Round Gobies

[chinook35]

http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2016/04/how_has_the_invasion_of_round_gobies_affected_upstate_ny_fishing_1.html#incart_river_home   

 

 

Here is an article concerning the round goby .They have reached Onieda Lake , so there is no stopping their spread . I don't buy his opinion on the effect they are having on sport fishing . The perch fishing on Lake O has been almost nonexistent for the last two years .

[Rawbee]

This is a tough one. In my opinion, I don't feel some people really care about the impact this is having on our native species when it comes to the fish,or it seems like they couldn't stop it, so they are trying to make it sound "not so bad". Gobies out spawn our native fish immensely. That seems to be a serious issue when looking at all the problems facing us anglers today, and future generations. When spawning they become very territorial and voracious. They have been witnessed destroying salmon, bass, and trout eggs in minutes, and sometimes by the tens of thousands. Unless our fish increase spawning habits, I don't see them competing as well as we hope.

This is just my personal opinion.

I've watched the animals adapt to these creatures over the last 6 years in Lake Ontario alone. The birds dive bomb them like mad now, the fish have started to eat them, animals like mink and weasel help out a lot, especially mink, with their impulsive, kill it if it moves behaviour around the rocks and shore lines. But the gobies numbers are still hitting amounts of up to 100 per square meter of Lake. I wouldn't doubt that the number is more in some locations, just from what I've seen in places like the credit River and certain harbours and rivers on the north side of the lake.

They've spent millions on research and prevention over the years all over North America. (from what I've read any way ).

But the gobies are still here. The article left out the problem with parasites and botulism I believe. That will probably be something to think about while everythings eating them.

I'm not saying I'm right. But I sure hope we have something left for our children to experience through their life. I hope whoever is doing this research and promoting it, wants the same thing.

Edited June 13, 2016 by Rawbee

[wicked salmon]

How are they controled where they are from? Not sure where they are from.

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[lost a lure]

They are out of control. From Eurasia

[whaler1]

Maybe Trump will send them home.

[Traveling Circus]

So the question I have yet to see answered is.....

 

Why isn't the shipping industry held responsible for contaminating our Lakes with hundreds of invaders over the years.......????

 

Fleas, Gobies, Zebra Mussels, etc..... Back in the day when ZM's were introduced, I thought there would be legislation and penalties aimed at the shipping industry to prevent further invasives...... does it exist? The invaders just keep on coming.......

[Gill-T]

How do you prove which shipping company is liable? Perhaps an imposed international tarif to compensate states for programs to combat invasive species.

[mikebarb86]

I have noticed over the years that small mouth have been feeding like crazy on the goby. Also browns love them. I hope nature can balance back from this.

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[Traveling Circus]

Perhaps I mistyped......  it's not about proving who is liable, it's about preventing the next eco disaster. 

 

I think ships (foreign) are supposed to deballast their home port fresh water and reballast with salt water prior to North America fresh water entry, to prevent spreading invaders. Back in the 80's when fleas and ZM's started showing up, you think we'd have started inspecting ships in the SLR Waterway to ensure they had reballasted with salt. And prohibitively fine the ship out of any ship found with fresh water ballast. That was 30 years ago. What has this industry done to minimize the risk of contamination since the introduction of the spiny water flea?

 

This is way over simplification, but Inspection and testing of ships ballast water should be(should have been) prioritized, and violators should be fined such that it reinforces compliance........ 

Edited June 7, 2016 by Traveling Circus

[LongLine]

Spent lots of money on research not a whole lot on preventing them.  NY tried to get tough on entering ships but got "blown out of the water" by the Feds & lobby groups.

[EsoxAC3]

The ballast water regulations act was enacted several years ago.... 2012 I believe....and is enforced by the USCG. The law requires ships to maintain onboard equipment that filters ballast water to a specific purity.

Save the River was a major supporter and lobbyist on behalf of this important piece of legislation protecting our natural resources.

[EsoxAC3]

As for the round gobie.....they sure are making for some trophy sized fish on the SLR and Lake O.... 5-6lb smallies and 9-10lb walleye are the result of ample forage base. The ecosystem is surprisingly resilient and dynamic!

[whaler1]

Do pike and musky eat them?

[EsoxAC3]

Yes

[EsoxAC3]

Almost all larger fish in the food chain

[whaler1]

Makes sense. Might actually be a benefit for them and provide some pretty cool opportunities for some big ones now and in the future?

[rolmops]

Not all that the gobie does is bad. they feed on zebra and quagga mussels and the their vitamin b level is high enough for fish to be able to effectively spawn again.

[Sk8man]

Unfortunately chinook aren't really bottom feeding fish so it probably won't do them any good

[tman12]

Here's my two cents from quite a bit of research and fishing trials. Fished Onondaga lake earlier this spring just for kicks from shore, and tallied 20 goby vs 1 sunfish. You literally put a worm 1 foot off of the shore and these things hammer it. They are all over the place. It's disappointing. Big ones too. I googled the record just for kicks and saw that one I caught came up 2 inches shy. Rolmops is correct in that they are beneficial for water quality. However, They give hell to spawning bass, and reproduce many times a year with extremely high hatch rates. More gobies = more eaten eggs from gamefish. That is why I find it incredibly ridiculous that in lakes in which there are goby, anglers are still allowed to fish for spawning bass. You pull a bass of their nest for thirty seconds and those goby swarm it like angry bees and eat their eggs. The whole bass fishing season is another issue in my opinion, but I won't get into that. I guess my opinion about goby is that as destructive as they are, they aren't going away anytime soon, so I am hoping fish continue to adapt to them, and eat them as their "main" diet. It's a waiting game, in which we need to continue to try to contain them, as we can't simply scoop out every goby front these lakes, for we can just stop the spread.

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[Rawbee]

@Tman12

Your thoughts on bass season should be a larger discussion. I think you are absolutely right about it as well. Last year my 7 year old pulled a 4 pound bass from right beside the dock. He was fishing pan fish, and I didn't see the bass in the shallow, but he did because he had my glasses on. Him, not knowing it was a bass,but just excited he saw a bigger fish than what he was catching. So he placed his bobber right close, hoping to catch it and surprise me. He did.

As we were pulling it out of the water to remove the hook, with my bare eyes I could all of a sudden see the movement of what seemed like 50 60 goby. I hurried as fast as i could, maybe 5 seconds handling time.

Still though. In that time damage was definitely done. And when the bass returned, it took some more time for it to clean and secure the area. It doesn't happen immediately. The gobies continue to take jabs even once the bass has returned.

So I believe you make a great point. Cheers.

[GAMBLER]

http://www.syracuse.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2016/04/how_has_the_invasion_of_round_gobies_affected_upstate_ny_fishing_1.html#incart_river_home   

 

 

Here is an article concerning the round goby .They have reached Onieda Lake , so there is no stopping their spread . I don't buy his opinion on the effect they are having on sport fishing . The perch fishing on Lake O has been almost nonexistent for the last two years .

Last fall, I saw some of the best perch fishing in years.  Lots of good sized perch and a ton of dinks too.

[tman12]

@Rawbee

Glad to hear I share the same views as someone on here. They are some nasty little creatures

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[chinook35]

Gambler , I agree that the perch fishing late has been good . My point is that the fishery is changing drastically . We could go to several spots in Henderson Harbor and fill the boat with jack perch starting in August . No more . The fishing has started later and later . Is it because of Gobies ? I don't know . But I wish someone could come up with an answer .

[ontherise]

Maybe Trump will send them home.

i think I heard the Donald say he's going to make them build a wall to keep them out!

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[GAMBLER]

Gambler , I agree that the perch fishing late has been good . My point is that the fishery is changing drastically . We could go to several spots in Henderson Harbor and fill the boat with jack perch starting in August . No more . The fishing has started later and later . Is it because of Gobies ? I don't know . But I wish someone could come up with an answer .

I would think they would not need to come into the bays and impoundments as early because they can stay at the Goby buffet and eat all fall without moving much.  Last fall, the perch showed up in my honey hole very early compared to the past five seasons.