Interesting article on L Michigan

[schreckstoff]

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-smith/2018/02/21/smith-alewife-hit-record-low-lake-michigan-2017/356786002/

 

 

[Gator]

Ouch.

[jimski2]

Our DEC Biologists have been saying this for years but opposition is always present.

[Char_Master]

That lake is going to fundamentally change before too long. The waters have far less nutrients, the mussels are consuming most of what little is left, and so many of the management strategies are predicted to fail. No going back now, just have to hope that somehow the forage, at large, can rebound before a total collapse. Alewives seem to be a thing of the past in most of the Great Lakes now, particularly Huron and Superior. Seems it would be best to start designing plans based around Smelt, Gobies, and Coregonids as the primary forage. But, then, we need to make sure none of them collapse either, as no species is doing exceedingly well at the moment in Lake MI.

[Gill-T]

After reviewing the article which depicts the locations of the bottom trawl survey I see some real problems with the accuracy of the methodology. I am shocked at how few areas are sampled on Lake Michigan. They have not adapted the same wider sampling strategies now being deployed on Lake Ontario. Keep in mind the net only opens to  18 m or 59’ and stays down for only 5 minutes per sampling. There are huge voids in the sampling locations on Michigan. I can telll you there were a few times when I was on the Kaho when the fishfinder showed heavy bait under the boat but with as much as 2000’ of cable out, we missed the fish. I know the water is much less fertile than Ontario but I can’t help but think there may be more fish than is being reported. 

[Tyee II]

I believe, judging by what I have witnessed with my own eyes, you are correct, Gill-T. Something is amiss with the sampling methods. 

 

They should ask the fish where the Ales are because they seem to be finding them.

[Gill-T]

7 locations sampled........7!  We trollers know 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. 

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

35 minutes ago, Gill-T said:

7 locations sampled........7!  We trollers know 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water. 

The Great Lakes Salmon Initiative based in Michigan has come and stated that the author of this study is agenda driven.

[weave]

16 minutes ago, Capt Vince Pierleoni said:

The Great Lakes Salmon Initiative based in Michigan has come and stated that the author of this study is agenda driven.

 

And what do they think is his agenda?

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

2 minutes ago, weave said:

 

And what do they think is his agenda?

Anti Pacific Salmon and pro native species, ie-Lake Trout.  Sadly many people do not understand that the only shot native species restoration has in Lakes Michigan and Ontario is the control of alewives by the pelagic, naturalized species--the Chinook Salmon. The biggest single factor of predation on fry of Lake trout and Walleye is Alewife.  

[jimski2]

All the perch caught  in Lake Erie through the ice this winter are full of baby gobies. Now who predicted that? No emerald shiners?

Edited February 27, 2018 by jimski2

[Gill-T]

With the overhead ice, the emeralds will be in the Niagara.

[jimski2]

A fault with government agency testing methods is they are set by calendar dates and set up stations. The fish do not know what day it is and are responding to water conditions not the calendar. Some years they are where you expect them on that date, some years they are not. Maybe more surveys taken will result in better conclusions.