Try convincing the Lake Erie smallmouth fishermen of that. Between the nightly tournaments that took place during the spawn over the past several years, and gobys, It seems like we have seen a decisive reduction in smallmouth numbers. I know that perch eat the goby as I have caught several perch that burp up partilly digested goby but can't say anything about walleye and I'm convinced that white bass don't feed on them as WB are primarily minnow eaters as best I know. How about one of the fish biologist opinions and comments on this.

 

How can they be any good when one of their main food sources is fish eggs. Videos have shown smallmouth almost dying and then giving up trying to protect their nests from these exotics that should not be in there. They also feed on walleye eggs and other fish eggs.

 

Contrary to popular beliefs Gobys are good for the Lake. It has been found that game fish eat Gobys and are thriving.

Is this some kind of November fools joke?

 

the drop in smallie pop. couldn't be contributed to the DRAMATIC increase in both sport fishermen and the commercial harvest of the smallie by charter captains?!?!?

 

Contrary to popular beliefs Gobys are good for the Lake. It has been found that game fish eat Gobys and are thriving.

Respectfully, this is truly a wild claim with out any substantiation. I personally need some facts based on research. If this is an opinion I would like to know that, and what causes you to think this.
:T

 

trash fish like sheephead. Something no one wants. I fish with a freind all the time at erie and he breaks there necks when he catchs them, the sheephead to. Just no glory in a catching a goby only lost bait.

 

Here are the facts you were wanting. Still don't sound good for the fisherman. You only got part of the story.
http://www.glrc.org/transcript.php3?story_id=1245

 

That article is 4 years old. I believe there are a lot more recent reports and analyses out there now. I'm not an expert though.

 

No invasive species introduced into waters where they don't belong can be good. There is always a downside somewhere. They have to be feeding on something that species that are native to the waters normally feed on, so they are upsetting the foodchain.

 

I was talking to a real honest to goodness biologist that works on Erie from the Sandusky office about this very subject.

There is still a lot to be learned about the effect the goby is playing in the Eco system on Erie.

Some early observations are,

Samples have shown few walleye eggs in goby's collected on the reefs during the spawn, white perch on the other hand appear to feed heavily on walleye eggs.

There is a belief that the added food source may be increasing the growth rates on both smallmouth and perch, both of which feed heavily on goby's

Perch seem to stay shallower all year utilizing this new available food source.

The impact of the goby on the smallmouth spawn is unknown. Until this year the ODNR did not have the resources (correct trawl) to take samples of shallow rocky areas inhabited by the smallmouth. They were left with fisherman surveys and gill net samples as a couple of very few tools to evaluate smallmouth populations and spawn success. I do not think they have a real good handle on the smallmouth story for Lake Erie. The step they took this year to eliminate possession during the spring months already has had a positive impact even if it had no effect on the spawn success, which I don't think anyone knows either way for sure. It did significantly reduce the total number of smallmouth caught and harvested during this restricted season. The reduced harvest alone is a very positive impact.

What long term effect will the goby play in Erie's future, I don't think anyone can do anything at this point but guess. I do remember hearing that the white perch, when first introduced, were going to decimate the perch and walleye populations, that just hasn't happened. I remember when the zebra mussel was going to be the end to the Erie fishery, that hasn't happened either.

Only time will tell the real impact the goby will play in Erie's future.

Kim

 

Great information. Several of the perch I caught today were spitting up goby remains.

 

I read a paper published in 2004 comparing SM bass of Lake Erie and Lake Opeongo, Canada.

The paper compared SM bass of Lake Erie to SM Bass of Lake Opeongo in Canada. Lake Opeongo does not have round gobies, Lake Erie does. Nest guarding bass in lake Erie are more aggressive and had chase off egg predators nine times more frequently than bass in Lake Opeongo. The researches hypothesized that the bass in Erie would make up for the energy use by consuming the gobies. Then they looked at the stomach contents of the nest-guarding male bass. 64% of Bass in Lake Opeongo had prey in their stomach. Only 21% of Lake Erie's Bass had prey, and only 3 of the 39 bass ate round gobies.

justin

Steinhart GB, Sandrene ME, Weaver S, Stein RA, Marschall EA, 2004
Increased parental care cost for nest-guarding fish in a lake with hyperabundant nest predators.
Behavioral Ecology

 

Besides, how can you condemn an aquariam fish?

 

trash fish like sheephead. Something no one wants. I fish with a freind all the time at erie and he breaks there necks when he catchs them, the sheephead to. Just no glory in a catching a goby only lost bait.

Whats so bad about catching a Sheephead! Heck I think they put up a nice fight and are pretty fun to catch! Besides they eat zebra mussels too! So stop breakin their necks! catch, enjoy and release!

 

Killing sheephead for no reason is unethical and a waste. And I think our goby friend here is just trying to stir things up.

Brad

 

trash fish like sheephead. Something no one wants. I fish with a freind all the time at erie and he breaks there necks when he catchs them, the sheephead to. Just no glory in a catching a goby only lost bait.

Goby's really don't get that large.

 

Yeah what exactly is the point in killing sheepshead? does anyone really think they will eventually start to catch fewer of them if they kill everyone caught? They belong in the lake just as much as walleye as they are native and they fill just as important ecological role as smallies, eyes, and perch. I thought one of the ideas of fishing is to catch fish right? So why be mad when you do? I admit they are annoying to sort through when you're trying to put walleye in the cooler but all you're doing is taking away from this sport and giving people like PETA more ammo against fishing. I see people toss them up 10-20 feet in the air when they throw them back so that they get killed. Take a guess what my and most peoples' impression of these people are?

And no, gobies are horrible for the lake. While many fish do eat them and therefore you might start catching "some" bigger fish they hurt reproduction greatly so eventually when these big ones die guess what happens to the fishing. My research lab is down the hall from a fishgenetics/invasives lab that studies gobies and ZM and I've sat through more seminars than I would ever want to about the damage that invasive species do to the lake. Gobies are horrendous smallie nest killers. And God help us if the bighead carp ever gets in.

 

30 plus years ago there was an older gent on Kellys Island named Clarence. When we returned from a day of catching literally a boat load of sheep head, Clarence cleaned them a certain way. I think he skinned them, removing an oil layer beneath the skin that gave them their unapealing taste. They were delicious. Sheep head deserve their own thread. Gobies are non-native fish yet deserve their own respect, freedoms and right to worship. They do however need to conform to our laws. Some of my best friends are Gobies. Experts seem divided. Anglers may give the best info on gobies value or detriment. Didn't zebra mussles help clean the lake, yet clog intakes? Gobies probably do both harm and good. Time may only tell what net result they have.

 

I am very misunderstood

Goby One

 

Pardon me friends but i was speaking of someone i fished with that was smacking the sheephead on the bank not me. Dont label me as the sheepkiller I myself saw it as a watse. I would never do that.

Its nice to hear someone keeps some sheephead to help keep the populations in check. I myself c.a.r unless its heading towards the dinner table.

 

I never understood why people kill sheephead. They are native They fight alot more than any walleye. Yes, you may not want to eat then, but does a hunter shot every groundhawg or every raccoon they see because they dont taste good??? If you kill them because they stole your bait or have to take time to set re set out a trolling line, its up to you. Why not release sheephead so someone else can enjoy their fight. Killing every fish you catch will not reduce the population. But, if I do catch a goby I would kill it, especially during the smallmouth bass spawn.

 

i hate those dam gobies, when we fish sandusky bay (Shore fishing) I throw them to the gulls and let them eat em up. My dad caught one off of battery park that was around 10 or 11 inches long!! Explain that one? Anywho, if you enjoy catching gobies (who does) you can catch them spring through fall in the snadusky bay. I fish Jackson street pier, and all you have to do is drop a piece of garden worm or nioghtcrawler on a split shot nad a small bluegill hook down to them and you got a nice limit . . . I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION, CAN YOU USE GOBIES FOR BAIT??? Thanks

Ryan

 

Ryan, to use a goby for bait, it would have to be in your posession which is illegal. So no it is not legal to use them for bait.

Scott

 

gobys eat the eggs of the smallies and the zebra mussles clear up the water guving the frys(baby fish)less of a chance

 

Has it ever occurred to you that maybe these little goby's are what the large game fish are snacking on during the winter? I also understand that the goby are very good bottomfeeders and may be cleaning up the lake. As for goby's eating the eggs of game fish, ALL fish eat the eggs of other species as well as their own.