Lake St. Clair finds itself short on fish

[Hamilton Reef]

Lake St. Clair finds itself short on fish

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw105110_20041003.htm
October 3, 2004, 2:01 PM

HARRISON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- The summer of 2004 was one of the worst for fishing on Lake St. Clair, which normally is regarded as one of the best fishing lakes in North America, anglers and business owners say.

"It's one of the worst years ever," said Robert Hader, a Mount Clemens lawyer who has been fishing the lake for close to half a century. "I've been in touch with a lot of fishermen and charter boat captains, and they are all singing the blues."

Dan Chinelak, manager and owner of the Lakeside Fishing Shop in St. Clair Shores, said his business is off 50 percent and blames it on the economy.

Many anglers are not fishing in Lake St. Clair this year because the gasoline prices are too high -- as much as $2.50 a gallon along the lake -- and others have lost their jobs and can't afford to fish, Chinelak told The Detroit News for an article published Sunday.

Mike Thomas, a fish biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Great Lakes Research Center in Macomb County's Harrison Township, said he knows the reason the walleye fishing has been down this year in Lake St. Clair: abysmal reproduction of walleye in Lake Erie in 2000 and 2002.

Lake Erie supplies most of the adult walleye for Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River. The success of the spawning is determined by the number of young walleye caught in nets by fish biologists in Lake Erie.

"In 2002, only two (young walleye) were caught in 30 to 40 trawls," Thomas said.

Bad storms and unfavorable water temperatures are possible reasons for the bad walleye hatches those two years.

But Lake St. Clair walleye fishermen can expect better results next year. Walleye spawning in 2003 in Lake Erie was good, and that means good fishing in 2005. It takes walleye two years to reach the legal limit of 13 inches in Lake St. Clair. The legal size is 15 inches in Lake Erie and the Detroit River.

[Ed Michrina]

Interesting. I still think it's an abundance of bait fish in the lake.

You don't go from one year getting limits any time any where in the lake and the only problem is finding Walleye small enough to eat. To the winter ice fishing large Walleye and lots? There were to many Walleye in the lake and Hogs to boot. They couldn't have went POOF in the 2 months from The spring river fish (Hot fishing also) to summer lake, nothing to dinks . We only catch a small percent of the fish in the lake.

I still feel the lake has more bait fish in it this year than any other (I know of) I think the Eyes and Perch are sitting in the weeds content and full. This is why we are getting smaller perch and Eyes, They are the ones that haven't fed. I also feel this is why the Skys are on fire this year. All the larger perch and eater Eyes are sitting in the weeds full and happy.

Another contributing factor is a very large scool of 2" perch due to the fact that the Shad died off the last two winters (allowing the fry to make it to 2" , they eat the young ) also why the guys are having a hard time in the past in Lk Huron (no shad) On top of a Great minnow year we have gads <is that a number? of small perch !

[leapin lunker]

Seems like there are more Commorants than in years past. Those birds can eat a lot of fish in a day.

[shametamer]

Hey Ed! Don't become too complacent....St clair, like any other body of water can experience a downturn.....Stay on top of things!.......With 50 years of fishin this great state, i can state, with some knowledge "fishin ain't what it use to be"..without C & R, i wonder how bad it might really have been.........My st clair trips (5) this year have been as good as any i've had(i don't target perch or bass),but, whoa nellie! on other waters around the state.........with cormorants, invasive species,alien flora,clearer water, unstable weather, habitat destruction(dumping,building,jet skis, etc).plus more knowledgeable and better equipped(electronics,specialtys,etc) fisherman any body of water is subject to an awful lot of negative impact....Great to be an optimist, but without diligence, long term damage can be felt if we ignore trends or reports. After all, we 'all' can't be like Paul..having our pets in the 'pond'...!..lol

[MUSHY1]

I think there is a lot to say about the over abundance of bait in the lake. I have been on the lake all my life, and never seen so many minnows. It seems i have the best years when its hard to catch enough minnows to go fishing!!! Also with the catch and release policy fisherman abide by (Musky, bass etc.)
there is got to be over abundance of these preditor fish that no one is taking. So maybe the fish just are simply affraid to come out of the weeds for fear of a 30lber will eat there A** :yikes:

So as much as i think the come back of the Great Lakes Musky is Great, I think it is time to start finding Recipes for them, as well as Smallmouth :corkysm55

So for all you Musky and Bass Boys, start killing and eating your pride fish, so I can again eat my Wallys and Perch. ;)

Mushy1

[ESOX]

Walleye and perch are not the preferred prey of mature muskie. As with any predator, they live by expending less energy chasing a meal than they get from the meal. Therefore, any perch, bass or walleye struggling on the end of a line draws attention to itself as in distress and an easy target.
Also, a good population of predators is essential to the health of the entire fishery. I know we have all seen those small lakes that have been essentially wiped clean of larger predators, then in a few years the panfish that used to provide for good angling are stunted since they have no poputation control from predators and vast numbers of them are competing with each other for food, then they start spawning when they are a whole 4" long.......wonderful.

[shametamer]

Mushy, lots of those southern boys like smallmouth for the table.heck a few even promote it on their tv programs.....But u go targeting musky for the table ur gonna have ESOX(Paul) mounting a gatling gun on the starcraft,running around 'the pond' and rifling our boats!...lol..how bout..a dollar contributed for each inch of musky caught? all proceeds split toward stocking perch and eyes!...lol

[Hamilton Reef]

I'm scheduled to fish LSC on Oct 18 for musky, first time this year. Looking forward to it. I fished it once a few years ago and got one 42" musky on my first try.

[MUSHY1]

Esox, just venting my frustration about not catching my limit everytime i go fishing. Is this too much to ask for???? :lol: Next i will be blameing it on the Comerants :p Its all good.....

Mushy1

[keducation]

I'm all for taking out some muskie and pike....I actually caught as many ski's and pike as eyes this year and I wasn't fishing for ski's & Pike...I think the lake is overloaded with predators...I have seen ski's follow a caught eye
up to my boat, so you can't convince me that ski's don't feast on eyes and perch.....I'll bet a 30lb ski eats a nice bucket of perch every day, let alone a few eyes for desert! :fish:

[Ed Michrina]

I was on the det river handlinging by the canadian club. I was thrilled getting these little 15 to 17 inch eyes. every one an eater. well what to my supprise I latched into a huge musky @12 midnight? It looks like we were both enjoying eater size Walleye that night. I could feel the lumps in her belly. But I think musky mostly eat frogs, comerants and gobies. so don't worry.

I'm supprised no one has placed blame on the indian netters yet?

[MUSHY1]

Oh, im not done yet, Ed.....It seems ive stirred up the pot again....My My My
Ed, are those eyes still going on down on the river, no reports, are you keeping them all to yourself......

Mushy1

[Ed Michrina]

That was last year mushy1 . I'm still to busy looking for the perch on the lake :confused:

[ESOX]

I think those jumbos only spend the coolwater period in LSC. The summer they are in the deeper waters of Huron and Erie. Just my opinion. nothing to back it up.

[Ed Michrina]

Esox I think the same thing.

[shametamer]

Esox, just venting my frustration about not catching my limit everytime i go fishing. Is this too much to ask for???? :lol: Next i will be blameing it on the Comerants :p Its all good.....

Mushy1
limits? not every time? geez am i envious..this year i would settle for one limit!...lol...u right..its all good..the pursuit, the chase, the hunt ah reminds me of my younger skirt chasin days.....they too, ended all too often with less than a limit and much too frequently..a skunk! :help: ...lol

[Jumbo]

And how, Cheif, Nets were spotted out by the Basset last week with the warning, and we know that their doing it on the south end of Lk. Huron. Lk.Erie also, so the (cash crop) Perch/Walleyes, are getting it on all ends, now throw in some bad weather, during spawning times, makes it something to think about when your not too busy. It's all peaks and valleys of a large cycle, which will all play out, clearly in hind sight, which is too late then to save, The Good Ol' Days, man, those words scare me, been there, and seen it,(dmu 452). We all can't go out, time after time, and limet out, or expect to. Any fish caught is a great accomplishment, the numbers were way down this year, but the size was up of those harvested, thats it from me ~~><>..Jumbo...! :corkysm55

[MiketheElder]

Since I've got a Canadian license maybe I'll head over to Leamington. Any body fish there anymore?

Mike