What's your theory??????

[icefishin nutz]

Why do you think fishing has been so bad ? IMO.... I think it has something to do with the VHS disease. I think it is killing off the bigger perch, but I dont think it is strong enough to kill off the big predetor fish. Seems to me this year, I have read more & more reports of Huge musky & pike. We have only been ice fishing for a little over 5 years, and it seems like every year it has gotten progressively worse:( This year is by far the worst yet.:rolleyes: I just want to know what everyone else thinks the problem is??

[ficious]

Alien abductions:mischeif:??

[Clinch]

2seasons ago I had the worst ice fishin season ever. Last year I had the best year ever. This year has been been so so, just because of good recent fishin(early season was terrible). My thoughts are its just like everything else, it goes in cycles. Take the good with the bad. First 2 months I couldnt catch a meals worth. Now I have a few bags of perch and gills frozen and have had a couple fish fries. I beleive it goes in cycles. I dont know the facts, but from waht I have read, if a fish gets VHS, no matter their size their dead. Like aids. Now thats just what I have been lead to beleive.

[huntingmaniac45]

To many pike, ski's, and bass!

[tinmarine]

I blame GW Bush. Don't worry, Obama will turn it around for us.

[stinger63]

I blame GW Bush. Don't worry, Obama will turn it around for us.



Well realy its probaly Jennys fault,the perch were blew away like the rest of us :lol:

In all seriousness it probaly has something to do with the zebra muscles,spiny water fleas,lack of food,diseases/and pollution like sewage and over fishing over the last few years.

[tinmarine]

Well realy its probaly Jennys fault,the perch were blew away like the rest of us :lol:


:lol::lol:

[DE82]

Well realy its probaly Jennys fault,the perch were blew away like the rest of us :lol:

In all seriousness it probaly has something to do with the zebra muscles,spiny water fleas,lack of food,diseases/and pollution like sewage and over fishing over the last few years.What's a perch? :dizzy:

[the roofer]

Jenny and bush!!!WOW...I would put my money on a cold season with ice freezing a little early...I bet the saginaw river broke a record for a early ice freeze...I think its do to low oxygen levels...The fish have been deep...myself I had a great season...but have seen alot of dead fish!!!and Its really getting good now...I love ice out!!!!

[Michigander1]

Tides are turning.Mass Neg Energy.Mass Media.Pretty easy.Stay away from the NEWS is the key.Enjoy Life ;).Mich

[stinger63]

What's a perch? :dizzy:
Here ya go its a perch or is it b perch:16suspect
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/yellowperch1.jpg

[stinger63]

Mike the elder enlightened me from another thread add the Cormorants to my list of why the perch fishing was as bad as it was this winter.

[fishnpbr]

Mike the elder enlightened me from another thread add the Cormorants to my list of why the perch fishing was as bad as it was this winter.

I launched my boat several times at metro in the fall of 2008. The island between the marina and the back basin must have had several hundred cormorants in the trees. They were there every time we launched.

[Lerxst]

Mike the elder enlightened me from another thread add the Cormorants to my list of why the perch fishing was as bad as it was this winter.

yes, those sky rats can really do some damage to a fishery.

[rivrat1959]

May be a combination of few different things, but I would guess its a lot to do with the yearly hatch of fish , much like the walleye class of 2003 hatch which gave us such great fishing for 2 or 3 years here and then slowed a little last year. Remember when we were catching hundreds of undersided fish and then the following 2 years were incredible as they got to be legal size. I have caught more 4 to 6 inch fish this year than I can remember in a long time. I bet in a year or two them fish will grow and we'll be back in the bigg'ns. Heck who knows I may be full of sheet. Also gotta beleive that the incredible cold winter and early freeze up has something to do with it.

[MiketheElder]

Get informed, get involved. These birds will absolutely ruin LSC.

I even see them in the Detroit River while I'm handlining. The current doesn't seem to bother them.

http://www.flintsteelheaders.com/cormorant_control.htm

[Johnr]

Like the cougars in Mich that the Dnr doesn't believe we have, Im sure they dont see a problem with these frickin fish eatin buzzards.
This is one time I wish we would do what the Chinese would do when encountering a prolific pest: Require people to kill them until they are no longer around to become a serious problem.
John

[Sea Duck]

Require people to kill them until they are no longer around to become a serious problem. John

Uhhh, you're saying you want the government to "require people to kill" cormorants? How exactly would that work - issue everyone a shotgun and have some kind of cormorant police that would put you in jail if you are observed passing on a chance to blast one. Oh yeah, I can see myself pulling over on the Rouge River bridge in April on my way down to Wyandotte to jig for walleye, and jumping out to let the shot fly as a flock of those black turds drifts overhead, just to avoid a ticket from the man! :dizzy:

Isn't having the government require people to do anything almost like encouraging them to do the opposite?:confused:

[yellowbelly80]

i wonder if they would go for alka seltzer like seagulls do ;)

[Johnr]

There would have to be a no fishin zone "cormorant hunting area" postings while hunt is in progress. No fishing within 600 ft. of great cormorant hunting areas. Better to sacrifice a little fishing for a temporary time that no fish to fish for at all in the future. Sounds like a good trade off to me.
JohnR

[stinger63]

I dont care how they allow people to eliminate them but let us do it in a way that significantly reduces thier numbers to almost 0 and let it done asap.

[Sea Duck]

The Les Cheneaux Islands, Drummond Island, Beaver Island, Manitoulin Island, Charity Islands - all have large (1,000's of birds) nesting colonies with thousands or tens of thousands of resident birds all summer - adults raising their young. I don't think that situation is at all like anything we have here at Lake St. Clair, but maybe you've seen some big nesting colonies someplace that I haven't noticed? How many cormorants do you think are resident birds on Lake St. Clair during the summer? I see a few dozen here and there, but doubt there's more than a couple hundred birds on the whole lake from June to September. Big flocks migrate through in the spring and fall, but don't seem to stay very long. The only nesting site I've seen is on the Peche Island range lights (maybe 75 nest total). Have you seen nests anywhere else?

[Sparky23]

A comerant can eat 3 times its body weight a day, they do nothing but eat, and I read an article a few back on how 15 of them took up residentcy on a 15 acre lake somwhere up north a month later they left, and the lake was all but ruined, they have egg destoyers up in sioux st. mary they get the right permits an destoy the eggs, somone should look into that on st. clair maybe, as you will NEVER be able to legaly shoot them. They knnow that noone would eat them and the Thuggers would throw a hissy fit. Just my 2 cents....

O yea CLINCH, J-D, got my first 2 steelies of the spring today, had to fish my ***** off in fast muddy water but finally convinced a few. Give me a call its time:)

[Joe Archer]

Why do you think fishing has been so bad ? IMO....
This year the Bay pretty much froze up over night. When I was young, I remember an old-timer telling me "when ever the lake freezes up fast, the fish stay out deep and don't school like they usually do... " It makes sense, open water is unstable water that is constantly turning over. Fish like to get under the ice where the water is stable. I have witnessed the relationship of a quick freeze and sub-par fishing enough to believe it to be true. However, last ice is generally killer in these types of years! The next few weeks should be pretty incredible!
<----<<<

[stinger63]

The next few weeks should be pretty incredible!
Guess we will have to wait and see about that one Joe.I hope your right it might give me a last gasp of enthusiasm on the season and who knows I might even get out and start fishing again for the remainder of last ice.

[Michael Wagner]

Get informed, get involved. These birds will absolutely ruin LSC.

I even see them in the Detroit River while I'm handlining. The current doesn't seem to bother them.

http://www.flintsteelheaders.com/cormorant_control.htm

Absolutely, take a trip up to Curtis and see what they have done to the perch on Big Manistque Lk. There are 2 islands with nest on them on the west side that literally have 10`s of 1,000`s of birds on them. Mike

[filet-o-don]

Absolutely, take a trip up to Curtis and see what they have done to the perch on Big Manistque Lk. There are 2 islands with nest on them on the west side that literally have 10`s of 1,000`s of birds on them. Mike

My mother lives on South Manistique Lake, yes the birds destroyed both Big and South Manistique Lakes. They have groups that are allowed to kill the nested eggs in the spring, South Lk has recovered a lilltle, but the birds need to be controlled more

[alex-v]

....... but maybe you've seen some big nesting colonies someplace that I haven't noticed? How many cormorants do you think are resident birds on Lake St. Clair during the summer? I see a few dozen here and there, but doubt there's more than a couple hundred birds on the whole lake from June to September..
Make that thousands on the lake during the spring, summer and fall. There have to be 150 plus adults roosting on the Peche Island Range light. Add in the roosting birds on the light house just below Peche Island. Multiply that by the other lights, large buoys, and shore line areas that they might find and we end up with a lot of fish-eating birds.

[Basstermater]

overpopulations of smaller fish and not enough food to sustain larger numbers of big perch. that's my theory and i'm sticking to it

[icefishin nutz]

Get informed, get involved. These birds will absolutely ruin LSC.

I even see them in the Detroit River while I'm handlining. The current doesn't seem to bother them.

http://www.flintsteelheaders.com/cormorant_control.htm

Mike,
I didnt know anything about those birds, I appreciate you sharing the info.Very interesting!!! In that link that you provided it states that " EGG OILING HAS STARTED ON BEAVER ISLAND" What does that mean?? Is that some way to kill off the hatchlings?

[joecc]

This year the Bay pretty much froze up over night. When I was young, I remember an old-timer telling me "when ever the lake freezes up fast, the fish stay out deep and don't school like they usually do... " It makes sense, open water is unstable water that is constantly turning over. Fish like to get under the ice where the water is stable. I have witnessed the relationship of a quick freeze and sub-par fishing enough to believe it to be true. However, last ice is generally killer in these types of years! The next few weeks should be pretty incredible!
<----<<<

I agree completely with you on this Joe.

[icefishin nutz]

This year the Bay pretty much froze up over night. When I was young, I remember an old-timer telling me "when ever the lake freezes up fast, the fish stay out deep and don't school like they usually do... " It makes sense, open water is unstable water that is constantly turning over. Fish like to get under the ice where the water is stable. I have witnessed the relationship of a quick freeze and sub-par fishing enough to believe it to be true. However, last ice is generally killer in these types of years! The next few weeks should be pretty incredible!
<----<<<

I hope your right Joe!!! Because we are all going to be standing in the soup line if something dosent change:cwm27::lol:

[MiketheElder]

Mike,
I didnt know anything about those birds, I appreciate you sharing the info.Very interesting!!! In that link that you provided it states that " EGG OILING HAS STARTED ON BEAVER ISLAND" What does that mean?? Is that some way to kill off the hatchlings?

The eggs are air and gas permeable, I think that's the right terminology. Oiling them kills the embryo but the birds don't know that it is dead and continue to sit on it. If the egg is taken from the nest by humans, the birds just lay another egg.

We had a speaker several months ago at a Lake St. Clair Walleye Association meeting who spoke for over an hour and kept everyone's attention. That's pretty rare for that group of fishermen.:lol:

Another thing he stressed was DO NOT HARRASS the birds in the late morning. They will regurgitate the fish they ate that day and then when you are gone and things settle down they go fishing again.

[MiketheElder]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmJoVe8EyaA

[MiketheElder]

This is what Lake St. Clair will look like soon if we don't start limiting their numbers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXWrBLBHLPY

[icefishin nutz]

This is what Lake St. Clair will look like soon if we don't start limiting their numbers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXWrBLBHLPY

Wow:SHOCKED: Thats scary!!! I agree, we need to stay informed & educate eveyone we can about the problem, I mean, I had absolutley no idea until I read your post!!!And by the way....... was the guy in the video reffering to his dog or himself when he was talking @ the end:lol::lol:

[Andrew B.]

I heard that on Drummond Island the DNR lets people shoot cormorants certain times of the year? And also that the reduced numbers of cormorants seems to be bringing back the perch population.

[salmon_slayer06]

simply put the perch are not in the lake this year. Theres a million reasons why but they are just not here in the numbers that they have been. Last years ice fishing was pretty good. With the big thaws and high rivers and lots of current in the lake, I think those perch either went tight into the shallows or they went down river to find clearer water.

[stinger63]

Theres a million reasons why but they are just not here in the numbers that they have been.
Maybe it has something to do with Purdys Native American friiends:rolleyes::lol:

[AllSpecieAngler]

Why if these birds are so destructive and invasive are they being protected at all? Why not just open season on them year round...end of problem!;)

[MiketheElder]

Why if these birds are so destructive and invasive are they being protected at all? Why not just open season on them year round...end of problem!;)

Probably lots of reasons. Treehuggers? Audubon Society? PETA?
All of the above? None of the above? I don't know the answer offhand. That's why we ALL have to do the research and get involved.

I haven't looked at all the other Forums on this site. There might be something here already.

OK, here's the deal. Go to the Search function above and plug in cormorant and hit go. There have been many posts about cormorants all over this website. Those of us that limit our reading to only our local fishing forums are missing out on a lot of information. So grab the beverage of your choice and some snacks and start reading.

I would also suggest a separate Forum be created just for this topic.
Steve, Neal, what do you think?

[rivrat1959]

I heard that on Drummond Island the DNR lets people shoot cormorants certain times of the year? And also that the reduced numbers of cormorants seems to be bringing back the perch population.

Yes they do shoot them up there. I beleive this shoot takes place once a year. But only selected people get to shoot them. they shoot thousands I beleive. But I do know they shoot them. I dont know how or who they pick to shoot them.

[CAPT HEAVY]

Up here in NE MI they have a select group of fish and wildlife guys
that shoot birds on the Au Sable and when they plant browns in Thunder Bay in Alpena. Other groups of citizens are allowed to us pyrotecnics to scare the birds away from the planted smolts. I believe they also have some people on Long lake and Grand lake in alpena. Huge problem here but some of the local sportsmens groups are banding together to try to control the flying menace. Too bad they dont allow select trained groups of citizens use lethel force on these birds, but with all of the politics dont look for this to happen anytime soon.

[fightem]

Don`t forget that the last 2 or 3 years they raised the quota for perch and walleye for the commercial fisherman over here in Canada sad to say..... I really think they should put a temporary ban on fishing Lake Erie I mean commercial fishing. We had one good walleye spawn on the lake about 5 years ago and our gov. raised the quota and in one season they depleted the stocks again .Personally I think they should stop netting for 5 years and then let them have only a small portion each year and no raises of quotas. but you know us Canucks we are too nice.. we just can`t stop anyone from doing anything lol I think if we did that the lakes all around would explode with fish. Oh and we should cull more corm:yikes:arants too:Protest_e

[bignoccursg]

I think "gone fishing" has caught them all. ;)

[stinger63]

Don`t forget that the last 2 or 3 years they raised the quota for perch and walleye for the commercial fisherman over here in Canada sad to say.
That would explain why walleye fishing was so crappy last year.Do they comercialy fish lake ST Clair?

[symen696]

[quote=MiketheElder;2592241]Probably lots of reasons. Treehuggers? Audubon Society? PETA?
All of the above? None of the above? I don't know the answer offhand. That's why we ALL have to do the research and get involved.

Open season on them too!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol:

[kinzua]

we had a good year. 9 to 12 inch perch, closer to 9 but a hundred or so ( lsc ) 27 eyes out of brest bay 17 to 21 feet. not bad for me. also a few gills and good crappie in the irish hills. im ready for the soft water though!!

[Michigander1]

Thats what the good old days are made of ;).Most just dont notice when it going on :),Mich

[gr8lakefisher]

I blame GW Bush. Don't worry, Obama will turn it around for us.
hows that? by making it too expensive to fish? the fish are leaving the american waters to get away from the government, that or they are on strike

[alex-v]

Do they comercialy fish lake ST Clair?
That is why the Lake St. Clair Walleye Association was formed back in '76, to stop the commercial fishing of the lake. There has not been commercial fishing on Lake St. Clair in 30 years.

[fightem]

No we don`t commercially fish lake St.Clair bud.:fish2::fish2::fish2:

[stinger63]

That is why the Lake St. Clair Walleye Association was formed back in '76, to stop the commercial fishing of the lake. There has not been commercial fishing on Lake St. Clair in 30 years.

Good to know and glad to find that out.Wish more could be done to stop it in other places.