Goby problem

[SLIPBOBBER]

I have been fishing out on the piers for the past 10 years. First is was the zebra mussel. Now its them darn bait stealing gobies. nothing worse than pulling in your line and find that the gobies have eaten out the eyes of your bait.What is the dnr doing about this problem? I love fishing for perch on the piers but those gobies are making it so much more work. I know the dnr wants you to kill them but what are they doing? It seems that every year they are getting worse. I defiantly think they are the cause of the decline of jumbo perch on the great lakes.

[byronbaitskimmer]

maybe you should be fishing for them gobies and pretend they taste as good as perch then when you catch a perch it will be the incidental catch. all kidding aside there needs to be a program initiated to handle this invasion besides fishermen killing them although the gulls at grand haven like them.

[SLIPBOBBER]

I did have a pet gull out there. every time I went out there my pet gull would fly around until I caught a goby, then he would fly down and take it from my hand.
poor fellow did not like the those pills I gave him. Never did see him again. I blame it on the guy out there that said ( them gulls are good eats illegal as hell but good eats)
Answer to everyones question by now is yes, there are alot of drunks that walk out on the pier. byronbaitskimmer you went to school for some dnr degree. don't you have any connections?

[byronbaitskimmer]

not quite. the only connections i got were the ones in the bars in east lansing and i would not call them reliable fisheries managers.:lol:

[GONE FISHIN(LARRY)]

slipbobber,
In LK. Erie the gobies are not the problem they once were just a few years ago.Last year I can only remember catching a few,back in 2001 and 2002 they were a real pain.The information I've read about there demise of gobies in LK.Erie gives the credit to the smallmouth bass loveing to snack on them. I think what might be needed in your area is a predator fish that likes gobies and let nature take it's course.

[SKWildThang]

How is the Smallmouth population around the grand haven channel area? It seems like that portion would be ideal for smallies. Also, has anyone ever caught them off the pier or offshore?

[SLIPBOBBER]

I have never caught smallmouth out there only a few largemouth. really not much of any structure, other than the rocks around the pier

[martin1950]

Took my grandkids fishing one day on a S/W Mich pier. Set them up with ice fishing poles and ice jiggs. Before I could catch my 1st. skam, they had 37 gobies piled up on the pier. They had the greatest time feeding the gulls. The tourist thought it was "ickie", But how cares what those out of state weekender think.

Take a kid Fishing

[Ralph Smith]

The goby population seems to be getting a little better a few places north too. I think many more fish are finding them edible. Been hearing of browns,walleye, and even perch eating them :) After all those things have to be hatched pretty small like other minnows, and should be a good food source for the perch eventually. Why eat a spiny finned,scaly fish, when a fat little tender morsel like a smooth sliding down the hatch goby is there ;) I know I would if I were a fish :lol: MMMMMMMM........GOBIE :D