November
2009
Predator Fish, Zebra Mussels & Baitfish Explosion to Blame for Poor Fishing
Fortunately, at least part of the problem of poor fishing on Wisconsin lakes this past year is cyclical. Fishing was just lousy this year. Areas that had previously been near-guarantees for at least a few panfish were bust. Historically reliable fish runs were non-existent.
Catches of perch and panfish, previously considered one of the few reliable catches in Wisconsin lakes, appears to have been down as the DNR has sought to protect larger predator fish at the expense of smaller fish which fish like musky prey upon.
Even the walleye, long known to be one of the prize fish, didn’t even have a run this fall at Wisconsin’s premier walleye lake — Lake Poygan.
Large fish like the musky which hasn’t historically been a major trophy draw in Wisconsin, have become more popular to fish for. The problem with this monster predator fish is that it takes many small fish to feed it and with the large size limits required to keep a big musky (50 inches on some Wisconsin lakes), the only major predator to the musky (man) has effectively been taken out of the picture. Perch and panfish have been their victims.
Zebra mussels have taken out some of the plant life that small fish had historically fed on. Those small fish are what the Lake Michigan salmon rely upon as a food source. With the smaller fish competing with the prolific zebra mussel for food, the zebra mussel has won out and the salmon haven’t had the same small-fish bounty that they need to adequately reproduce and thrive.
And then there’s the shad, a small fish which is mostly minnow sized. The shad population exploded on inland lakes this year making the waters a virtual smorgasbord for the large fish. With easy pickings, mid sized fish that would normally bite on minnows or lure baits chose the easy meal. Despite bold colors and lures with a lot of play, the shad was a reliable food source.
The irony is that one of the problems that has made fishing poor on inland lakes, the explosion of the shad, would have likely improved Lake Michigan fishing (at least in future years) by giving the salmon a rich food source.
But quite possibly the most amusing theory that has been circulating has been the cell phone theory. It goes like this — a fisherman is out on a lake and finds the fishing is good in a specific spot. He calls all of his buddies at the bar and they hop in their boats. Within hours the spot is filled with fisherman hungry for an elusive catch. By the next day the entire fishing hole has been fished out — virtually strip mined to those who subscribe to this theory.
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Jim McGuigan
Jim McGuigan
Thanks for the story. There’s been a lot of speculation as to why lake Michigan shore fishing was so poor this year, & this article offers some plausible reasons. It’s always fun to blame Illinois, & perch fishermen were doing that a lot this year, not without cause: unlike WI, IL lets people fish perch during the spawn, & allows them a 15 fish bag, triple ours. Of course, poor IL gamefish resource management isn’t responsible for poor perch weather, or quagga mussels, but still.
Some things about the article I take issue with, tho: Musky hasn’t historically been a major trophy draw in Wisconsin? Which planet does THAT Wisconsin exist in? Anyhow, most Musky fisherman practice catch & release with all but the most extreme trophy Muskies (taxidermy is expensive, I mean, beaucoup $), & Esox is a very tough fish that has a very high catch & release survival rate, so most caught Muskies aren’t removed from the food chain. Numerous and undersized panfish populations can be a sign of a poor predator population in a lake; perhaps the DNR has been over-correcting.
As for Lake Michigan Salmon re-production; there ain’t none, never has been, never will be. The DNR stocks Brown & Steelhead trout, & Coho & Chinook Salmon. There may be some re-production of the stocked trout species, but not among the salmon. Salmon not only require upstream gravel beds to lay their eggs in, they also require extensive rivermouth estuaries for the smolt to grow in before they change to their open water phase. Local rivers offer little of the first, & none of the second. I shouldn’t nitpick; you’re main point about filter feeders keeping the baitfish populations down seems right.
As for the cell-phone thesis, I wouldn’t rule it out. Some friends of mine, who live on Wind Lake, STILL spit when the Milwaukee Journal sports page fishing report is mentioned. Some sportswriter, trolling the local gin mills for tips, got one from a local woman who couldn’t keep her mouth shut. Next Sunday, nine words; “The Bluegills are biting in the Wind Lake bayou.” It took the spawning beds five years to recover from that Sunday afternoon. So, re the cell phones, it wouldn’t be the first time fishermen used mass communication & technological ingenuity to crash a fishery. Come to think of it, that’s what happened on the Grand Banks, & a lot of other places.
Suggestion for a future article- what would be the effect on the lake fishery if, as now seems likely, the Asian Carp break out of the Chicago River?
And a tip: try the KO Wobbler- it’s the only lure that caught me any salmon this year.
just a comment on “what happened on the Grand Banks”
It may be crazy, but I really think that it was the again the zebra mussels that destroyed the downstream Saint Laurent fishin’
I did write it up in “Canadian Fishing at the Grand Banks, Zebra Mussels, and Iron’s Effect on Plankton”.
But I guess my title is not clear enough.
I hope things improve for fishing on Wisconsin lakes.