Wednesday, April 18, 2012

4/17/12 - A Day Not to be Forgotten!

Tuesday, 4/17/12 is an unprecedented day, and great news for local outdoorsmen and fish enthusiasts in general.  The data for the date is all in, complete, and adjusted per the state protocols.  We observed 1483 herring make the jump in 90 minutes of counting!!

The largest single count was made during the 3 pm hour, when 366 fish were counted.  The second highest count was made at 2 pm when 342 fish were observed.  267 fish were counted during the 4 pm count!

Several counters have noted that the herring typically become sexually mature in nominally four years, so it is highly likely that many of these herring are the successful descendents of the herring that traveled and spawned in April 2008. 

The 4/18 count is not yet complete, and will definitely NOT lead to another daily record.  I think it may be difficult to replicate that feat again, but who knows?  We are well on our way to have a cumulative record that exceeds the 2008 banner year - who would have guessed that was possible a week ago?  Not me!

I'll be working behind the scenes to develop some interesting additional data and statistics to start to document this memorable run.

Thanks to all the counters for being so prompt in reporting this valuable data to date.  We're obviously still not done, and would appreciate more counters volunteering for the coming weekend and into next week.   Maybe these are just the alewives, and we'll have a second wave of bluebacks - who knows?

Kevin G would have reveled in all of this....perhaps he had something to do with it?!

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