rainbow smelt - Osmerus mordax

130 ESOCIDAE - Pikes

131 northern pike - Esox lucius 132 muskellunge - Esox masquinongy 133 grass pickerel - Esox americanus vermiculatus 134 Esox sp 135 chain pickerel - Esox niger

140 UMBRIDAE - Mudminnows

141 central mudminnow - Umbra limi

150 HIODONTIDAE - Mooneyes

151 goldeye - Hiodon alosoides 152 mooneye - Hiodon tergisus

160 CATOSTOMIDAE - Suckers

161 quillback - Carpiodes cyprinus 162 longnose sucker - Catostomus catostomus

22

163 white sucker - Catostomus commersoni 164 lake chubsucker - Erimyzon sucetta 165 northern hog sucker - Hypentelium nigricans 166 bigmouth buffalo - Ictiobus cyprinellus 167 spotted sucker - Minytrema melanops 168 silver redhorse - Moxostoma anisurum 169 black redhorse - Moxostoma duquesnei 170 golden redhorse - Moxostoma erythrurum 171 shorthead redhorse - Moxostoma macrolepidotum 172 greater redhorse - Moxostoma valenciennesi 173 river redhorse - Moxostoma carinatum 174 black buffalo - Ictiobus niger 176 Catostomus sp 177 Moxostoma sp 178 Ictiobus sp

180 CYPRINIDAE - Carps and Minnows

181 goldfish - Carassius auratus 182 northern redbelly dace - Phoxinus eos 183 finescale dace - Phoxinus neogaeus 184 redside dace - Clinostomus elongatus 185 lake chub - Couesius plumbeus 186 common carp - Cyprinus carpio 187 gravel chub - Erimystax x punctatus 188 cutlips minnow - Exoglossum maxillingua 189 brassy minnow - Hybognathus hankinsoni 190 eastern silvery minnow - Hybognathus regius 191 silver chub - Macrhybopsis storeriana 192 hornyhead chub - Nocomis biguttatus 193 river chub - Nocomis micropogon 194 golden shiner - Notemigonus crysoleucas 195 pugnose shiner - Notropis anogenus 196 emerald shiner - Notropis atherinoides 197 bridle shiner - Notropis bifrenatus 198 common shiner - Luxilus cornutus 199 blackchin shiner - Notropis heterodon 200 blacknose shiner - Notropis heterolepis 201 spottail shiner - Notropis hudsonius 202 rosyface shiner - Notropis rubellus 203 spotfin shiner - Cyprinella spiloptera 204 sand shiner - Notropis stramineus 205 redfin shiner - Lythrurus umbratilis 206 mimic shiner - Notropis volucellus 207 pugnose minnow - Opsopoeodus emiliae 208 bluntnose minnow - Pimephales notatus 209 fathead minnow - Pimephales promelas 210 blacknose dace - Rhinichthys atratulus 211 longnose dace - Rhinichthys cataractae 212 creek chub - Semotilus atromaculatus 213 fallfish - Semotilus corporalis 214 pearl dace - Margariscus margarita 215 silver shiner - Notropis photogenis

23

216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229

central stoneroller - Campostoma anomalum striped shiner - Luxilus chrysocephalus ghost shiner - Notropis buchanani grass carp - Ctenopharyngodon idella rudd - Scardinius erythrophthalmus Phoxinus sp Hybognathus sp Nocomis sp Notropis sp Pimephales sp Rhinichthys sp Semotilus sp Hybopsis sp Luxilus sp

230 ICTALURIDAE - Bullhead Catfishes

231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 241 242 243 244

black bullhead - Ameiurus melas yellow bullhead - Ameiurus natalis brown bullhead - Ameiurus nebulosus channel catfish - Ictalurus punctatus stonecat - Noturus flavus tadpole madtom - Noturus gyrinus brindled madtom - Noturus miurus margined madtom - Noturus insignis flathead catfish - Pylodictis olivaris Ictalurus sp Noturus sp Ameiurus sp northern madtom - Noturus stigmosus

250 ANGUILLIDAE - Freshwater Eels

251 American eel - Anguilla rostrata

260 CYPRINODONTIDAE - Killifishes

261 262

banded killifish - Fundulus diaphanus blackstripe topminnow - Fundulus notatus

270 GADIDAE - Cods

271 burbot - Lota lota

280 GASTEROSTEIDAE - Sticklebacks

281 282 283 284

brook stickleback - Culaea inconstans threespine stickleback - Gasterosteus aculeatus ninespine stickleback - Pungitius pungitius fourspine stickleback - Apeltes quadracus

290 PERCOPSIDAE - Trout-perches

291 trout-perch - Percopsis omiscomaycus

300 PERCICHTHYIDAE - Temperate Basses

301 302

white perch - Morone americana white bass - Morone chrysops

24

303 Morone sp

310 CENTRARCHIDAE - Sunfishes

311 rock bass - Ambloplites rupestris 312 green sunfish - Lepomis cyanellus 313 pumpkinseed - Lepomis gibbosus 314 blue gill - Lepomis macrochirus 315 longear sunfish - Lepomis megalotis 316 smallmouth bass - Micropterus dolomieu 317 largemouth bass - Micropterus salmoides 318 white crappie - Pomoxis annularis 319 black crappie - Pomoxis nigromaculatus 320 Lepomis sp 321 Micropterus sp 322 Pomoxis sp 323 warmouth - Lepomis gulosus 324 orangespotted sunfish - Lepomis humilis

330 PERCIDAE - Perches

331 yellow perch - Perca flavescens 332 sauger - Stizostedion canadense 333 blue pike (blue pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum glaucum 334 walleye (yellow pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum 335 eastern sand darter - Ammocrypta pellucida 336 greenside darter - Etheostoma blennioides 337 rainbow darter - Etheostoma caeruleum 338 Iowa darter - Etheostoma exile 339 fantail darter - Etheostoma flabellare 340 least darter - Etheostoma microperca 341 johnny darter - Etheostoma nigrum 342 logperch - Percina caprodes 343 channel darter - Percina copelandi 344 blackside darter - Percina maculata 345 river darter - Percina shumardi 346 tessellated darter - Etheostoma olmstedi 347 Stizostedion sp 348 Etheostoma sp 349 Percina sp 350 ruffe - Gymnocephalus cernuus

360 ATHERINIDAE - Silversides

361 brook silverside - Labidesthes sicculus

365GOBIIDAE ndash Gobies

366 round goby - Neogobius melanostomus 367 tubenose goby - Proterorhinus marmoratus

25

370 SCIAENIDAE - Drums

371 freshwater drum - Aplodinotus grunniens

380 COTTIDAE - Sculpins

381 382 383 384 385 386 387

mottled sculpin - Cottus bairdi slimy sculpin - Cottus cognatus spoonhead sculpin - Cottus ricei deepwater sculpin - Myoxocephalus thompsoni Cottus sp Myoxocephalus sp fourhorn sculpin - Myoxocephalus quadricornis

390 CYCLOPTERIDAE - Lumpfishes

391 lumpfish - Cyclopterus lumpus

395 PLEURONECTIDAE - Righteye Flounders

396 European Flounder - Platichthys flesus

400 SALMONIDAE - Hybrids

420 SALMONINAE - Hybrids

450 COREGONINAE - Hybrids

500 ESOCIDAE - Hybrids

501 502

Esox lucius x Esox americanus vermiculatus Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy

550 CATOSTOMIDAE - Hybrids

551 Ictiobus hybrids

600 CYPRINIDAE - Hybrids

601 602 603 604 605 610 611 612 620

Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio Phoxinus hybrids Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeusPhoxinus eos x Margariscus margaritaPhoxinus neogaeus x Margariscus margaritaNotropis hybrids Luxilus cornutus x Notropis rubellusLuxilus cornutus x Semotilus atromaculatus Pimephales promelas x Pimephales notatus

650 ICTALURIDAE - Hybrids

651 Ameiurus melas x Ameiurus nebulosus

26

700 CENTRARCHIDAE - Hybrids

701 Lepomis hybrids 702 Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus 703 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus 704 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis 705 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus 706 Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus

750 PERCIDAE - Hybrids

751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum

800 COTTIDAE - Hybrids

801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus

27

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

163 white sucker - Catostomus commersoni 164 lake chubsucker - Erimyzon sucetta 165 northern hog sucker - Hypentelium nigricans 166 bigmouth buffalo - Ictiobus cyprinellus 167 spotted sucker - Minytrema melanops 168 silver redhorse - Moxostoma anisurum 169 black redhorse - Moxostoma duquesnei 170 golden redhorse - Moxostoma erythrurum 171 shorthead redhorse - Moxostoma macrolepidotum 172 greater redhorse - Moxostoma valenciennesi 173 river redhorse - Moxostoma carinatum 174 black buffalo - Ictiobus niger 176 Catostomus sp 177 Moxostoma sp 178 Ictiobus sp

180 CYPRINIDAE - Carps and Minnows

181 goldfish - Carassius auratus 182 northern redbelly dace - Phoxinus eos 183 finescale dace - Phoxinus neogaeus 184 redside dace - Clinostomus elongatus 185 lake chub - Couesius plumbeus 186 common carp - Cyprinus carpio 187 gravel chub - Erimystax x punctatus 188 cutlips minnow - Exoglossum maxillingua 189 brassy minnow - Hybognathus hankinsoni 190 eastern silvery minnow - Hybognathus regius 191 silver chub - Macrhybopsis storeriana 192 hornyhead chub - Nocomis biguttatus 193 river chub - Nocomis micropogon 194 golden shiner - Notemigonus crysoleucas 195 pugnose shiner - Notropis anogenus 196 emerald shiner - Notropis atherinoides 197 bridle shiner - Notropis bifrenatus 198 common shiner - Luxilus cornutus 199 blackchin shiner - Notropis heterodon 200 blacknose shiner - Notropis heterolepis 201 spottail shiner - Notropis hudsonius 202 rosyface shiner - Notropis rubellus 203 spotfin shiner - Cyprinella spiloptera 204 sand shiner - Notropis stramineus 205 redfin shiner - Lythrurus umbratilis 206 mimic shiner - Notropis volucellus 207 pugnose minnow - Opsopoeodus emiliae 208 bluntnose minnow - Pimephales notatus 209 fathead minnow - Pimephales promelas 210 blacknose dace - Rhinichthys atratulus 211 longnose dace - Rhinichthys cataractae 212 creek chub - Semotilus atromaculatus 213 fallfish - Semotilus corporalis 214 pearl dace - Margariscus margarita 215 silver shiner - Notropis photogenis

23

216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229

central stoneroller - Campostoma anomalum striped shiner - Luxilus chrysocephalus ghost shiner - Notropis buchanani grass carp - Ctenopharyngodon idella rudd - Scardinius erythrophthalmus Phoxinus sp Hybognathus sp Nocomis sp Notropis sp Pimephales sp Rhinichthys sp Semotilus sp Hybopsis sp Luxilus sp

230 ICTALURIDAE - Bullhead Catfishes

231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 241 242 243 244

black bullhead - Ameiurus melas yellow bullhead - Ameiurus natalis brown bullhead - Ameiurus nebulosus channel catfish - Ictalurus punctatus stonecat - Noturus flavus tadpole madtom - Noturus gyrinus brindled madtom - Noturus miurus margined madtom - Noturus insignis flathead catfish - Pylodictis olivaris Ictalurus sp Noturus sp Ameiurus sp northern madtom - Noturus stigmosus

250 ANGUILLIDAE - Freshwater Eels

251 American eel - Anguilla rostrata

260 CYPRINODONTIDAE - Killifishes

261 262

banded killifish - Fundulus diaphanus blackstripe topminnow - Fundulus notatus

270 GADIDAE - Cods

271 burbot - Lota lota

280 GASTEROSTEIDAE - Sticklebacks

281 282 283 284

brook stickleback - Culaea inconstans threespine stickleback - Gasterosteus aculeatus ninespine stickleback - Pungitius pungitius fourspine stickleback - Apeltes quadracus

290 PERCOPSIDAE - Trout-perches

291 trout-perch - Percopsis omiscomaycus

300 PERCICHTHYIDAE - Temperate Basses

301 302

white perch - Morone americana white bass - Morone chrysops

24

303 Morone sp

310 CENTRARCHIDAE - Sunfishes

311 rock bass - Ambloplites rupestris 312 green sunfish - Lepomis cyanellus 313 pumpkinseed - Lepomis gibbosus 314 blue gill - Lepomis macrochirus 315 longear sunfish - Lepomis megalotis 316 smallmouth bass - Micropterus dolomieu 317 largemouth bass - Micropterus salmoides 318 white crappie - Pomoxis annularis 319 black crappie - Pomoxis nigromaculatus 320 Lepomis sp 321 Micropterus sp 322 Pomoxis sp 323 warmouth - Lepomis gulosus 324 orangespotted sunfish - Lepomis humilis

330 PERCIDAE - Perches

331 yellow perch - Perca flavescens 332 sauger - Stizostedion canadense 333 blue pike (blue pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum glaucum 334 walleye (yellow pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum 335 eastern sand darter - Ammocrypta pellucida 336 greenside darter - Etheostoma blennioides 337 rainbow darter - Etheostoma caeruleum 338 Iowa darter - Etheostoma exile 339 fantail darter - Etheostoma flabellare 340 least darter - Etheostoma microperca 341 johnny darter - Etheostoma nigrum 342 logperch - Percina caprodes 343 channel darter - Percina copelandi 344 blackside darter - Percina maculata 345 river darter - Percina shumardi 346 tessellated darter - Etheostoma olmstedi 347 Stizostedion sp 348 Etheostoma sp 349 Percina sp 350 ruffe - Gymnocephalus cernuus

360 ATHERINIDAE - Silversides

361 brook silverside - Labidesthes sicculus

365GOBIIDAE ndash Gobies

366 round goby - Neogobius melanostomus 367 tubenose goby - Proterorhinus marmoratus

25

370 SCIAENIDAE - Drums

371 freshwater drum - Aplodinotus grunniens

380 COTTIDAE - Sculpins

381 382 383 384 385 386 387

mottled sculpin - Cottus bairdi slimy sculpin - Cottus cognatus spoonhead sculpin - Cottus ricei deepwater sculpin - Myoxocephalus thompsoni Cottus sp Myoxocephalus sp fourhorn sculpin - Myoxocephalus quadricornis

390 CYCLOPTERIDAE - Lumpfishes

391 lumpfish - Cyclopterus lumpus

395 PLEURONECTIDAE - Righteye Flounders

396 European Flounder - Platichthys flesus

400 SALMONIDAE - Hybrids

420 SALMONINAE - Hybrids

450 COREGONINAE - Hybrids

500 ESOCIDAE - Hybrids

501 502

Esox lucius x Esox americanus vermiculatus Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy

550 CATOSTOMIDAE - Hybrids

551 Ictiobus hybrids

600 CYPRINIDAE - Hybrids

601 602 603 604 605 610 611 612 620

Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio Phoxinus hybrids Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeusPhoxinus eos x Margariscus margaritaPhoxinus neogaeus x Margariscus margaritaNotropis hybrids Luxilus cornutus x Notropis rubellusLuxilus cornutus x Semotilus atromaculatus Pimephales promelas x Pimephales notatus

650 ICTALURIDAE - Hybrids

651 Ameiurus melas x Ameiurus nebulosus

26

700 CENTRARCHIDAE - Hybrids

701 Lepomis hybrids 702 Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus 703 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus 704 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis 705 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus 706 Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus

750 PERCIDAE - Hybrids

751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum

800 COTTIDAE - Hybrids

801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus

27

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229

central stoneroller - Campostoma anomalum striped shiner - Luxilus chrysocephalus ghost shiner - Notropis buchanani grass carp - Ctenopharyngodon idella rudd - Scardinius erythrophthalmus Phoxinus sp Hybognathus sp Nocomis sp Notropis sp Pimephales sp Rhinichthys sp Semotilus sp Hybopsis sp Luxilus sp

230 ICTALURIDAE - Bullhead Catfishes

231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 241 242 243 244

black bullhead - Ameiurus melas yellow bullhead - Ameiurus natalis brown bullhead - Ameiurus nebulosus channel catfish - Ictalurus punctatus stonecat - Noturus flavus tadpole madtom - Noturus gyrinus brindled madtom - Noturus miurus margined madtom - Noturus insignis flathead catfish - Pylodictis olivaris Ictalurus sp Noturus sp Ameiurus sp northern madtom - Noturus stigmosus

250 ANGUILLIDAE - Freshwater Eels

251 American eel - Anguilla rostrata

260 CYPRINODONTIDAE - Killifishes

261 262

banded killifish - Fundulus diaphanus blackstripe topminnow - Fundulus notatus

270 GADIDAE - Cods

271 burbot - Lota lota

280 GASTEROSTEIDAE - Sticklebacks

281 282 283 284

brook stickleback - Culaea inconstans threespine stickleback - Gasterosteus aculeatus ninespine stickleback - Pungitius pungitius fourspine stickleback - Apeltes quadracus

290 PERCOPSIDAE - Trout-perches

291 trout-perch - Percopsis omiscomaycus

300 PERCICHTHYIDAE - Temperate Basses

301 302

white perch - Morone americana white bass - Morone chrysops

24

303 Morone sp

310 CENTRARCHIDAE - Sunfishes

311 rock bass - Ambloplites rupestris 312 green sunfish - Lepomis cyanellus 313 pumpkinseed - Lepomis gibbosus 314 blue gill - Lepomis macrochirus 315 longear sunfish - Lepomis megalotis 316 smallmouth bass - Micropterus dolomieu 317 largemouth bass - Micropterus salmoides 318 white crappie - Pomoxis annularis 319 black crappie - Pomoxis nigromaculatus 320 Lepomis sp 321 Micropterus sp 322 Pomoxis sp 323 warmouth - Lepomis gulosus 324 orangespotted sunfish - Lepomis humilis

330 PERCIDAE - Perches

331 yellow perch - Perca flavescens 332 sauger - Stizostedion canadense 333 blue pike (blue pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum glaucum 334 walleye (yellow pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum 335 eastern sand darter - Ammocrypta pellucida 336 greenside darter - Etheostoma blennioides 337 rainbow darter - Etheostoma caeruleum 338 Iowa darter - Etheostoma exile 339 fantail darter - Etheostoma flabellare 340 least darter - Etheostoma microperca 341 johnny darter - Etheostoma nigrum 342 logperch - Percina caprodes 343 channel darter - Percina copelandi 344 blackside darter - Percina maculata 345 river darter - Percina shumardi 346 tessellated darter - Etheostoma olmstedi 347 Stizostedion sp 348 Etheostoma sp 349 Percina sp 350 ruffe - Gymnocephalus cernuus

360 ATHERINIDAE - Silversides

361 brook silverside - Labidesthes sicculus

365GOBIIDAE ndash Gobies

366 round goby - Neogobius melanostomus 367 tubenose goby - Proterorhinus marmoratus

25

370 SCIAENIDAE - Drums

371 freshwater drum - Aplodinotus grunniens

380 COTTIDAE - Sculpins

381 382 383 384 385 386 387

mottled sculpin - Cottus bairdi slimy sculpin - Cottus cognatus spoonhead sculpin - Cottus ricei deepwater sculpin - Myoxocephalus thompsoni Cottus sp Myoxocephalus sp fourhorn sculpin - Myoxocephalus quadricornis

390 CYCLOPTERIDAE - Lumpfishes

391 lumpfish - Cyclopterus lumpus

395 PLEURONECTIDAE - Righteye Flounders

396 European Flounder - Platichthys flesus

400 SALMONIDAE - Hybrids

420 SALMONINAE - Hybrids

450 COREGONINAE - Hybrids

500 ESOCIDAE - Hybrids

501 502

Esox lucius x Esox americanus vermiculatus Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy

550 CATOSTOMIDAE - Hybrids

551 Ictiobus hybrids

600 CYPRINIDAE - Hybrids

601 602 603 604 605 610 611 612 620

Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio Phoxinus hybrids Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeusPhoxinus eos x Margariscus margaritaPhoxinus neogaeus x Margariscus margaritaNotropis hybrids Luxilus cornutus x Notropis rubellusLuxilus cornutus x Semotilus atromaculatus Pimephales promelas x Pimephales notatus

650 ICTALURIDAE - Hybrids

651 Ameiurus melas x Ameiurus nebulosus

26

700 CENTRARCHIDAE - Hybrids

701 Lepomis hybrids 702 Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus 703 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus 704 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis 705 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus 706 Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus

750 PERCIDAE - Hybrids

751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum

800 COTTIDAE - Hybrids

801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus

27

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

303 Morone sp

310 CENTRARCHIDAE - Sunfishes

311 rock bass - Ambloplites rupestris 312 green sunfish - Lepomis cyanellus 313 pumpkinseed - Lepomis gibbosus 314 blue gill - Lepomis macrochirus 315 longear sunfish - Lepomis megalotis 316 smallmouth bass - Micropterus dolomieu 317 largemouth bass - Micropterus salmoides 318 white crappie - Pomoxis annularis 319 black crappie - Pomoxis nigromaculatus 320 Lepomis sp 321 Micropterus sp 322 Pomoxis sp 323 warmouth - Lepomis gulosus 324 orangespotted sunfish - Lepomis humilis

330 PERCIDAE - Perches

331 yellow perch - Perca flavescens 332 sauger - Stizostedion canadense 333 blue pike (blue pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum glaucum 334 walleye (yellow pickerel) - Stizostedion vitreum 335 eastern sand darter - Ammocrypta pellucida 336 greenside darter - Etheostoma blennioides 337 rainbow darter - Etheostoma caeruleum 338 Iowa darter - Etheostoma exile 339 fantail darter - Etheostoma flabellare 340 least darter - Etheostoma microperca 341 johnny darter - Etheostoma nigrum 342 logperch - Percina caprodes 343 channel darter - Percina copelandi 344 blackside darter - Percina maculata 345 river darter - Percina shumardi 346 tessellated darter - Etheostoma olmstedi 347 Stizostedion sp 348 Etheostoma sp 349 Percina sp 350 ruffe - Gymnocephalus cernuus

360 ATHERINIDAE - Silversides

361 brook silverside - Labidesthes sicculus

365GOBIIDAE ndash Gobies

366 round goby - Neogobius melanostomus 367 tubenose goby - Proterorhinus marmoratus

25

370 SCIAENIDAE - Drums

371 freshwater drum - Aplodinotus grunniens

380 COTTIDAE - Sculpins

381 382 383 384 385 386 387

mottled sculpin - Cottus bairdi slimy sculpin - Cottus cognatus spoonhead sculpin - Cottus ricei deepwater sculpin - Myoxocephalus thompsoni Cottus sp Myoxocephalus sp fourhorn sculpin - Myoxocephalus quadricornis

390 CYCLOPTERIDAE - Lumpfishes

391 lumpfish - Cyclopterus lumpus

395 PLEURONECTIDAE - Righteye Flounders

396 European Flounder - Platichthys flesus

400 SALMONIDAE - Hybrids

420 SALMONINAE - Hybrids

450 COREGONINAE - Hybrids

500 ESOCIDAE - Hybrids

501 502

Esox lucius x Esox americanus vermiculatus Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy

550 CATOSTOMIDAE - Hybrids

551 Ictiobus hybrids

600 CYPRINIDAE - Hybrids

601 602 603 604 605 610 611 612 620

Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio Phoxinus hybrids Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeusPhoxinus eos x Margariscus margaritaPhoxinus neogaeus x Margariscus margaritaNotropis hybrids Luxilus cornutus x Notropis rubellusLuxilus cornutus x Semotilus atromaculatus Pimephales promelas x Pimephales notatus

650 ICTALURIDAE - Hybrids

651 Ameiurus melas x Ameiurus nebulosus

26

700 CENTRARCHIDAE - Hybrids

701 Lepomis hybrids 702 Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus 703 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus 704 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis 705 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus 706 Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus

750 PERCIDAE - Hybrids

751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum

800 COTTIDAE - Hybrids

801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus

27

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

370 SCIAENIDAE - Drums

371 freshwater drum - Aplodinotus grunniens

380 COTTIDAE - Sculpins

381 382 383 384 385 386 387

mottled sculpin - Cottus bairdi slimy sculpin - Cottus cognatus spoonhead sculpin - Cottus ricei deepwater sculpin - Myoxocephalus thompsoni Cottus sp Myoxocephalus sp fourhorn sculpin - Myoxocephalus quadricornis

390 CYCLOPTERIDAE - Lumpfishes

391 lumpfish - Cyclopterus lumpus

395 PLEURONECTIDAE - Righteye Flounders

396 European Flounder - Platichthys flesus

400 SALMONIDAE - Hybrids

420 SALMONINAE - Hybrids

450 COREGONINAE - Hybrids

500 ESOCIDAE - Hybrids

501 502

Esox lucius x Esox americanus vermiculatus Esox lucius x Esox masquinongy

550 CATOSTOMIDAE - Hybrids

551 Ictiobus hybrids

600 CYPRINIDAE - Hybrids

601 602 603 604 605 610 611 612 620

Carassius auratus x Cyprinus carpio Phoxinus hybrids Phoxinus eos x Phoxinus neogaeusPhoxinus eos x Margariscus margaritaPhoxinus neogaeus x Margariscus margaritaNotropis hybrids Luxilus cornutus x Notropis rubellusLuxilus cornutus x Semotilus atromaculatus Pimephales promelas x Pimephales notatus

650 ICTALURIDAE - Hybrids

651 Ameiurus melas x Ameiurus nebulosus

26

700 CENTRARCHIDAE - Hybrids

701 Lepomis hybrids 702 Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus 703 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus 704 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis 705 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus 706 Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus

750 PERCIDAE - Hybrids

751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum

800 COTTIDAE - Hybrids

801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus

27

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

700 CENTRARCHIDAE - Hybrids

701 Lepomis hybrids 702 Lepomis gibbosus x Lepomis macrochirus 703 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis gibbosus 704 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis megalotis 705 Lepomis cyanellus x Lepomis macrochirus 706 Pomoxis annularis x Pomoxis nigromaculatus

750 PERCIDAE - Hybrids

751 Stizostedion canadense x Stizostedion vitreum

800 COTTIDAE - Hybrids

801 Cottus bairdi x Cottus cognatus

27

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

Appendix D (BTIN Sampling forms)

The following blank copies of the BTIN forms are required to record the results of your BTIN project To facilitate direct photocopying for field use the forms are full size and intentionally not labeled with the instruction manual page numbers Save these forms as master copies for use in future BTIN field programs

Electronic copies of the BTIN forms are available for re-printing purposes Photocopied or laser printed versions are often more field worthy than versions made with ink printers Ink printed versions tend to smear and the ink will run if the forms get wet The toner used in photocopiers and laser printers tends to hold up very well to water damage

28

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

Depth (m)

Start Time

BTIN ndash Effort Form

Waterbody______________________________ Date_______________________ Crew________________________________________

General Weather Cloud Cover (in eighths)________ Precipitation1 _________ Air Temperature (oC) ________ Water Temperature (oC) ________

Effort Number

Site Number

Mesh Size (mm)

End Time

Wind UTM Coordinates (NAD____)

Comments

Start Panel 1 Panel 2 End Direction (1-360o)

Speed (in knots)

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

1Precipitation Codes 00=no precipitation 10=mist 40=fog 61=light rain 65=heavy rain 71=light snow 75=heavy snow 95=thunderstorm

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

BTIN - Fish Sampling Form Waterbody________________________ Date_______________________ Crew__________________________________

SiteEffort Number

Sub Effort

Number

Species Fish Number

Fork Length (mm)

Total Length (mm)

Round Weight

(g)

Age Structure(s)1

1Age Structure blank=no data 0=no structure sampled 1=scales any side 2=scales left side 3=scales right side 4=pectoral ray 5=pectoral spine 6=pelvic ray 7=dorsal spine A=otolith B=operculum C=sub-operculum D=cleithrum E=centrum F=branchiostegal G=other 2Marks At CaptureApplied blank=no data 0=no clip 1=right pectoral 2=left pectoral 3=right pelvic 4=left pelvic 5=adipose 6=anal 7=anterior dorsal 8=posterior dorsal A=lower caudal B=mid-caudal C=right opercular D=left opercular E=right maxillary F=left maxillary 3Tag status Record up to 4 characters as follows First Character is the applied code C=existed on Capture A=Applied Second Character is the disposition code 0=no change 1=retied same tag 2=replaced lost tag 3=removed 4=not known Third Character is the condition code 1= securely tied 2=some slack 3=loose 4=unknown Fourth Character is a second condition code 1=healed 2=bit raw 3=festering 4=wear on fin 9=unknown 4 Selection type 0=not defined in survey 1=defined in survey

Marks at Capture2

Marks Applied2

Tag Ident Tag Status3

Selection Type4

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31

BTIN ndash Catch form

Waterbody_________________________________________ Date______________

Effort Sub Effort Species Group

Caught

Biosampled

MarksTags

Applied

MarksTags Recaptured

Comments

31