Minnesota DNR Seeking Public Assistance
Minnesota DNR Seeking Public
Assistance
Anglers of Big Stone Lake are asked to assist the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Ortonville, MN, office in their understanding of the Bluegill population in Big Stone Lake.
In the last decade, Bluegill numbers have had significant increases. The growth and lifespan of Bluegills has been studied over this period, but a more robust sample size is being sought. The larger record of specimen size will result in the increased integrity of study conclusions.
Anglers are asked to keep the filleted carcasses of Bluegills and one of the skin flaps in a sealed plastic bag. Each filleted fish should be kept separately in its own bag. Samples should be kept ice cold, frozen if possible.
Officials note the importance of keeping the carcass and skin flap from the same specimen together for accurate reporting.
An ear stone from the head of the fish is used to determine the fish’s overall age and a scale sample will be used to back-calculate the length the fish was at each age. After determining age, researchers are able to analyze the growth rings in the scale to determine length at each age.
