Re: NANFA-- 2004 NANFA Convention invitation

Bob Muller (michiganfish_at_wideopenwest.com)
Sat, 27 Dec 2003 10:26:10 -0500

Lee

If I waited till spring with all the natives I work with, I wouldn't have
time with them all spawning in May and June. I maintain the cold room with
light on a timer matching outdoor conditions. For Southern Michigan 9 hours
Dec 21, 12 hours March 21 and 16 hours June 21. If I take fish and cold
water out at this time of year the water takes a day or two to warm to the
60 degrees that the unheated tanks in my basement are at now. The tanks are
blacked out with black paint and full hoods. I increase the light from the
9 hours, by 3 hours per week; for 3 weeks, by mid Feb. the fish are often
spawning thinking its spring. This is my rework of a method that Cliffoed
Zoller published in the Nov. 1998 AC. Huntsville area has 9:50 hours of
daylight on Dec 21 and the air temp is average 52 (48 in Jan.) so I think
the Alabama fish have had enough cold time. The only fish this method
didn't work on was banded darters that still waited until June to spawn. I
will be removing Rainbow and burrhead shiners as well as Tuscaloosa darters
now. I will wait about a month for the speckled and Ky. snubnose darters.
The northern redbelly dace, rainbow and banded darters will wait till at
least the end of march. Hope this explains what I am doing and hope to see
you in Columbia.

Bob Muller
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