Sad State of Perch Fishing on Lake Erie

[airshot]

Another thing to consider is the farm animals eating the same food our walleye and perch eat. We fisherman spend big bucks, time and energy to chase our favorite gamefish, yet we constantly throw back all the tradh fish that eat the food that our game fish eat. One example is sheepshead, they forage the same shinner minnows our game fish eat, yet we return them back into the lake to reproduce !! Consider all the sheepshead, white bass, white perch, that are thrown back to keep repopulating and eat all the food our gamefish are after. When food is scarce the game fish leave or their growth is stunted. I have for years made sure the junk fish I return to the lake are not able to reproduce....now if all the fisherman did that, think about how much food for gamefish would be spared !!

[hageman]

Another thing to consider is the farm animals eating the same food our walleye and perch eat. We fisherman spend big bucks, time and energy to chase our favorite gamefish, yet we constantly throw back all the tradh fish that eat the food that our game fish eat. One example is sheepshead, they forage the same shinner minnows our game fish eat, yet we return them back into the lake to reproduce !! Consider all the sheepshead, white bass, white perch, that are thrown back to keep repopulating and eat all the food our gamefish are after. When food is scarce the game fish leave or their growth is stunted. I have for years made sure the junk fish I return to the lake are not able to reproduce....now if all the fisherman did that, think about how much food for gamefish would be spared !!

The fish are all getting plenty to eat. Have you cleaned a walleye and seen all the fat within? Western Basin Perch have continued to have above the 30-year average hatches with good survival into the 1-year age and into the fishery, along with faster than historical growth rates, according to Ohio Div of Wildlife trawl surveys. Perch have billions of mayfly and midge larvae to feed upon, a robust spiny water flea and other zooplankton population, aquatic worms, snails, gobies, shiners and young of year spiny-rayed fish to eat. By the way, Commercial fishermen, who many people love to hate, keep tons of white bass, white perch and smaller sheepshead in addition to up to 35% of the annual Ohio available perch quota, as managed within 3 units in Lake Erie. High value perch allows them to stay in business. Are you suggesting that sportsmen just waste every fish that they do not want in the lake because you erroneously think they are causing our game fish to starve? Since when aren't White bass a game fish too?