Article on yellow perch populations

[jproffitt10]

GreatLakesNow just posted a pretty interesting article on the difficulties of catching yellow perch in Lake Erie.

Yellow Perch, Emerald Shiners: Diet change might have led to drop in fish catches – Great Lakes Now

[itsbob]

Nice article on perch,thanks.

[Rownan]

If the government says the fish are there and fishermen are not catching them, are they really there?? Interesting!!

[Lucky Duck]

That was a great article. For those that don't have the time to read it, the author says:
-Western Basin walleye diet is 58% gizzard shad
-Western Basin wally diet is 2% yellow perch
-Yellow perch diet used to eat about 50% fish and 50% invertedbrates
-Yellow perch now eat 80% invertebrates IE Mayflies, water fleas, and midges.
Bruce

[West Basin]

I thought about the ODNR misleading the public comment. My thought is benefit vs. risk. What, really, would ODW fisheries have to gain by putting out misleading information? The fisherman already are reporting what they are experiencing, so everyone knows that. Same with commercial. So reporting that one cause is likely that the perch have changed feeding habits, based on data collected from public caught and commercial caught perch stomachs, as well as their own research, is only reporting what they have reason to believe is happening. That's not risky as far as Public Relations goes because it's what the data indicates. If they made a decision to mislead the public by overstating the perch population, what happens if that's later found to be false? ODW fisheries takes a big hit. They don't want that. They already have enough issue with people either not believing them or having to counter other misinformation that is always out there. Is it possible? Sure. Is it reasonable to think so? I doubt it.

[Eyezcrazy]

So you don’t think license sales that support the ODNR would have any factor in what they relate to the public? I’m sure many people will still search for the non existent perch as long as the ODNR says they are still there. Some people only fish for perch. Do you think they would still fish if ODNR says they aren’t there? Sales is a driver above PR. IMO

[1234brillo]

AMEN to that, the MDNR are doing the same. There is little they can do about the declining perch population, so they pacify anglers up here with increased walleye bag limits and a 13 inch size limit. But still close our spawning rivers for six weeks, so much for trying to decrease walleye numbers to save the perch population, SMH.
Been watching perch numbers drop steadily for the last 4-5 years in Saginaw bay.
Firm believer in a broken ecosystem, that's something only God can fix. Before I get piled on I'm not saying that the netters and flying trashcans are not part of the problem. But not the major.

[Eyezcrazy]

I’m not buying this one.

[Rownan]

Eyezcrazy
That is what I was trying to say!!!!

[1234brillo]

I'm from the Saginaw bay area, by what I've seen in the last several years it is definitely not a bait preference change, it is a lack of perch. Just look at the commercial guys and their declining catches.