Asian carp! Oh no!

[West Basin]

Always a scare to see these fish caught, almost always by commercial fisherman. The grass carp have been around for awhile, but in very small populations. These are the kinds of carp released into ponds to control aquatic vegetation. It's the silver and bighead carp (silver carp are the one's shown flying out of the water as a boat goes by in the Mississippi River drainage) that we need to be extremely concerned about. If they can survive so well in the Mississippi river system then they would probably be devastating to the lower Great Lakes if they ever get established.

[Mark]

Always a scare to see these fish caught, almost always by commercial fisherman. The grass carp have been around for awhile, but in very small populations. These are the kinds of carp released into ponds to control aquatic vegetation. It's the silver and bighead carp (silver carp are the one's shown flying out of the water as a boat goes by in the Mississippi River drainage) that we need to be extremely concerned about. If they can survive so well in the Mississippi river system then they would probably be devastating to the lower Great Lakes if they ever get established.

The Alligator Gar, I've read about, eat the Asian Carp. These Gar are present in fresh and brackish waters from the Gulf area and up the Mississippi. How far north up the river I didn't see. Just hoping that if the Asian carp enter the Great Lakes, the Gar can keep them in check. Other thoughts I wonder about: Would the Gar be able to survive the cold waters year 'round? Would the Asian Carp survive cold waters as well? If the Gar are introduced to the Great lakes, with the intent to eradicate Asian Carp, would they too end up eating the Yellow Perch/Walleye as well?

On a different topic, a poster wrote in that a May Fly hatch had broken out in the western basin and then a regular poster, (Mr. Wakina), responded that this is a common event. I firmly trust Mr. W. and I wonder if this hatching will impact the current Perch catches and would it help bring in more Eye's? (This new hatch had just occurred, Sept. 2016).