Well the nets are repaired thanks to Captain Keith organizing a few people and trips down to the WDNR office.
The nets are now out and the fish are there, but as usual Mother nature doesn’t know how to “let go” of winter.
We started with 41 degree water after ice out and our reading today was 36.5 degrees. On the flip side the walleye numbers are there. The WDNR is doing their full fish comprehensive survey so we are fortunate that they are grabbing the ripe females and processing them for eggs. We actually have a half a jar already. 
Ice cold down there today, tubs frozen…
I stop down to check on the eggs and pumps at 6:30 a.m. in the snow and freezing temps (18 degrees) and happy to see there is always 1 constant in this grueling process…it’s the Walleye Wagon chief Jim Schmitz, always there, always taking care of the eggs despite weather, despite other obligations…you are Da Man Jimmy!!
Here’s our babies, note the temperature guage of the water as well….yikes
Anyway for anyone interested….we have been getting a consistent 100+ walleyes in our nets every day. Yesterday, April 3rd – there were 150 Walleyes, 15 Muskies and about a dozen pike . Needless to say the WDNR backs are sore and fingers are froze. Glad they are running the nets and we get a little brake…2 females were ready to share their “liquid gold” eggs.
Stay tuned and watch for the crazy facebook addicts to post more. Otherwise stop down at the Walleye Wagon anytime after 4 p.m. in the 2nd and 3rd week of April or so as that will be when the wagons full and the hatching begins…
PEWAUKEE WALLEYES 
Hi, you folks get an early start! Our fish dont start to run until water temp above 10C. I saw on your website a blue barrel set up to automatically harden your eggs in the jar. Do you have plans/drawings to construct this fixture. We want to construct one for our community hatchery. Also, how do you control fungus within your hatchery? We lost all our eggs to fungus last year (water temperature during incubation was 12 to 15c) Your help appreciated! Almaguin Community Hatchery Program John S Hetherington director
To avoid fungus we do a peroxide treatment every morning. The peroxide is put into the automatic drippers which by gravity feed into the jars. Then when the dead eggs and any clumps come to surface we vacume them off with a small hose (fish tank air hose and siphoning),. The clumps can then be broken up carefully and put into a hospital jar which you can continue to do peroxide treatments. Our goal is have maintain very healthy jars, don’t let the fungus get going at all, fight it with the peroxide and siphoning out any dead eggs.
Our typical hardening process is adding bentonite clay mix (2 cups per gallon of water) and stirring the fertilized eggs in the bentonite clay mix for a few minutes, then we add to a larger big tub to spread out the eggs and add more water to dilute the clay mix. We let that settle for 20 minutes to harden the eggs. Then we put in jars and clean out the clay. The Pewaukee Chapter is not aware of a “automatic hardening” process….
Thanks for the reply info, Tom. I thot I saw the barrel hardener on your website so I will have to go further afield! Can you describe your drip treater? How did you build it?