Small, slow-growing bluegills continue to overpopulate Upper Long Lake in southwestern Noble County, despite the stocking of additional predator fish to reduce their numbers.

Since 1996, the local lake association and the Lake Webster Musky Club have released more than 3,000 muskies in the 86-acre natural lake. The fish were purchased from a private hatchery in Wisconsin and stocked with permission of the Department of Natural Resource’s (DNR) Division of Fish and Wildlife (DFW).

Muskies are large, toothy predator fish growing to more than four feet long. They are similar to northern pike, but unlike pike, they are not native to Indiana natural lakes. Part of the reason for stocking muskies in Upper Long Lake was that local residents, anglers and the DNR hoped the fish would prey on small bluegills. The reasoning was once bluegill numbers declined, the surviving bluegills would have more food per fish and would grow larger.
The idea appears to be good in theory but not so much in reality. Based on recent sampling by DNR biologists, bluegills are now more abundant than ever before, and they are smaller.

“I’ve never seen so many small bluegills in a lake,” said Matt Horsley, a DFW fisheries intern and recent graduate of Michigan State University.

Horsley was part of a three-person crew capturing 700 bluegills in only 30 minutes of electro-fishing along the shoreline. At times, so many bluegills were stunned by the shocker boat Horsley couldn’t net them fast enough. Of the 700 bluegills, 97 percent were shorter than six inches long. Only eight were longer than six inches and only three were longer than seven inches.

The electro-fishing catch rate of three- to five-inch bluegills was 340 per 15 minutes of sampling, the highest ever recorded at an Indiana natural lake during a June survey, second only to a catch rate of 460 per 15 minutes at nearby Loon Lake in July 2004.
Ironically, muskies stocked in Loon Lake, as well as in Skinner Lake east of Albion, have also failed to reduce bluegill numbers and increase bluegill size. Biologists speculate muskies prefer to eat other species, including other predator fish, which may actually reduce predation on bluegills.

According to Horsley, the overall catch rate of bluegills at Upper Long Lake averaged 282 per 15 minutes from 1991 through 2010. A typical catch rate at other Indiana natural lakes is 100.

“We don’t know why bluegills are so abundant in Upper Long Lake. That’s something we are still trying to figure out,” Horsley said.
Meanwhile, anglers may want to switch to muskie fishing on Upper Long Lake since he also caught 10 muskies during the survey.

Reserved hunt applications

Online applications for the following reserved hunts are now available at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/5834.htm

Dove hunt: Applications for the reserve dove hunts will be accepted online from July 1-30. Successful applicants may bring one hunting partner, and draw results will be posted online at www.in.gov/dnr/fish wild up to a week after the deadline to apply.

Military/refuge firearm deer hunt: Applications for the military/refuge deer hunts will be accepted online until Aug. 27. Successful applicants are allowed to bring one hunting partner; however, applicants do not have to enter their hunting partner’s information online.

Any military area deer hunt may be canceled or rescheduled upon short notice. No hunt fee refunds will be given if a hunt is canceled or rescheduled, and handguns are not permitted on any military area.

Successful applicants will receive more information regarding their hunts once the draw results are posted. There will be a link to a document with the information. Draw results will be posted online at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild up to a week after the deadline to apply.
If you have questions regarding the military/refuge hunts, call the Deer Hotline at 812-334-3795 from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays. The call is not toll free.

Military/refuge archery deer hunt: Applications will be accepted online until Aug. 27, and applicants do not have to enter their hunting partner’s information online. Successful applicants are allowed to bring one hunting partner.

Any military area deer hunt may be canceled or rescheduled upon short notice. No hunt fee refunds will be given if a hunt is canceled or rescheduled, and handguns are not permitted on any military area.

Successful applicants will receive more information regarding their hunts once the draw results are posted. There will be a link to a document with the information. Draw results will be posted online at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild up to a week after the deadline to apply.
If you have questions regarding the military/refuge hunts, call the Deer Hotline.

Pheasant reserve hunt: Applications will be accepted online until Oct. 1. The Nov. 6 reserved hunt date is for YOUTH ONLY (age 17 and younger). People 18 years of age and older who apply for the youth hunt will be disqualified and not selected.

For the pheasant reserve hunts, applicants do not choose a property, but select a date and then properties are assigned to successful applicants who may bring up to two hunting partners. Draw results will be posted online at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild up to a week after the deadline to apply.

State park deer hunts: Online applications accepted online until Aug. 27, and the reduction hunts will take place Nov. 15-16 and 29-30. Applicants must possess deer hunting licenses to apply for the hunts.

Hunter densities and the number of available spots are carefully calculated for each park. The reductions are a necessary management tool helping to protect other plants and animals from the effects of elevated deer densities. If you are successfully drawn, the parks depend on you to fill your spot.

The following parks will host two reduction hunts in 2010: Brown County, Chain O’Lakes, Charlestown, Clifty Falls (archery), Fort Harrison (archery), Indiana Dunes, Lincoln, McCormick’s Creek, Pokagon, Potato Creek, Prophetstown, Shakamak, Summit Lake, Tippecanoe River, Versailles and Whitewater Memorial.

Individuals may take up to three deer (only one antlered). Deer taken in the hunts are in addition to all other bag limits. Successful applicants may bring up to two hunting partners, but must include their information on the application.

No single name can appear on more than one application per reduction period. If you choose to apply, you must keep a copy of your application confirmation.

To be eligible for the reductions, you must be an Indiana resident, 18 years of age by Nov. 15, 2010, and possess a license to take deer. Special concessions may be made for hunters with disabilities. Contact the property of interest before applying.
Draw results and packets for successful applicants will be made available online by Sept. 3.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Jack Spaulding may contact him by e-mail at jackspaulding @hughes.net or by writing to him in care of this publication.