This topic is for discussions, questions, reports related to fishing in the Great Lakes region. Specifically Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario.
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Hi I’m J. I live on the shore of the Central basin of Lake Erie, but I fish all over the lake and state. Spring walleye are just getting started. Perch limit dropped to 10 this year!!!! Fishing has been slooow. But it’s heating up now. Look forward to sharing what I can and learning from others.
J in Cleveland wrote:
Hi I’m J. I live on the shore of the Central basin of Lake Erie, but I fish all over the lake and state. Spring walleye are just getting started. Perch limit dropped to 10 this year!!!! Fishing has been slooow. But it’s heating up now. Look forward to sharing what I can and learning from others.
Hi J,
Do you have a cormorant problem which is affecting the perch population? I suspect that is what has happened around here with ours...hence the lower limits.
Ivey
Loc: South Central Tennessee, Tim's Ford Lake
OJdidit wrote:
Hi J,
Do you have a cormorant problem which is affecting the perch population? I suspect that is what has happened around here with ours...hence the lower limits.
Anywhere here in the USA there is a cormorant there is a problem, they foul the water kill vegetation and eat fish larger than a bird should eat. They are disgusting waterfowl that destroy the environment and fisheries alike. Just in case you couldn't tell I don't like these birds. where they roost is an awful mess and personally I think they should be hunted to extinction. My opinion
OJdidit wrote:
Hi J,
Do you have a cormorant problem which is affecting the perch population? I suspect that is what has happened around here with ours...hence the lower limits.
Never considered cormorants but your probably correct. There are a ton of them and for some reason they are protected. I duck hunt and could dispose of plenty of them but we aren’t allowed. I know last year the perch numbers where down. Combine that with Walleye numbers that are at all time highs. The perch numbers would continue to dwindle if bag limits weren’t changed. ODNR does pretty good Hopefully the perch will rebound!
Ivey wrote:
Anywhere here in the USA there is a cormorant there is a problem, they foul the water kill vegetation and eat fish larger than a bird should eat. They are disgusting waterfowl that destroy the environment and fisheries alike. Just in case you couldn't tell I don't like these birds. where they roost is an awful mess and personally I think they should be hunted to extinction. My opinion
I don’t know if extinction is necessary but 20 years ago there where a lot less!! That level was fine with me!!!! Open them up to hunting and issue is solved. On my worst day on the water when I see no shooters. I still have 20 shots I could have took at Comorans!!!
Ivey
Loc: South Central Tennessee, Tim's Ford Lake
J in Cleveland wrote:
I don’t know if extinction is necessary but 20 years ago there where a lot less!! That level was fine with me!!!! Open them up to hunting and issue is solved. On my worst day on the water when I see no shooters. I still have 20 shots I could have took at Comorans!!!
I'll agree extinction is a bit far but numbers need a serious draw down. There are several lakes I fish where they have really hurt small fish populations and painted the banks where they roost white with their dropping sand actually changed the PH of the water at times.
thats in our gene pool...isnt it? If we dont like or want it..just remove it...any means necessary huh.Do things the right way and begin going thru proper channels to get the problem exposed, in front of ones who have the power to bring it to attention.Then, after much nashing of teeth and own feelings hurt or not, someone will be able to come up with a solution.
I want to learn to fish from shore, Milwaukee Wi. Need to know which species, browns, coho, are inshore when.
Just so you know, cormorants are a federally protected species and the subject of international treaties. It is difficult to get permits for population control. They have been around forever without affecting fish populations, but lately their numbers seem to have increased sharply. I am guessing we have eliminated or decimated one of their major predators and this has allowed populations to start growing rapidly, but this is only a theory.
A few years ago they had a cormorant hit-man working the waters of Lake Michigan up around Big Bay De Noc. He was a government employee, so I believe it was the Michigan DNR who paid him. He whacked hundreds of them and never made a dent in the population. He was happy to get a day off so his shoulder could heal. The good news is that for every cormorant he shot, hundreds of perch were saved. I wonder what cormorant tastes like.
Jack Salman wrote:
A few years ago they had a cormorant hit-man working the waters of Lake Michigan up around Big Bay De Noc. He was a government employee, so I believe it was the Michigan DNR who paid him. He whacked hundreds of them and never made a dent in the population. He was happy to get a day off so his shoulder could heal. The good news is that for every cormorant he shot, hundreds of perch were saved. I wonder what cormorant tastes like.
Greasy and like fish. I’ve never ate one but most other ducks (mergansers, etc.) that feed exclusively on fish taste like that.
Makes sense. They look like they might be greasy and tough, if looks have anything to do with it. I did notice my beaver ponds had excessive amounts of hooded mergansers this spring. They're gone now and the dace minnow run started right after that, so they must have been eating mud minnows and stickle-backs while they were passing through, much to my delight, I feed my trout pond with the dace and fatheads.
boylet
Loc: Shaker Heights, OH
Ivey wrote:
Anywhere here in the USA there is a cormorant there is a problem, they foul the water kill vegetation and eat fish larger than a bird should eat. They are disgusting waterfowl that destroy the environment and fisheries alike. Just in case you couldn't tell I don't like these birds. where they roost is an awful mess and personally I think they should be hunted to extinction. My opinion
Turnabout is fair play
I was fly fishing on the Potomac in Northern Virginia and a cormorant came cruising down the middle of a fairly narrow stretch of the river, about 4 feet above the water. As it passed me, a three-foot striped bass leaped fully out of the water to catch it. You could hear the pop of its jaw when it missed. Quite a site.
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