as spawning season progresses
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
WADE KING
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
and MARK HENCKEL
Billings Gazette Outdoor Editor
It must be spring. Fish in the Missouri River Adopt-A-Fish program are getting more active as they begin moving toward their spring spawning areas.
Biologists noticed that especially in the four adopted blue suckers in the program. Last week, Blue Sucker 2 (Moe or Flounder, depending on the school class that adopted this fish) zoomed right up toward Fort Peck Dam. This week, Blue Sucker 1 (Old Blue or Ernie) moved up to just below the Milk River while Blue Sucker 3 (Moe Jr.) was located for the first time this spring, also on the upper river. Blue Sucker 4 (Molly) also moved upstream to the Frazer area.
Biologists said other radio-implanted blue suckers not in the Adopt-A-Fish program are also heading to the upper river. That's a sure sign that they're heading toward spawning areas.
Paddlefish 3 (Abraham, Nemo, King Bignose or Pete) also made a big move upstream, leaving the area near the confluence with the Yellowstone and going 72 miles up the Missouri almost to Brockton.
Pallid sturgeon were also active, working the waters near the confluence. Both Pallid Sturgeon 2 (Jaws, Monty or Skipper) and Pallid Sturgeon 3 (Larry or Smokey) are up in the lower reaches of the Yellowstone while the other two adopted pallids are near the confluence.
In addition to locating fish, biologists were busy catching pallid sturgeon this week to take their eggs for hatcheries. Young pallids are hatched, raised and released from the hatcheries to help build up the populations of this endangered species.
On the Internet, anyone can go to www.walleyesunlimited.com and click on the Missouri River Adopt-A-Fish button to see maps of the movements of the adopted fish or learn more about this unique stretch of the river. Classrooms can still sign up for the program and adopt fish of their own.
Missouri River Adopt-A-Fish is a cooperative effort of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Billings Gazette and Walleyes Unlimited of Montana.