YOY blackfish is 3.5cm TL
Muskeg in Matanuska Valley north of Anchorage where YOY was netted
One unbaited minnow trap soaked for 48 hours yielded abundant adult blackfish at a nearby culvert.
What's new with Alaska blackfish
Started by
Guest_FishofSchool_*
, Aug 04 2010 11:26 PM
6 replies to this topic
#1
Guest_FishofSchool_*
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Posted 04 August 2010 - 11:26 PM
At last! Netted my first young-of-the-year blackfish last week in a shallow muskeg site north of Anchorage. This marsh is also a thriving threespine stickleback nursery--stickleback fry were everywhere. The blackfish fry are so elusive! I caught this little guy with a dip net; any tips for improving my netting skills in marshy waters? We also tried seining a nearby roadside pool but had little luck due to the dense vegetation; I did catch one juvenile blackfish with a dip net.
YOY blackfish is 3.5cm TL
Muskeg in Matanuska Valley north of Anchorage where YOY was netted
One unbaited minnow trap soaked for 48 hours yielded abundant adult blackfish at a nearby culvert.
YOY blackfish is 3.5cm TL
Muskeg in Matanuska Valley north of Anchorage where YOY was netted
One unbaited minnow trap soaked for 48 hours yielded abundant adult blackfish at a nearby culvert.
#2
Guest_exasperatus2002_*
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Posted 04 August 2010 - 11:50 PM
At last! Netted my first young-of-the-year blackfish last week in a shallow muskeg site north of Anchorage. This marsh is also a thriving threespine stickleback nursery--stickleback fry were everywhere. The blackfish fry are so elusive! I caught this little guy with a dip net; any tips for improving my netting skills in marshy waters? We also tried seining a nearby roadside pool but had little luck due to the dense vegetation; I did catch one juvenile blackfish with a dip net.
YOY blackfish is 3.5cm TL
Muskeg in Matanuska Valley north of Anchorage where YOY was netted
One unbaited minnow trap soaked for 48 hours yielded abundant adult blackfish at a nearby culvert.
Those are interesting. I've never seen them before. What can you tell us about them?
#3
Guest_FishofSchool_*
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Posted 05 August 2010 - 12:38 AM
You can scroll down the Pikes and Mudminnows section to see my 2 other posts on blackfish including informative websites...they are very cool fish found only in Alaska and Siberia...enjoy!
Edited by FishofSchool, 05 August 2010 - 12:40 AM.
#4
Guest_andyavram_*
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Posted 05 August 2010 - 12:57 PM
FoS, I always look forward to your posts. Very little information is readily available about Alaska Blackfish and I have always thought they a seemingly interesting fish. One day when I get up to Alaska I wouldn't find trying to find some of those fish myself.
Those Muskegs don't look like they would hold much in the way of fish! More like a wet field.
Andy
Those Muskegs don't look like they would hold much in the way of fish! More like a wet field.
Andy
#5
Guest_FishofSchool_*
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Posted 05 August 2010 - 04:01 PM
Thanks,Andy--you must plan on a trip to AK, and I will personally take you fish watching at my favorite sloughs and marshes--bring your chest waders 
. I too was really surprised to discover fry in the swampy muskegs, although this particular site is extremely rich in inverts for feeding hungry juvenile blackfish. Plus, there are pockets of open water nearby. We are noticing how much blackfish move among and between sites. They dive into loose substrate (rotting plants and peat) to escape not only predators but encroaching ice during wintertime. Fish and Game recently rotenoned a small lake in town to kill invasive pike; the treatment was applied just before freeze-up and dosage was heavy enough to kill the hardiest of fishes. Blackfish survived, we are pretty sure by diving into substrate below the 1/2 inch penetration zone of the piscicide. Their survival feats are quite amazing!
. I too was really surprised to discover fry in the swampy muskegs, although this particular site is extremely rich in inverts for feeding hungry juvenile blackfish. Plus, there are pockets of open water nearby. We are noticing how much blackfish move among and between sites. They dive into loose substrate (rotting plants and peat) to escape not only predators but encroaching ice during wintertime. Fish and Game recently rotenoned a small lake in town to kill invasive pike; the treatment was applied just before freeze-up and dosage was heavy enough to kill the hardiest of fishes. Blackfish survived, we are pretty sure by diving into substrate below the 1/2 inch penetration zone of the piscicide. Their survival feats are quite amazing!
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