20 DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISHERIES No. 9 (1944) 



Herring : 



The collection of herring eggs at Glenora and Kingsville hatcheries was more than twice 

 that of the preceding year, an increase of 114 per cent. 



yellow Pickerel (Pike-perch) : 



A favourable increase of 32 per cent, over last year's distribution of eyed eggs and fry 

 of yellow pickerel was realized. 



S?nall-rnouthed Black Bass: 



One of the main annual objectives as regards bass cuJture is to increase the output of 

 bass fingerlings by using all the facilities available as effectively as possible. In this we were 

 successful to the extent of increasing by 4 per cent the previous year's output. 



Large-mouthed Black Bass : 



The culture of large-mouthed bass in two ponds at the Mount Pleasant hatchery was a 

 JHiccess. Compared with the preceding year's production, the pei'centage increase of fry and 

 fingerlings was 68 per cent, and 8 per cent, respectively. 



Yellow Perch : 



Annual collections of perch spawn from Lake Erie in the vicinity of the Kingsville 

 hatchery vary greatly in abundance from year to year. Although 24,000,000 fry were planted 

 this year this number was 24 per cent less than that of the preceding year. 



Maskinonge: 



Compared with the preceding year there was a decrease of approximately 25 per cent, 

 m the distribution of fry, and 53 per cent, in the distribution of fingerlings. 



Weather conditions have a pronounced effect on sTJCcessfuJ spawning and hatching of 

 maskinonge. The spawning, hatching and feeding seasons in 1939 and 1940 were good, because 

 the seasons were late, followed by mild and favourable weather. Changeable weather follow- 

 ing an early opening is decidedly unfavourable. 



The effect of weather conditions is most striking on the spawning grounds in the Pigeon 

 River. The Pigeon River receives considerable warm surface water from the sinrounding laud, 

 opens early and provides a maskinonge spawning s'eason of comparatively short duration. A 

 short spawning season, generally speaking, reduces the percentage hatch. On the Lakfield 

 spawning grounds, conditions are quite different. Owing to the large body of ice which forms 

 in Stony Lake each winter the spawning season for maskinonge is later, and the hatchability 

 and general conditioh of the eggs are much better. 



Reduction in the number of maskinonge fingerlings may also be attributed to weatner 

 conditions. Unsatisfactory weather conditions interfere with the spawning of suitable minnows, 

 resulting in a poor yield and retarded growth of the minnows. When live minnow food, 

 which is the most, important item in the diet of m*iskinonge fingerlings is interfered with the 

 normal growth and production of maskinonge suifec. 



