Melton Hill Musky Anglers Asked to Participate in Study

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. --- The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) is asking anglers, who fish for musky on Melton Hill Reservoir, to participate in an on-going study aimed at finding out more information about this important fishery.

Tennessee Tech University and United States Geological Survey researchers have begun a multi-year study of the movements, habitat use, and thermal ecology of muskies in Melton Hill Reservoir located in Anderson, Knox, and Loudon counties. Muskies have been stocked into Melton Hill Lake since 1998 and a small, but popular fishery has developed that attracts anglers from as far away as Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The researchers are working with TWRA’s Region IV biologists to capture several dozen adult muskies this winter using electrofishing gear. A small radio transmitter weighing less than one ounce with a life span of several years is surgically implanted into the abdominal cavity of each fish in the study. -Within a few weeks, the incision heals and anglers will not know they have caught a radio-tagged fish unless they see the 15-inch, thin silver wire antenna extending through the side or bottom of the fish. -During the study period, researchers will be on the reservoir periodically with radio telemetry equipment tracking the tagged fish. Anglers who have any questions should contact Jim Negus (jim.negus@tn.gov), Aaron Cole (ajcole42@tntech.edu) or Dr. Phil Bettoli (Pbettoli@tntech.edu).

The researchers would also like to hear from anglers who catch one of these radio-tagged fish regarding where and when they caught it. Some of the tagged muskies will eventually grow longer than the minimum size limit of 50 inches that goes into effect March 1, 2010, however, the researchers are hoping anglers will choose to release tagged fish unharmed so that the fish can continue to provide data for the study. -This research is funded by TWRA, Tennessee Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey.

---TWRA---