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Survey Basics and Beyond updated February 2009 Surveys are central to the mission of the Hi-Lakers, providing critical information to state officials to promote better management. Below is detailed information about how to fill out a survey. Members will find the online survey form on the "Member's Only" page. Please take the time to read the FAQ and links as they answer many basic (and more advanced) questions about how to do surveys, and why. Thanks to David Berger, Brian Curtis, Bill Henkel, Rex Johnson, Eric Junes, Kent Lufkin, Rich O'Connell & Bob Pfeifer. Links: Flow chart of Trip Report & Lake Survey form (Rex Johnson & Eric Junes, March 2009) - an essential overview. Field Data Collection Guidelines - a primer on how to collect data, and how professional managers use the data, by club fishery biologist Bob Pfeifer (June 2006). Entering A Survey On-line: Step by Step Annotations by Rex Johnson (Jan 2008). Frequently Asked Questions (Click to learn more) Why surveys? Frequently asked questions Surveys are the yin to the yang of fish stocking. In scientific terms, it's difficult to determine how an experiment is doing unless you periodically take data points along the way. WDFW biologists and various groups stock fish in the high lakes and it is our mission to survey the fish to see how they are doing. We also keep track of general lake conditions. Catch reports and hard copy trip reports have always been part of the club history but in the late 1990's that they became a club focus, central to our mission and public service. Over 700 surveys were turned in 2008. A survey, or more appropriately a lake survey, is a collection of datums important to fish and lake management. Mostly it's recording how many fish are caught, if any, their kind and size, and general conditions. Our trout identification card can help with fish ID. Details like fish weight and stomach contents are good as well. All the information is captured via the on-line form on our website, in the Member's Only section. The information goes into a database. All surveys are submitted on-line except in rare exceptions. There are many, many uses of this data, some anticipated and some not, but here are some examples:
How do I enter an on-line survey? Surveys can seem complicated at first but they are not really that difficult. The "Trip Report and Lake Survey" button on the Member's Only section gets you started with an on-line survey. See next question for the key distinction between trip report and lake survey. Be sure to read Rex's opus, Entering A Survey On-line: Step by Step Annotations. TIP: You can practice entering an online survey by using Test, Test 2 and Test 3 as the lake names (three different lakes). Don't forget to click the button "update survey data" to proceed to the survey after entering the lake name. What is a Trip Report and how is it different from Survey? A key point to understand is the difference between a Trip Report and a Lake Survey. These are distinct but combine into one effort commonly called a survey. The survey is composed of the Survey Home Page plus Survey Steps 1-5 (preceded by and not to be confused with Trip Report steps 1 and 2- see simplified flow chart). A trip report includes and essentially is a narrative account of your adventures, for your personal records. It does not go to the state biologists or the official database. Think of it as an entry in your fishing diary where you include things like what you had for breakfast, if your car broke down, the skinny dipper you saw at the lake, etc. A survey is more scientific and includes a standard set of data that the biologists are interested in for a lake. The survey does inlude a box for general comments. The on-line survey form contains sections for both trip report and the survey data. In common usage people say survey when they typically mean both trip report and lake survey. How do I enter the data or move between fields and pages? One problem that many people have is they try using the "Enter" or "Return" key to enter data or move between pages. The Lake Survey Web Page only allows use of the TAB key to move between data entry boxes. It is best to use your Mouse to select ALL functions by clicking on the appropriate box as well as moving to the next data box. If you find that all your data that you are entering suddenly disappears and is lost, it is likely that you hit the "Enter" or "Return" key. Be sure to read Rex's opus, Entering A Survey On-line: Step by Step Annotations. What if I still need help using the on-line survey form? If you need additional help, contact Brian Curtis or Bill Henkel, or ask your question on the email loop or Forum. We all benefit from the answers and discussion so please ask away! Most people find the survey form a little intimating at first, but quickly grow proficient, and better at gathering info in the field. It is a learning situation that teaches appreciation for details. I'm not really that good at all this - should I fill out a survey? One newer member, Jed Sires, says "Even though my first attempts at surveys weren't great, they served in teaching and encouraging me to turn in better surveys." Brian advises, "Incomplete surveys are better then no survey. As long as the data that is included is accurate it will be of value. Dive in. The best way to learn what is being asked for is to fill out surveys over and over." Giving almost the final word to Bill Henkel, the survey committee chair: The final word goes to Rex Johnson: What tools/instruments do I need to do a good survey in the field ? Here are the basics:
And nice to have: Lightweight scale - available for purchase from Bill Henkel or get one free if you do a checkout lake.
Do you want surveys only for high mountain lakes? No. Low lake surveys are important too. Biologists are looking for data for all of the lakes they manage so fill out a survey on low lakes too. Are there rewards for doing lake surveys? Yes. If you do a minimum of 5 surveys in a given year, you are allowed to view all of the non-confidential surveys that other members have done for that year. If it's a checkout lake, other rewards apply (see below). A checkout lake is a lake that a biologist has requested a survey on. It may be a lake that is remote and there is little data on it or there may have been recent stocking changes to it and the biologist needs up to date information. Are there rewards for doing a checkout lake? Yes. The first time you do three surveys, one of them being a checkout lake, you get a lightweight scale. The second time you get a book on amphibian identification. For three or more, you get Bill's hearty gratitude. When does the checkout lake list come out each year? It comes out in May/June just before the summer season. The survey chairman will send it in email and it will also be published in the May/June newsletter. If a lake is on the Checkout Lakes list for three years without being surveyed, and is still on the checkout list for a fourth year, it is denoted as a Lonesome Lake. If it is not surveyed that year, the route will be published in the newsletter in the fifth year. What if I don't fish a lake? Do you still want me to survey it? Yes. There is lots of information that is useful even if you don't fish (e.g. number of camp sites, fish seen, access, etc). Just state it clearly on your survey that you didn't fish. I fished with a HL buddy. Do we each fill out a survey? Surveys can be submitted by each angler, or one angler can submit for the whole party. However, there are rewards for filling out at least five surveys, and all club members should strive to fill out surveys and be familiar with the how and why. What if I don't find the lake in Lakefinder that I want to survey? Contact Brian Curtis and he will add it to the database. If possible, try to capture its exact location (lat/long) and other physical data (size in acres, depth, drainage, etc) so that it can be properly identified. What if I don't want anybody to know my secret spot? Should I still file a survey? Yes. You can mark the survey as confidential and only those people that you want to see it will see it. There are check boxes on the last page of the survey to allow access to just those you wish to see it. How can I get help with identification of stomach contents? There is a page under the Knowledge Base section of our website that helps with stomach contents basics. We also suggest that you take a picture of the stomach contents (hint: use macro mode on your camera) and you can send it around on the email loop for identification. How do I include pictures in my surveys? We currently do not have a means to attach pictures to surveys. The best thing to do is use a web-based photo sharing site (flickr, webshots, etc) and copy the URL in your survey. I screwed up my survey- can I delete it? If you email Brian Curtis he can delete your survey. Who is the survey chairman and what does he/she do? The survey chairman is Bill Henkel and nobody really knows what he does except make bad jokes at the meetings. Actually Bill works with the biologists and gets their requests for checkout lakes and he and Brian Curtis act as liaisons between the club and WDFW for survey data. When is the club going to do a hands-on field survey so I can learn from the experts? We generally plan an annual trip so the experts can show new members how to do a good survey. Stay tuned for more information. |
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