The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1932-12-29
Minnesota State Hatcheries
Aid In Restocking 10000
Lakes, Streams
DROUTH HITS LAKES
Expectations Surpassed =
Eradication of Carp Urged
by Department

ported this week by DR.. Thaddeus
Surber, superintendent of fish
propagation, to w. D. Stewart, di-
rector of the state division of
game and fish. .-.
In all, 1,234,779,646 potential
strikes" were produced in the
states hatcheries. OF the total more
than three-quarters were wall-eyed
pike which are distributed as fry.
The tendency in fish propagation in
Minnesota is to have the young at
tain a greater size of growth than
in former years, especially in the
case of trout fingerlings where the
young are kept in hatcheries in
some cases until they are six and
eight inches in length.
Production of young fish varies
greatly from year to year when
there are sharp differences in wat
er and weather conditions, DR..
Surber said. -.
For the last year of the biennium
covered by his report production
totaled 24,248,187, while in the
second year it was nearly twice as
large, being 709, 531 ,459. For the
| two-year period production of wall
eyed pike aggregated LOGS, 231, 764.
White fish were next in numerical
Importance, production totaling
ia, 977, 460. Lake trout distributed
both as fry and fingerlings aggre-
gated 7,197, 230 with ciscoes next in
line, totaling 6,249,000.
Production of pickerel and great
northern pike totaled 4,309,647;
rainbow trout, 3,563,5O5; brook
trout, 1855, 633; Loeb Leven trout,
637, 1865; large mouth black bass,
238,628; small mouth black bass,
1876; crappies, 19O,633; sunfish,
al $50; perch, 300; striped bass,
3O2,. and albino trout 1000.
In addition the hatcheries pro-
duced ESQ., suckers which will
principally serve the purpose of
food for game fish in lakes and
streams where the fish population
has been small in recent years and
where restoration programs are
under way.
The hatcheries raised 1920 bull
! heads. Some of these will be placed
, in lakes where they serve as feed
for species of game fish while they
are distributed in some lakes which
are suitable for no other type of
! fish and where local residents de-
sire them.
DR.. Surber said that drouth con-
ditions which have prevailed over
a wide section of the Middle West
during the, past few years have had
a serious effect on the fish life Of
the state. Lake levels have been
lowered to- such an extent over
practically two-thirds of the state
that fish actually have become over
crowded in many of them causing
enormous losses both winter and
summer, DR.. Surber said.
| Many streams have dried up,
others becoming stagnated by rea-
son of reduced flow that during the
summer warmed up to such an ex-
tent that thousands of trout per-
ished. From time to time in the
past doubt has been expressed as
to the ability of Minnesota to
maintain its most important food
and game fish, the wall-eyed pike,
but Surber said that all doubts of
the ability to maintain fish in even
increasing numbers has been re-
jected by a phenomenal run Of these
/ pike to their natural spawning
! grounds during last spring.
For the first time in the history
of the states fish cultural opera
lions the division was able to fill
every available hatchery to its ca
pacity with eggs of this species. In
1921 the run was poor but in 1892
is surpassed all expectations. The
result of the big harvest" of pike
this year made it possible for the
department to introduce them into
many waters in which pike prev
iously have not existed, thus great
| y broadening the range.
Propagation Of bass offers diff
ficuIties because of the short per
iod of their reproduction in the
months of May. and June, DR.. Sur
Der said that any sudden drop OF
temperature during that period in
one night will destroy all the eggs
or newly Matched fry existing in
the bass pond. He advocates great
er protection Of bass In their natur-
al spawning grounds.
Sudden, drop temperatures al
feet a small body Of water quickly
and, seriously. AS a result drops
in temperature will affect small
ponds and artificial centers Of pro-
ma cation while the natural spawn
ing beds in large lakes are not af-
fected. Crappies and sunfish which
spawn later in June and July US
ually escape the sudden tempera-
ture changes which destroy the
bass. DR.. Surber said. He asserted
that the crappie is becoming more
popular in Minnesota each year and
that. it is adaptable to most of the
lakes and the smaller ponds and
therefore offers the state an excel
ent opportunity of increasing the
states fish population.
Because of the threat they OFFER
to game fish especially IN the de-
struction of food. DR.. Surber adj
vocates continued efforts to keep
the carp population of lakes re-
duced. This fish, introduced in
Minnesota nearly half century
ago by importation from Germany,
is especially numerous in southern
Minnesota lakes, in some instances,
practically driving out all game
fish.
Where carp are abundant it rs
hopeless to expect any natural re-
production of bass, crappies or sun
fish because the carp by mere
weight of numbers destroy the ma
tural spawning beds of these fishes
in their egorts to reproduce their
kind, DR.. Surber said.
Users of safety razors don't talk
themselves into having massage,
shampoo, SINCE and hair tonic.
Anyway, mudslinging in the 1882
campaign has been trifle more
dion;f;od than usual