May 16, 2014 Cowlitz Bay Seine, First Pull 5:03 pm
Present: Gretchen (recorder), Bob S (truck, fish), Laurie G (vomitrix), Julie (website), Russel (honcho), Madrona (fish wrangler), Amy (intern), John (boat).
It was about 65º, water temp so warm there was a brown alga bloom. It was overcast.
6 White-spotted Greenlings
2 Penpoint Gunnels
4 Saddleback Gunnels
140 Striped Perch of all sizes
2 Pipefish (the seahorses we found May 1)
58 Chum Salmon
1 Chinook Salmon
82 Pink Salmon
All the salmon were about 150 mm long
3 Silver-spotted Sculpins
5 Staghorn Sculpins
1 Buffalo Sculpin
1 Rosy-lipped Sculpin
1 Sculpin spp
4 Tubesnouts
144 Coonstripe Shrimp
2 Kelp Crabs
2 Decorator Crabs (mating)
5 Helmet Crabs (some mating)
1 Dungeness Crab
It was about 65º, water temp so warm there was a brown alga bloom. It was overcast.
6 White-spotted Greenlings
2 Penpoint Gunnels
4 Saddleback Gunnels
140 Striped Perch of all sizes
2 Pipefish (the seahorses we found May 1)
58 Chum Salmon
1 Chinook Salmon
82 Pink Salmon
All the salmon were about 150 mm long
3 Silver-spotted Sculpins
5 Staghorn Sculpins
1 Buffalo Sculpin
1 Rosy-lipped Sculpin
1 Sculpin spp
4 Tubesnouts
144 Coonstripe Shrimp
2 Kelp Crabs
2 Decorator Crabs (mating)
5 Helmet Crabs (some mating)
1 Dungeness Crab
May 16, 2014 Cowlitz Bay Seine, Second Pull 5:44 pm
We moved over a little bit away from the dock towards Pt. Disney because we saw juvenile salmon jumping in that area.
It was a little cooler than before, the alga bloom had subsided a little, and it looked as though it were going to rain (it didn't).
1 juvenile Cabezon with blue lips
3 White-spotted Greenlings
1 Penpoint Gunnel
2 Saddleback Gunnels
68 Striped Perch
1 Pipefish
31 Chum Salmon
4 Chinook Salmon
appx. 400 Pink Salmon
1 Silver-spotted Sculpin
7 Staghorn Sculpins
2 Tubesnouts
24 Coonstripe Shrimp
4 Kelp Crabs
1 Decorator Crab
6 Helmet Crabs (mating)
1 Rock Crab
It was a little cooler than before, the alga bloom had subsided a little, and it looked as though it were going to rain (it didn't).
1 juvenile Cabezon with blue lips
3 White-spotted Greenlings
1 Penpoint Gunnel
2 Saddleback Gunnels
68 Striped Perch
1 Pipefish
31 Chum Salmon
4 Chinook Salmon
appx. 400 Pink Salmon
1 Silver-spotted Sculpin
7 Staghorn Sculpins
2 Tubesnouts
24 Coonstripe Shrimp
4 Kelp Crabs
1 Decorator Crab
6 Helmet Crabs (mating)
1 Rock Crab
Laurie lavaged the four Chinook, which were around 145 mm. Two had eaten larval fish. Then Derek's landing craft landed, disgorging vehicles, people, and plants. Shortly afterwards Mike's boat docked, with various passengers and vehicles moving hither and yon.
May 1, 2014 Cowlitz Bay Seine
Some newly hatched salmon have left the rivers and streams of our region, so KWIAHT's collaborators suggested that they have reached the San Juans on their way to the open ocean. "Nope," said Russel, patiently. "They take a while to get here. They're little. They have a very long way to swim."
"Humor us," said their collaborators, mulishly.
"Consider it done," said Russel, kindly. So, he scheduled this year's seine for today, three weeks earlier than ever.
May Day is an important island holiday, but some of us left early, potluckless, and went down to Cowlitz dock to help with the net.
"Humor us," said their collaborators, mulishly.
"Consider it done," said Russel, kindly. So, he scheduled this year's seine for today, three weeks earlier than ever.
May Day is an important island holiday, but some of us left early, potluckless, and went down to Cowlitz dock to help with the net.
May 1, 2014 Cowlitz Dock, First Net Pull
Present: From Lopez: Russel (honcho), Madrona (fish wrangler), Ellen (intern), Dennis (fish ID), and Tony (boat). Locals: Gretchen (records), Julie (photos), Donna (net, fish), Bob S (net, fish).
5:45 PM: Bright sun, high clouds, appx 75º. From http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/98297 at 7:52 pm, two hours later:
Pressure 29.93 in, Visibility 10.0 miles, Clouds Clear, Heat Index 77 °F, Dew Point 46 °F, Humidity 41%, Rainfall 0.00 in, UV 0 out of 16, Pollen 8.30 out of 12
No wind.
Just before we set the net, a barge came in, offloaded three trucks and sailed off with the propane truck. We waited a bit to let the fish settle.
Greenlings:
2 White-spotted
Gunnels:
5 Penpoint
1 Saddleback
Perch:
42 Striped
3 Shiner
3 Bay Pipefish, a type of seahorse. 2 males, identifiable by their brood pouch, and 1 female
Salmon:
1 Pink, teeny and with a bitten-off tail, poor thing.
Sculpins:
2 Great (one of them was very large, the other very small)
2 Staghorn
15 Tubesnouts
Warbonnet:
1 - this was an amazing catch. Warbonnets are shy and prefer deeper water. We've never seen one here until today. From Madrona: As far as I can make out it is a species of the genus Xiphister (which are commonly called pricklebacks--being in the same family, but different genus, as the warbonnets and snake pricklebacks)--there are two species of Xiphister found in our area X. atropurpureus and X. mucosus. Very cool!.
2 Rock Crabs
5:45 PM: Bright sun, high clouds, appx 75º. From http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/98297 at 7:52 pm, two hours later:
Pressure 29.93 in, Visibility 10.0 miles, Clouds Clear, Heat Index 77 °F, Dew Point 46 °F, Humidity 41%, Rainfall 0.00 in, UV 0 out of 16, Pollen 8.30 out of 12
No wind.
Just before we set the net, a barge came in, offloaded three trucks and sailed off with the propane truck. We waited a bit to let the fish settle.
Greenlings:
2 White-spotted
Gunnels:
5 Penpoint
1 Saddleback
Perch:
42 Striped
3 Shiner
3 Bay Pipefish, a type of seahorse. 2 males, identifiable by their brood pouch, and 1 female
Salmon:
1 Pink, teeny and with a bitten-off tail, poor thing.
Sculpins:
2 Great (one of them was very large, the other very small)
2 Staghorn
15 Tubesnouts
Warbonnet:
1 - this was an amazing catch. Warbonnets are shy and prefer deeper water. We've never seen one here until today. From Madrona: As far as I can make out it is a species of the genus Xiphister (which are commonly called pricklebacks--being in the same family, but different genus, as the warbonnets and snake pricklebacks)--there are two species of Xiphister found in our area X. atropurpureus and X. mucosus. Very cool!.
2 Rock Crabs
May 1, 2014 Cowlitz Dock, Second Net Pull
We decided to try another pull since there were no chinook in the first one. We landed the net (plus a rock) at 6:20 pm.
Greenlings:
2 White-spotted
Gunnels:
1 Penpoint
Perch:
15 Striped
24 Shiner
Salmon:
zilch. zero. nada.
Sculpins:
2 Great
2 Staghorn
23 Tubesnouts
2 Helmet Crabs
1 Kelp Crab
1 Coonstripe Shrimp, edible
Greenlings:
2 White-spotted
Gunnels:
1 Penpoint
Perch:
15 Striped
24 Shiner
Salmon:
zilch. zero. nada.
Sculpins:
2 Great
2 Staghorn
23 Tubesnouts
2 Helmet Crabs
1 Kelp Crab
1 Coonstripe Shrimp, edible