Body size and condition, age and catch‐and‐release injury of ice‐angled cisco (Coregonus artedi) from four connected lakes in Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

The lake cisco (Coregonus artedi) is not often caught by recreational anglers in open‐water in western Canada but becomes a common component of catch‐and‐release ice fisheries in the winter. Little is known about the composition of recreational cisco fisheries or factors that affect the success of winter catch and release. We examined the size and body condition of 555 cisco caught by anglers in four interconnected lakes in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. We also examined the influence of length on the probability of hooking injuries and determined the age of a subset of angled fish. Cisco caught by anglers ranged in total length from 24 to 48 cm and 110 to 1370 g mass; however, 60.2% of cisco caught ranged from 37 to 40 cm and 470 to 560 g. The scale ages of cisco caught by anglers ranged from 4 to 10 years, with the most common ages caught being 6–8 years; however, scales likely underestimated age beginning around 8 years. Overall, cisco from our four study lakes had lower body conditions compared to Lake Superior populations based on standard weight comparisons. The length, mass, age and body condition of cisco caught by anglers varied significantly among our four study lakes, following a west‐to‐east productivity gradient. Of the 555 cisco assessed, 54 (9.7%) experienced gill bleeding and 21 (3.8%) had other visible hooking injuries. Longer cisco had a significantly increased probability of gill bleeding, but length did not affect the probability of other injuries. Cisco are relatively slow growing in our study area and warrant more consideration from a catch‐and‐release angling perspective.