# Little Manistee Egg Take



## Kisutch (May 26, 2011)

So many fish flew the river last fall/winter that I'm slightly concerned that very few will show up this spring. Are we getting plan B and or C in order when things look dismal in the raceways. Will the Platte have a sufficient return this year for egg take?


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## optimax115 (Feb 26, 2010)

We caught hens yesterday that were either spawned out or worked by the weir and thrown over.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

We have not even turned on the pumps down there yet. It will be another late egg take just like last year when we finished on April 24th or something thereabouts. With water temps what they are, we realize we are quite a ways from having any ripe fish to be able to work with. We're not panicking yet by any stretch. We'll just wait mother nature out and take eggs when the fish tell us they're ready.


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## BrookTrout2 (Oct 29, 2009)

Mark,

Will you post on here when you start passing fish again?

Thanks,

MB


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Brook Trout,
I'll try. We have no computer there, so I'm not always able to do anything on the days when we're down there. We will try to update the phone hotline every day we're down there, so you can check that. It's (231) 775-9727 x6072. Today's update is nothing new. Not many fish below the weir, so no pumps on. Hopefully sometime this week we'll get the pumps on, and hopefully some time next week we'll start taking eggs. We're a ways from that point right now, but it can change pretty quick as long as the weather cooperates.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

We turned the pumps on yesterday, and some fish were jumping the ladder and entering the ponds. We're still a ways from having enough fish to take eggs, and of course ripeness will be an issue as well. We won't be doing anything down there until next week at the earliest. At least we're moving in the right direction!


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## Bomba (Jul 26, 2005)

M. Tonello said:


> We turned the pumps on yesterday, and some fish were jumping the ladder and entering the ponds. We're still a ways from having enough fish to take eggs, and of course ripeness will be an issue as well. We won't be doing anything down there until next week at the earliest. At least we're moving in the right direction!


 
Thanks for sharing the info Mark.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

Still not much to report. The crew did a quick biosample on Friday and passed 52 steelhead and one coho. The steelies were not ripe yet. We'll be doing some fish health exam work tomorrow, so we'll be taking another look. It's possible that egg take will begin a little later this week. All depends on if they ripen up. Right now they're battling high water with all of the recent rain we've had.


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## flyrodder46 (Dec 31, 2011)

Thanks Mark for the update. With the water as high as it is it may be a few days before it settles down.

D


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

The fish health exam went well yesterday, but the fish are nowhere near ripe enough for us to take eggs. Looks like the plan will be to start egg take next tuesday, April 22nd. That will be the latest we've ever started. Not surprisingly the guys have been dealing with the highest water any of us have seen in recent times down there right now. So far there haven't been any major problems thank goodness.


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

Have you seen a good push of fish with the high water Mark? Thanks


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## LunkerMan (Jan 4, 2013)

Thanks for all the updates! We really appreciate any and all information.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

We do have a decent number of fish in the ponds right now. Might not be quite enough to get our eggs, but we're getting there.


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## M. Tonello (Sep 20, 2002)

On Sunday, we had a major breach of the weir due to record high water levels on the Little Manistee River. As of Monday morning, most of the flow of the river was going around the weir. The fish in the weir ponds and raceway were at risk if the water levels dropped below our pump intakes. Therefore, we did the entire egg take yesterday. We spawned approximately 900 pairs, finishing up at 11pm last night. We passed approximately 1,800 steelhead and one coho salmon yesterday. We plan to clean the rest of the fish out of the facility and de-water it today. 

Thank goodnesss we had enough fish on hand to do the egg take. Many fish were witnessed going upstream over and around the weir in the record high flows of recent days.

Here's a link to the story on 9/10 News: http://www.9and10news.com/story/25301981/breach-impacting-operations-at-little-manistee-river-weir


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## riverman (Jan 9, 2002)

That 70 degree day couldn't have come on a better day I bet. Some pretty tired workers I would think and a big thanks to them.


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## REG (Oct 25, 2002)

Wow!...can you say DEDICATION!

Mark, can't thank you and rest of the guys enough for sacrificing what was for many a big family holiday, to do what was needed.


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## LunkerMan (Jan 4, 2013)

Good to hear everything went well. I was there one day and saw you guys working hard to fix the weir. Much respect! Keep up the great work you and your crew are doing!


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## msfcarp (Jun 6, 2006)

M. Tonello said:


> On Sunday, we had a major breach of the weir due to record high water levels on the Little Manistee River. As of Monday morning, most of the flow of the river was going around the weir. The fish in the weir ponds and raceway were at risk if the water levels dropped below our pump intakes. Therefore, we did the entire egg take yesterday. We spawned approximately 900 pairs, finishing up at 11pm last night. We passed approximately 1,800 steelhead and one coho salmon yesterday. We plan to clean the rest of the fish out of the facility and de-water it today.
> 
> Thank goodnesss we had enough fish on hand to do the egg take. Many fish were witnessed going upstream over and around the weir in the record high flows of recent days.
> 
> Here's a link to the story on 9/10 News: http://www.9and10news.com/story/25301981/breach-impacting-operations-at-little-manistee-river-weir



kudos to you and your crew!!!


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## milanmark (Apr 10, 2012)

Thanks Mark Tonello and the rest of the MDNR crew for pulling this off under adverse conditions! Got the job done and the sportsmen (and women) of Michigan thank you!


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## fishagain (Jan 2, 2014)

Thank-you Michigan Fisheries!!!:fish2:


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