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<br />1 <br /> <br />Common carp were notably less vulnerable to northern pike predation. Common carp <br />at 380 mm in length were vulnerable to only 51 % of the northern pike population and potential <br />northern pike predators started at 570 mm in length or larger (Figure 18). Forty-eight percent <br />of the common carp population appeared invulnerable to predation by northern pike of any size. <br />Based on the length frequency distribution of common carp and the northern pike prey size cap, <br />49% of the common carp population are vulnerable to northern pike predation (Figure 16). <br /> <br />The percentages of vulnerability to northern pike predation based on body area are <br />summarized in Figure 19. Bluehead sucker appear to be the most vulnerable to northern pike <br />predation, followed by roundtail chub, flannelmouth sucker, white sucker, common carp, and <br />Colorado squawfish. Using the maximum prey size index, bluehead sucker and roundtail chub <br />appear wholly vulnerable as populations to northern pike predation, followed in decreasing <br />degree of vulnerability by white sucker, tlannelmouth sucker, common carp, and Colorado <br />squawfish. In comparison with fish prey composition results, the ingestion of roundtail chub <br />and white sucker support this estimated vulnerability, while bluehead sucker and tlannelmouth <br />sucker are notably less frequent in the northern pike diet, despite the apparent physical <br />vulnerability . <br /> <br />In the Crowl et al. (1995) study, the juvenile Colorado squawfish consumed were 45-54 <br />mm TL and were 7.5-10.8% the length of the northern pike predators. Rich (1992) found prey <br />size to range from 5-57% of northern pike size in an Idaho lake system and averaged 19-31 % <br />over several areas. He found prey length to be positively correlated to northern pike length, and <br />the slope of the regression of prey to northern pike length was near 38 % . <br /> <br />Movements <br />Northern pike movements were investigated through the use of radio telemetry and mark- <br />and-recapture of Floy-tagged fish. A total of 37 northern pike were implanted with radio <br />transmitters (radiotagged) during the study period (Appendix A, Table A-6). Seven fish were <br />radiotagged in October 1986, seven were tagged in August, September, October 1987, 11 fish <br />were tagged in August and October 1988, 3 fish were tagged in May and June 1989, and 9 fish <br />were tagged in 1989. These fish ranged in length and weight from 548 mm and 1000 gm to <br />1003 mm and 6225 gm. Only within the initial group of radiotagged fish were two fish under <br />the 600 mm length criterion. All radiotagged northern pike were released at the point of <br />capture. Ten northern pike were tagged and released in the Craig reach, 8 fish were tagged and <br />released in the Juniper reach, 13 fish were tagged and released in the Maybell reach, and 6 <br />northern pike were tagged and released in the Lily Park reach. A total of 165 relocation <br />contacts resulted from these radiotagged fish. <br /> <br />One hundred sixty-three (163) contacts were subsequently used from 34 of the <br />radiotagged northern pike to assess net movements of northern pike (Appendix A, Table A-7). <br />Only three northern pike (Nos. 2, 163, and 901), all tagged and released in the Juniper reach, <br />were never relocated. Based on determinations that two transmitters may have been expelled, <br />2 relocation data points were omitted. Net movement by individual fish between contacts ranged <br /> <br />54 <br /> <br />l <br />