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Summary of Diet / Transmitter salmon collection effort for 2025


The Diet / Transmitter collection effort this year resulted in over 250 live salmon provided by fishermen for Graham and Miles at the dock to process for these important studies. Graham will be examining the preliminary movements of the 2024 tagged fish and examining the diets from this past year.

Diet study: April - September saw 15 live adult (1-3 years old) fish for the main lake and 15 adult for the sea each month to get samples for the lab + stomach contents. With bonus fish in October/November resulting with over 200 salmon were sampled.


Transmitter study year two: Inland Sea 21 salmon + 21 salmon for the main lake
(all <1 year old) had transmitters inserted in them for tracking for the next 2.5 years. A bonus Shoot-Out winner was tagged at 22.5” 4 lbs 12 oz.!

Fishermen that helped:

Jeremy Lucia
Jeff Light
Jason Reyell
Carol Boye
Daniel Leclair
Frederick Isabal
Todd Flint
Randy Columb
Gerry Ghazi
Sully Beers
Dave Delibac
Pat Wright
Mike Morin
Ric Sprano
Ken Pidgeon
Will Nolin
Stephen Moreau
Chris Peacock
Don Marcellino
Shoot Out participants (11/1/25)

Todays final wrap-up video at the dock:

https://youtu.be/FbLJL_wwp08

As Graham said at the end of the video we have been collecting DNA sample clips the last 3 years for the ongoing 18 experiments for USFW service in addition this year with these 250 fish and others caught were also DNA's sampled. A ton of samples this year is the result! We will continue getting DNA samples every time we get out. Data for all 3 studies will be reviewed at the State of the Lake in March in 2026.

It sure would be cool if there was an app we could use to view the movements of these fish. Not for targeting them, but just to watch, study, learn, and be entertained.

Digitroll Fishing wrote: ↑Tue Nov 18, 2025 4:35 pm Todays final wrap-up video at the dock:

https://youtu.be/FbLJL_wwp08

Very cool

Graham told me he will be compiling all of his tracking data and try to put it in an animated presentation to show the movement of the fish, just not in real time. He said the amount of information he has is staggering and will take a while to sort through and would share it once complete, and will certainly be presented at next spring's state of the lake meeting to the general public.

Thanks Pat, good to know

Great job all! Thanks for all the effort investing into the future of the Lake Champlain salmon fishery. I too would love to see the results of the study. Tight lines.
Gene

It's been a blast the last 3 years doing the DNA tail or scale samples / Last Nov. and this Nov transmitter implants / This year diet samples. A lot of enthusiasm as well with the folks that helped us keep this going from month to month on the diet samples this past year. The challenge this year was keeping 250 salmon alive to the dock. Mid-June till Mid-October we were using blocks of ice to keep water at 56F and aerated with bubblers! We had no salmon die for us from livewell to the dock!

Look forward to the State of the Lake next March meeting to see this data. Fisherman helping science as Pat Wright has said often!