Adopt-A-Fish update – April 10, 2008
to find stinky stuff
By NATE McCLENNING
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
BILLINGS - Fisheries crews in the Billings area have been busy gearing up for a new season of the Missouri-Yellowstone Adopt-A-Fish Program. This year we have added fish from the Bighorn River.
Ten channel catfish and 10 burbot (ling) were implanted with radio transmitters last fall in the Bighorn River to observe movements, spawning aggregations and habitat use downstream of Yellowtail Dam. Of these, one burbot and one channel catfish are up for adoption by students in adopt-a-fish.
Historically, the Bighorn River was very important to the Yellowstone River system. The Bighorn River once provided a massive silt load to the Yellowstone. Now, Yellowtail Dam traps the sediment. Yet the lower Bighorn still provides habitat suitable for warm water fish species such as burbot, channel catfish, sauger, walleye and smallmouth bass.
One of those catfish, called Fred, adopted by Ms. Pehlke's 6th grade class at East Side School in Glasgow or Whiskers, adopted by Ms. Kalanick's 3rd grade class at Power, already moved downstream about six miles during the winter months. Maybe he is searching for something smelly to eat. And I found Squidward, adopted by Mr. Simley's 4th grade at Northside School, Wolf Point, has already moved far down the Yellowstone.
All catfish use smell and taste to find their prey. They have an amazing taste system set up to smell or "taste" something from great distances. Catfish barbels (whiskers), skin and fins are actually covered with "taste buds." And don't worry, the whiskers are soft and flexible and will not sting or poke you.
Catfish are primarily bottom feeders and prefer eating smaller fish, crayfish and insects, but I have observed many odd things in catfish stomachs, including small birds, bones, and garbage. Anglers typically use stinky baits to catch a channel catfish. Cut bait, chicken livers, shrimp, minnows, and worms to name a few.
Catfish are cavern spawners. They find a cut-bank or hole to help provide cover for their nest. It has been found that the male will actually build the nest by clearing away debris and guard the fry after they hatch until they are able to swim well on their own.
Channel catfish spawn in spring or summer when the water starts to warm, typically at temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees. They are capable of reaching ages of more than 40 years old and growing to more than 50 pounds in ideal conditions.
The Montana state record channel catfish was caught in Nelson Reservoir near Malta and weighed in at 29.71 pounds.
As we follow the adopt-a-fish this year, let's hope Fred and Squidward find something stinky to eat. If any fish can do it, these catfish are well equipped by nature to be well fed and happy in their river homes.
Weekly updates on our radio-implanted fish can be found on the Missouri-Yellowstone Adopt-A-Fish home page with updates posted Thursday mornings in April and May. Just click on the Find your Fish button on the home page. The program is sponsored by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, The Billings Gazette, Walleyes Forever, Montana PikeMasters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The program is free.
School classrooms, youth fishing clubs and home schoolers can sign up for the program and adopt and name two fish. Just go to the Web site and click on the How To Adopt Button or send us an e-mail at Missouri-Yellowstone Adopt-A-Fish.
Adopt-A-Fish correspondents Dave Fuller at Fort Peck, Matt Jaeger at Glendive, and Nate McClenning at Billings, are fisheries biologists with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. They’ll post weekly updates every Thursday throughout April and May on this site and in the Outdoors section of The Billings Gazette.