Lamprey

[ADLIDAF]

I have viewed the reports on this site for a few years now and decided to register because I wanted to start a discussion.

Last May my friends and I were trolling for walleye along the east side of Kelley's when one of the planer boards kicked and we brought in a nasty little fish. I recognized it from the Discovery channel as a lamprey. (a 16" eel like paracitic fish with a circular mouth) I had never even heard of anyone catching one of these before, let alone hit a cranck bait.

Last Saturday I finally got a chance to get out for a little Perch fishing. We limitted out but only About 35 nicer size fish. One of them had a fresh, still bleeding, lamprey bite on it's side and when we got into the cleaning we found 3 more with the scars. Those are high percentages; and on the size of fish that I wouldn't have thought to be a target. From what I've been told if anyone cathes these DO NOT release them. They are an invasive spiecies. I'm just hoping that between these and the threat on th Asian Carp we still have good fishing for our kids.

[Eyezcrazy]

I’d say those scars were more likely from walleye.

[pimplepounder]

Interesting,, I am assuming that you snagged the lamprey?Or was it stuck on your crank bait? A lamprey bite is pretty easy to detect. Very similar to the vaccination scar some of us boomers bare on our shoulder.

[ttinman23]

and where were you perch fishing that this happened?

[branhamautomotive]

I've seen plenty fish come in with the fresh bite marks, scars, and still hooked to the fish. I've not personally seen 1 that size in lake erie, but have no doubt they can get there.

There is reports in other great lakes of these things going after swimmers.

I always wondered why fish would bite a worm. It's not like worms are just swimming around in the waters..........but wait, they are..just not worms. Smaller lamprey look just like night crawlers......go figure..

One thing is for sure as more and more boats and ships come to and through all lakes we will find more and more new things here.

If you tow your boat from lake to lake your bildge water could be carring something new. We all need to do what we can to help stop this. Dry you bildge and tanks, dont dispose of bait back into the lake. Seems minor but it's an easy step we all can do.

Wish there was some regulation about larger ships transversingbthe lakes and ocean about how they discharge and where they discharge and take in ballast waters too. I'm not a person for more uncle Sam's involvement, but we do need to take steps and drastic and maybe ones that cost us all more money if we want our children and future grand childrens and so forth to be able to enjoy this treasure as we have.

[dunn782]

There are lots of federal regulations on ballast water discharge into the Great lakes that should stop invasive species. They don't always get followed though.