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2016 Southeastern Fishes Council Meeting Jackson, Mississippi


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#1 Michael Wolfe

Michael Wolfe
  • Board of Directors
  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 28 August 2016 - 04:33 PM

The annual meeting of the Southeastern Fishes Council will be held Thursday and Friday, November 10–11, 2016, at the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, 2148 Riverside Drive, Jackson, MS 39202. Registration can be completed at SFC Annual Meeting 2016.

 

I just got this in my email and began to wonder if there was a possibility to organize a post meeting meeting of fishy people?  We have done this a few time in the past (I remember at least Athens and Chattanooga). Maybe some sort of outing on Saturday?

 

Not sure, but I am thinking about going.  Anyone else interested?

 


Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#2 mattknepley

mattknepley
  • NANFA Member
  • Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 28 August 2016 - 06:05 PM

Sounds interesting, again. Would love to see the presentations, but that is a lotta clams right before Thanksgiving and Christmas. Might be able to swing an after-party-ish fishy session, though.

Why do I hear laughing?
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#3 Casper

Casper
  • NANFA Fellow
  • Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 29 August 2016 - 11:35 AM

I have been talking with SFC's Jim Williams about attending and setting up a table at no cost as a rep for NANFA.  I will touch base with him after he gets the next issue of American Currents with the Darter Festival article as he assisted me somewhat on the article.


Edited by Casper, 29 August 2016 - 11:44 AM.

Casper Cox
Chattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

#4 FishGuyJosh

FishGuyJosh
  • Regional Rep

Posted 29 August 2016 - 06:29 PM

Dang,I wish I could make this. Some of my family is from right outside Jackson in Yazoo County. It will definitely be in a great venue. The Mississippi Museum of Natural Science has a fantastic aquarium section that represents all of the habitats of the state. I try and go there every time I'm in town to visit. FYI there's a great country cooking buffet restaurant in a neighboring park near the museum.


FishGuyJosh

#5 Casper

Casper
  • NANFA Fellow
  • Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 30 August 2016 - 07:53 AM

I would be keen on visiting the Big Apple Inn.  Fans of Andrew might remember him enjoying a pig ear sandwich.

Old members might recall Martin's 2000 NANFA convention in Jackson.  We had an evening visit to the Natural Science Museum and all their mega tanks full of our Natives. Some are still populated with Conasauga Logperch and Cement Pond Longears. It is a fine environment to gather in.

Too cold and the waters dark and lurking with beasts to do any snorkeling though.  A seining might be approved.


Casper Cox
Chattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

#6 rc6750

rc6750
  • NANFA Member
  • Tampa Bay, FL

Posted 30 August 2016 - 04:03 PM

I am most probably going to be attending - would be interested in whatever.



#7 Irate Mormon

Irate Mormon
  • NANFA Member
  • Crooked Creek, Mississippi

Posted 11 September 2016 - 08:08 PM

I would love to go, but the registration fee :-(  Really??


-The member currently known as Irate Mormon


#8 Irate Mormon

Irate Mormon
  • NANFA Member
  • Crooked Creek, Mississippi

Posted 11 September 2016 - 08:09 PM

I would be up for a NANFA gathering in the vicinity, however!


-The member currently known as Irate Mormon


#9 Casper

Casper
  • NANFA Fellow
  • Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 12 September 2016 - 10:03 AM

For me, as a non SFC member and with early registration the cost would be $175. plus my travel expenses and lodging.

And that is for the 2 days.

Compare that to a NANFA convention with several days of activities, banquet, field trips, auction, etc.

:)

The SFC talks are interesting though.  And i always enjoy seeing some of my fishy pals from the professional side.

 

I set up a NANFA table in Chattanooga a few years back and sold about $700. worth of NANFA goods, t-shirts, decals, memberships, etc.  We also passed out a lot of grant applications which have yielded money for SFC members.

An issue since Chattanooga though is SFC wants NANFA to pay for a a table and if your paying attendance fees and manning the table you are for the most part missing the talks.

 

I am going to contact them and see if they will offer table, space and one NANFA member gratius.


Edited by Casper, 12 September 2016 - 10:07 AM.

Casper Cox
Chattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

#10 Michael Wolfe

Michael Wolfe
  • Board of Directors
  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 14 November 2016 - 09:31 AM

If you missed this, you missed some great conversation, some great data, a wonderful venue (with multiple native aquariums), and a day of snorkeling with some unique fishes, including abundant frecklebelly madtoms.

Pictures to follow...
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#11 Casper

Casper
  • NANFA Fellow
  • Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 17 November 2016 - 05:10 PM

The SFC meeting went well and i understand a bit over 100 folks attended.  Several ichthyologists of note and their students spoke on a variety of fishy species along with a couple 20 minute talks of Crayfish and Freshwater Shrimp.  Surprisingly Freshwater Shrimp use to be harvested commercially from the Mississippi River.  I have only seen the small Grass / Glass Shrimp in my travels but some big ones are still out there.
Michael Wolfe and i set up a NANFA table and a 2nd the following day displaying signs, t-shirts, American Currents and assorted goods representing our association and in the process gathered a bit of funds for the treasury.  To note we are getting low on most shirts and at this point only have a few sizes remaining for Ohio, North Carolina, New Hampshire and the NANFA Rainbow Darter shirts.  Don't forget NANFA goods make great gifts during the upcoming holiday season.  Those Big Muddy playing cards are great stocking stuffers.
Matt Wagner, Mississippi's non-game fish biologist, was an excellent host and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science was an ideal gathering site.  They had a nice lecture theater that was comfortable and the Thursday night banquet of local BBQ was served in the aquarium gallery with the diners being surrounded by fish, dioramas, displays and the posters of SFC student projects.
Next year SFC will return to Chattanooga and the Tennessee Aquarium.  The SFC folks are talking about including a Saturday field trip to the South Chickamauga Creek that flows behind my house.  It would make for a good time to visit if the November cold does not set in too quickly.  Snail Darters are on the species to see list.
 
I did not take any photos during the gathering and of course am now regretting not doing so.
The meeting ended after noon on Friday and after a bit of socializing and stowing our display and remaining goods several of us took a short drive north to a dam blocking the Pearl.  Here are a few photos...
 
10-CatfishMaw.JPG
 
Lots of late afternoon fishermen were gathered below the dam and the adjoining boat launch.  Usually i try a ask what they are catching and if they have any rough fish recipes to share but we immediately walked downriver kicking into our dipnets and shuffling about with a seine.  A dried carcass of a catfish testified to his tight vice grip on prey or the hand of a noodler.
 
 
11-GarSkull.JPG
 
The dried beast tossed aside as waste.  I never get tired of seeing Gar, prehistoric predators they be.  His scaly armor was hollowed but rigid tight.
 
 
12-GarGang.JPG
 
The seine gang looking on.
 
13-NakedSandDarter.JPG
 
After an hour or so we returned to the parking lot's picnic table with our catch in tow as Michael broke out his pair of photo tanks.  One of the cool new sees for me was this stark Naked Sand Darter.  Translucent, the internal organs can be visible.  They fold their fins sleek so they can slide beneath the sand, only their faces peering out.
 
 
14-Silversides.JPG
 
A couple Silversides, to me a Brook above and an Inland below.  The snout length is a identifying characteristic.
 
 
15-SilversideEye.JPG
 
Peering into the Brook's eye.
 
 
16-PurpleSunset.JPG
 
The sun began to set, the sky purple, the air cooling and us hungry for local culinary fare.
 
 
17-CatfishPlatter.JPG
 
Matt took us to the "Cock of the Walk", a catfish house set on the Ross Barnett Reservoir.  This cheerful lady brought us a giant platter of Catfish mounded over fries and hushpuppies.  To the long table she added pickled onions, slaw, and drinks all served in tin cups and on plates.
That ended the night for the seiners while Michael and i retreated to the Econo Lodge for rest and to ready for Saturday's planned plunge.
 

Casper Cox
Chattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

#12 rc6750

rc6750
  • NANFA Member
  • Tampa Bay, FL

Posted 18 November 2016 - 01:21 PM

Nice pictures Casper - will add some of mine as well.

 

 

Pictures from some of the talks

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The museum had many awesome tanks and displays

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We also got to tour the state ichthyology collection. They have a state of the art facility and it was really cool to see the labs and storage areas. We got to examine the small specimen storage area, the large specimen area, the ultra-cold tissue storage and the wet lab. They have acquired the collections of MSU and Ole Miss and have plenty of room to grow.

 

Small Specimen Storage

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Wet Lab

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Large Specimen Storage

tumblr_ogumm9eNoG1qjrzplo3_540.jpg

 



#13 rc6750

rc6750
  • NANFA Member
  • Tampa Bay, FL

Posted 18 November 2016 - 01:25 PM

Pictures from the sampling trip on the Pear River

 

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#14 fundulus

fundulus
  • Global Moderator

Posted 20 November 2016 - 03:21 PM

I'm glad SFC will be in Chatt next year, I'll definitely be there. This year it just didn't work out....


Bruce Stallsmith, Huntsville, Alabama, US of A

#15 Irate Mormon

Irate Mormon
  • NANFA Member
  • Crooked Creek, Mississippi

Posted 20 November 2016 - 07:00 PM

If I had known you guys were gonna be here I would have met up with you. 


-The member currently known as Irate Mormon


#16 Casper

Casper
  • NANFA Fellow
  • Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 21 November 2016 - 09:56 AM

It was nice to meet Mr. FishMap Ryan.  He flew in from Florida.  Ryan's pictures help fill out the initial 2 days.  We were focused on the SFC agenda and then to snorkel Mississippi clear water... not much time for anything else.  The Friday and Saturday plans had evolved to my satisfaction.  Saturday continues an adventure...


Casper Cox
Chattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

#17 Casper

Casper
  • NANFA Fellow
  • Chattanooga, TN alongside South Chickamauga Creek, just upstream of the mighty Tennessee River.

Posted 21 November 2016 - 10:18 AM

Saturday:
SFC host and state ichthyologist Matt Wagner had told me of a nice site just an hour south of Jackson that he had long wanted to snorkel.  With Matt recovered and rested well he joined Michael and i leaving early on a cool morning with blue skies.
 
 
21-SnorkelPair.JPG
 
Michael and Matt beat me into the river, with the highway bridge beyond and vehicles clambering across it.  That river was cold!  60 is my lower limit but my gauge read 57.  Woo wee, it took some deep breathing to get settled through a metabolic shift.  The sun warmed our backs but not enough to persevere for too long.
 
 
22-FreckleBellyMadtom.JPG
 
Matt turned over a bit of chunk of woody debris and found this fella calm and cool to our photo advances.  A Frecklebelly Madtom.  A common sight that day.
 
 
23-Saddleback.JPG
 
I kept seeing darters sporting distinct saddles and began considering them as distant Snail Darter cousins.  The photo shows not so much but at times the saddles were quite pronounced.  Thus they are named Saddleback Darters and they have a far reaching range even into Tennessee.
 
 
24-DuskyPair.JPG
 
Also common were Dusky Darters, a species i see at home often enough but not in the quantity we encountered here.  And they appeared somewhat different to my shivering eye and were not as associated with woody snags as i find at home.
 
 
25-MudBug.JPG
 
An interestingly patterned cray made an appearance.  I do not recall never seeing claw markings as this one has.
 
 
26-BluntfaceShiner.JPG
 
The visibility was only about 3 feet and the tea stained water danced with a rippled surface glare made viewing a bit difficult.  These guys were big and reminded us of Whitetail Shiners as they raced in the current just beyond our reach.  Viewing the photo one can see they are much huskier than Galactura and their tail marking more full.  This be a Bluntface Shiner.  In spawning i read they turn a steel color blue, certainly an impressive sight come Spring to motivate me for a return visit.
 
 
27-ClearChubs.JPG
 
These guy's behavior reminded me of Bigeye Chubs and their initial appearance, but their eyes were set a bit lower and their bodies more robust.  I understand these are Clear Chubs.  Kinda Bullhead / Bluntnose Minnowish too... especially the tail markings.
 
 
28-NetMadtom.JPG
 
Eventually the chill wore us done and while warming in the bright sun we decided to get a closer look at some of these critters.  A short seine shuffle yielded a few Frecklebellies.
 
 
29-MadMatt.JPG
 
Happy Matt proud of his Mad Frecklebelly.
 
 
30-BluntfaceFace.JPG
 
A Bluntface Shiner face via Michael's photo tank.
 
 
31-DarterPair.JPG
 
A pair of darters.  Harlequin on the left, Zonale's cousin the Brighteye, on the right.
 
 
32-HarlequinFace.JPG
 
An eyeful of the Court Jester.
 
 
33-SnorkelTeam.JPG
 
Warmed up, dry and ready for a regional meal just before a nice visit with property owner Sarah, gifting each of us a paper sack filled with Mississippi Pecans.  I suspect a Thanksgiving pie is due to be baked in the near future.
 
 
34-CrawGuys.JPG
 
Matt and Michael eagerly devouring 3 pounds of seasoned crawfish boiled red by the local Crawfish King, and complimented with a cup of their tasty Gumbo for our late afternoon meal, providing a great end to our 3 days of activities.  That evening Michael and i looked over our fishy photos and awoke refreshed for our 6 hour drives home, veering apart outside of Birmingham.  I paused in Tuscaloosa for a bit of Dreamland's ribs, ain't nothing like 'em nowhere, then took a short detour into Collinsville to check out the local fishes netting Rainbows, Dace and Studfish along with the typical spring run assorted fishes.  Lots of pretty plants growing lush in the urban stream, the shallow flowing water was very clear but plenty of the local's trash marred the view.  My last hour was spent driving northeasterly through the smoke of the southeastern fires.  The entire region needs rain but i was thankful for such a wonderful trip into Mississippi waters.
 
 
 

Casper Cox
Chattanooga, near the TN Divide on BlueFishRidge overlooking South Chickamauga Creek.

#18 Michael Wolfe

Michael Wolfe
  • Board of Directors
  • North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 21 November 2016 - 10:53 PM

Some more fish pics from the Pearl and Strong Rivers on Friday and Saturday. It was a real treat for me to see these two sand darters... a first for me.

 

Scaley Sand Darter

Scaley+Sand+Darter.jpg

 

Naked Sand Darter

Naked+Sand+Darter.jpg

 

a couple more darters... this Harlequin is certainly my favorite of the day.

Harlequin+Darter.jpg

 

and a Brighteye...

Brighteye+Darter.jpg

 

and the big buster of a Cyprinella that they have in Mississippi... I have not seen this one before.

Bluntface+Shiner2.jpg


Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#19 itsme

itsme
  • NANFA Member

Posted 21 November 2016 - 11:36 PM

 

The SFC meeting went well and i understand a bit over 100 folks attended.  Several ichthyologists of note and their students spoke on a variety of fishy species along with a couple 20 minute talks of Crayfish and Freshwater Shrimp.  Surprisingly Freshwater Shrimp use to be harvested commercially from the Mississippi River.  I have only seen the small Grass / Glass Shrimp in my travels but some big ones are still out there.
Michael Wolfe and i set up a NANFA table and a 2nd the following day displaying signs, t-shirts, American Currents and assorted goods representing our association and in the process gathered a bit of funds for the treasury.  To note we are getting low on most shirts and at this point only have a few sizes remaining for Ohio, North Carolina, New Hampshire and the NANFA Rainbow Darter shirts.  Don't forget NANFA goods make great gifts during the upcoming holiday season.  Those Big Muddy playing cards are great stocking stuffers.
Matt Wagner, Mississippi's non-game fish biologist, was an excellent host and the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science was an ideal gathering site.  They had a nice lecture theater that was comfortable and the Thursday night banquet of local BBQ was served in the aquarium gallery with the diners being surrounded by fish, dioramas, displays and the posters of SFC student projects.
Next year SFC will return to Chattanooga and the Tennessee Aquarium.  The SFC folks are talking about including a Saturday field trip to the South Chickamauga Creek that flows behind my house.  It would make for a good time to visit if the November cold does not set in too quickly.  Snail Darters are on the species to see list.
 
I did not take any photos during the gathering and of course am now regretting not doing so.
The meeting ended after noon on Friday and after a bit of socializing and stowing our display and remaining goods several of us took a short drive north to a dam blocking the Pearl.  Here are a few photos...
 
 
Lots of late afternoon fishermen were gathered below the dam and the adjoining boat launch.  Usually i try a ask what they are catching and if they have any rough fish recipes to share but we immediately walked downriver kicking into our dipnets and shuffling about with a seine.  A dried carcass of a catfish testified to his tight vice grip on prey or the hand of a noodler.
 
 
 
The dried beast tossed aside as waste.  I never get tired of seeing Gar, prehistoric predators they be.  His scaly armor was hollowed but rigid tight.
 
 
 
The seine gang looking on.
 
 
After an hour or so we returned to the parking lot's picnic table with our catch in tow as Michael broke out his pair of photo tanks.  One of the cool new sees for me was this stark Naked Sand Darter.  Translucent, the internal organs can be visible.  They fold their fins sleek so they can slide beneath the sand, only their faces peering out.
 
 
 
A couple Silversides, to me a Brook above and an Inland below.  The snout length is a identifying characteristic.
 
 
 
Peering into the Brook's eye.
 
 
 
The sun began to set, the sky purple, the air cooling and us hungry for local culinary fare.
 
 
 
Matt took us to the "Cock of the Walk", a catfish house set on the Ross Barnett Reservoir.  This cheerful lady brought us a giant platter of Catfish mounded over fries and hushpuppies.  To the long table she added pickled onions, slaw, and drinks all served in tin cups and on plates.
That ended the night for the seiners while Michael and i retreated to the Econo Lodge for rest and to ready for Saturday's planned plunge.
 

 

 

Hey Casper.  Who did the talk on the River Shrimp?  I'd like to see their stuff.  BG got me some once and I have never forgotten them.  Donated them to the Toledo Zoo when we moved.  Would like to work with this species. 



#20 itsme

itsme
  • NANFA Member

Posted 21 November 2016 - 11:38 PM

Some more fish pics from the Pearl and Strong Rivers on Friday and Saturday. It was a real treat for me to see these two sand darters... a first for me.

 

Scaley Sand Darter

Scaley+Sand+Darter.jpg

 

Naked Sand Darter

Naked+Sand+Darter.jpg

 

a couple more darters... this Harlequin is certainly my favorite of the day.

Harlequin+Darter.jpg

 

and a Brighteye...

Brighteye+Darter.jpg

 

and the big buster of a Cyprinella that they have in Mississippi... I have not seen this one before.

Bluntface+Shiner2.jpg

 

 

What Cyprinella is that?






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