We humans are not the only ones who are impacted when the temperatures rise.
Fish are very much impacted as air temperatures warm water bodies. We classify fish as warm-water and cold-water species with brook, brown, and rainbow trout among those that require colder water.
One of the unique things about water is the fact that as water temperature increases, its ability to hold dissolved oxygen decreases. Cold water holds significantly more oxygen and even mild temperature spikes can severely impact the ecosystem and the survival of fish, particularly trout. When dissolved oxygen levels go below 5 milligrams per liter, fish become stressed and struggle to breathe. At 1 to 2 milligrams, conditions become hypoxic and are usually lethal.
Many trout-stocked waters in Massachusetts have conditions in mid-summer which may stress trout, but the local trout waters almost all have deeper “holes,” where water remains cool and fish can survive. Shallower waters tend to warm too much to hold stocked trout over, but fishermen usually have taken most trout by the time the water gets too warm.
Bass, perch, crappie pickerel, bullheads and sunfish are warm-water species and generally are not impacted by heat waves or the gradual warming of shallower bodies of water. The Millers River-stocked trout are known to migrate to places where brooks and streams flow in and have been found to move into those flows to get oxygen and survive low and warm water conditions.
All the animals that we find locally are impacted and make adjustments to heat. Deer, normally nocturnal, become even more so and avoid any movement during the daylight hours to stay cool. Most wildlife also reduces activity during the heat of the day and are active at dusk and dawn. Moose are the most impacted and, in reality, are not native to southern New England because of the fact that they are built for extreme cold, not extreme heat.
During my tenure serving on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, the first sustaining moose population in Massachusetts was established. As the numbers increased, considerable study was undertaken and shared with the board. Most significant was a study of radio collared moose that showed that movement patterns stopped completely once temperatures reached 70 degrees.
Moose would gravitate to areas like swamps and bogs during the heat and wait until nightfall to forage for food. One collared moose would travel from Wendell to New Salem and across Route 202 into Quabbin and then return each night. The study had a number of research points and one of the objects was to gather data to provide ways to try to limit moose/vehicle collisions. A black moose at night is almost invisible until it is right in the headlights, and often that is too late.
The most concerning factor was the fact that the mass of the moose, often weighing well over 500 pounds and with that mass high off the ground due to the animal’s long legs, will impact a car right on the windshield. The result was a much higher serious injury and fatality percentage than deer/car collisions.
As you may be aware, moose populations across the northern tier of the United States are declining and there are a lot of factors being looked at, including rising temperatures, parasites like brainworm and ticks, and all sources of predation and mortality. Our northern neighbors, particularly Maine, have found moose to be a tourism attraction and a limited draw moose hunt has been in place for a long time to provide data and recreation. There is a cooperative sharing of information among all the states with moose populations and many studies are underway to try to understand exactly what is going on with the largest member of the deer family.
On of my favorite fishing activities has, since my teens, been bass fishing on a hot summer night. A bass exploding up through the quiet surface to engulf a top water plug like the classic black Jitterbug, Sputterbug, or Crazy Crawler is an adrenaline rush and a great way to spend a summer night.
My father taught me to cast the Jitterbug, wait until the waves stopped and then twitch the plug. Then, wait a few seconds and then reel a little until the Jitterbug’s movement made the distinctive gurgling sound and then stop again. It worked then and it still works and the battle with a big bass in the dark is still special.
Other lures work and the sights and sounds on a dark night are worth the missed sleep. There was a time when my trips would not start until after midnight, but this fisherman has calmed down a bit as the years have gone by.
The newly acquired pontoon boat is interesting, to say the least. Being 24 feet long, it requires some adjustments on my part. Turning, slowing down, speeding up and stopping are different and docking takes focus. It is, however, a very nice boat, seats 12, and makes cruising around the pond like sitting in your living room. Very relaxing!
Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the Mahar Fish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.