Based on the recent addendum to the muskellunge management plan all stocked River sections are to be evaluated for muskellunge and/or tiger muskellunge abundance. The standard for continuing stocking is an electrofishing catch rate of one per hour or higher. The Schuylkill River was evaluated last week in the two stocked sections. The sampling sites in the section from Black Rock Dam downstream to Norristown Dam over a two day period of sampling produced only one tiger muskellunge and did not come close to the catch rate that would allow continuation of stocking. This is what we had seen in prior years as well when targeting other species. On the other hand, the sampling site in the section from Maiden Ck downstream to Angelica Ck ,near Reading, produced a very good catch rate at the sampling site equivalent to the North Branch Susquehanna's. In around 1.25 hrs three were caught and two were missed.
Today we sampled the main Susquehanna at a site within the stretch from York Haven Dam down to Bainbridge and saw a very high number of Muskies plus a northern . In around 1.5 hrs we captured three Muskies/tigers and the one northern. We also had ten Muskies get away. Once we found the type of habitat that they were using almost every small area with that habitat type produced one or two fish. It took us about .75 hrs to figure this out and then the finding was easy, but the fish were skilled at escapement. All but one were in water willow beds in 1-2.5 ft of water. Near shore felled trees, brush, and overhanging trees looked good, but produced only one fish. In the Rivers mentioned above the largest fish captured was around 41 inches.
