United States Invasive/Alien Species

[warmouth]

Maybe you should try fishing off of the bottom. Gobys are only on the bottom and are NEVER anywhere else in the water column. Gobys don't bother me they actually attract perch to my boat. I go out anchor my boat, catch a few goby and kill them, let them sink to the bottom and the perch come over and eat them up and then see my minnow as a free meal. All I was trying to point out was that the gobys are here to stay and there is nothing we can do about it. I have actually been catching more fish since they have been in the lake. Most of the decline of both the walleye and the smallmouth bass in the lake erie was due to 2 repeated bad spawns in 1998-1999 and that was because of a strong east wind both times that made the water to cold for the fry to survive. (completely natural)If you want to talk about invasive species talk about steelhead trout. I feel they are overwelming the problem in the Great Lakes. The fish commission stalks millions of steelhead smolts every spring into the tribs of lake erie at 3-4 inches and they go out into lake erie and in one summer they come back as 17 inchers. They are eating everything in site! Most of their feed being smelt and smelt numbers have recently plummeted! There is nothing you or I can do about the round goby so you may as well accept that they are here to stay. Everyone is intitled to their opinon and I know first hand that the nothing can be done to stop the goby in the great lakes. Steelhead on the other hand can be stopped for the most part they have trouble naturally reproducing because of the slate bottoms in our tributaries. Maybe you should try fishing around here gobys are having little effects, maybe ten years from now when fish are bigger than ever and still extremely abundant just as they are now you will realize gobys arn't making as big of an impact as people first thought. As for the MIGHT you pointed out.. It is a good thing they do, everything eats them. Sheepshead, perch, walleye, lake trout, all types of bass..ect. Live with it and stop complaining look at the bright sides on this issue.

1998-1999 was 10 yrs ago.......fish spawn every year. It only takes several year for most fish to reach spawning age. You could be right about steel head.....but round gobies are NOT good for the great lakes and we shouldnt stick our heads in the sand and pretend they are.

 

[Louie]

Research done has shown that the invasives are driving the natives into extintion.....not pollution, some areas of the everglades had low levels of pollution (western regions away from Miami); the canals act like a superhighway for asian swamp eels, mayan and firemouth cichlids , tilapia, etc. who have no natural predators in the US. Nobody minds cichlids ,snakeheads and swamp eels swimming in canals in Miami its them replacing natives in everglades national park thats disturbing.

Cichlids are what the big LMB eat as do warmouths,bigger sunfish,pickeral,gars etc. They have lots lots of predators.



Mayans alone are probably the staple food of most Florida game fish.

Snakeheads and swamp eels (never heard of any swamp eels caught) I dont disagree with. Esp swamp eels which get big and can get even in the 6 inch weedy muddy areas that I have caught Everglades sunfish.

I fish the Glades and in areas where canals feed the lakes . You see some huge bass that seem to live there .

I dont know anything about fishing pecking order but seems the biggest dominant bass stake out these areas.

I dont disagree that cichlids will take natives here and there but have heard the oppossite from guys I know who have worked for yrs in Miami water dept.
Granted they arent scientist but they know the water and the fauna.

If anything it is the Florida state INTRODUCED peacock bass and grass carp who are the problem.
W/O cichlids PB will tear up native sunfish. Grass carp which are big and swim in schools are the only fish I have seen bulldoze sunfish breeding sites and like vacuums suck the eggs than the state screams "cichlids" which arent found in those areas.

Miami has had a huge cichlid die off . A year will tell how the native game fish were affected.
The tiny natives I have caught like Evergaldes sunfish. Flagfish,killies are found in very weeded waters where not many if any cichlids live at all.

If the state (FWC) just for ONCE enforced actual native fish fishing regulations which it NEVER EVER does than they might have a case about non natives but when you don't care that EVERY large mouth bass,pickerel,etc is caught even with cast net REGARDLESS of size and kept its easier to scream "cichlids".

 

[scottgeeze]

I remember about 15 or 20 years or so ago myself and a few of my buddies at the time would go out at night in a rowboat on a local lake to spot for carp and when we would see them we'd shoot them with our Bow's and real them in and slit their throats and throw them up on a small island in the middle of the lake. We did this solely because of the fact that they do get huge and could push just about any fish this side of a large Pike or Muskie off of their spawing beds and eat their fry. I didn't enjoy doing this (I don't like to kill things and I don't do it anymore) but I thought that by doing so it would help keep a healthy population of desirable fish alive and expanding. I don't kill anything anymore....unless I'm going to eat it. Not even invasive species. I'm getting wussyfied in my middle age.

 

[Louie]

Cichlids are what the big LMB eat as do warmouths,bigger sunfish,pickeral,gars etc. They have lots lots of predators.



Mayans alone are probably the staple food of most Florida game fish.

Snakeheads and swamp eels (never heard of any swamp eels caught) I dont disagree with. Esp swamp eels which get big and can get even in the 6 inch weedy muddy areas that I have caught Everglades sunfish.

I fish the Glades and in areas where canals feed the lakes . You see some huge bass that seem to live there .

I dont know anything about fishing pecking order but seems the biggest dominant bass stake out these areas.

I dont disagree that cichlids will take natives here and there but have heard the oppossite from guys I know who have worked for yrs in Miami water dept.
Granted they arent scientist but they know the water and the fauna.

If anything it is the Florida state INTRODUCED peacock bass and grass carp who are the problem.
W/O cichlids PB will tear up native sunfish. Grass carp which are big and swim in schools are the only fish I have seen bulldoze sunfish breeding sites and like vacuums suck the eggs than the state screams "cichlids" which arent found in those areas.

Miami has had a huge cichlid die off . A year will tell how the native game fish were affected.
The tiny natives I have caught like Evergaldes sunfish. Flagfish,killies are found in very weeded waters where not many if any cichlids live at all.

If the state (FWC) just for ONCE enforced actual native fish fishing regulations which it NEVER EVER does than they might have a case about non natives but when you don't care that EVERY large mouth bass,pickerel,etc is caught even with cast net REGARDLESS of size and kept its easier to scream "cichlids".

This is the NORM in Miami and why cichlids have thrived -http://cbs4.com/local/marlins.stadium.construction.2.1296574.html

This canal has a lime type coating on the bottom. Miami politicians couldnt care less .
HOWEVER the cichlids have come back but natives cant adjust to this growing filth .

 

[Louie]

I remember about 15 or 20 years or so ago myself and a few of my buddies at the time would go out at night in a rowboat on a local lake to spot for carp and when we would see them we'd shoot them with our Bow's and real them in and slit their throats and throw them up on a small island in the middle of the lake. We did this solely because of the fact that they do get huge and could push just about any fish this side of a large Pike or Muskie off of their spawing beds and eat their fry. I didn't enjoy doing this (I don't like to kill things and I don't do it anymore) but I thought that by doing so it would help keep a healthy population of desirable fish alive and expanding. I don't kill anything anymore....unless I'm going to eat it. Not even invasive species. I'm getting wussyfied in my middle age.

In your case you saved lots of Pike and Muskie,etc. I just dont see the cichlids here as a problem if anything a huge food source.

I agree the Carp are a problem probably biggest problem as they are found in all waters but they are introduced by the state and "protected" pfffft by law its illegal to kill them.

People here also bow hunt or cast net for them but also everything else.

I fish roughly once a week and use barbless hooks as dont want to hurt,kill anything but no vegeterian lol

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

In your case you saved lots of Pike and Muskie,etc. I just dont see the cichlids here as a problem if anything a huge food source.

I agree the Carp are a problem probably biggest problem as they are found in all waters but they are introduced by the state and "protected" pfffft by law its illegal to kill them.

People here also bow hunt or cast net for them but also everything else.

I fish roughly once a week and use barbless hooks as dont want to hurt,kill anything but no vegeterian lol

what a bout all the native fry these none native fish eat. A school of baby bass is a easy meal for a hungry cichlid.

 

[MN_Rebel]

what a bout all the native fry these none native fish eat. A school of baby bass is a easy meal for a hungry cichlid.

Yet there are plenty of largemouth bass and sunfish, their populations were never dented by these nonnatives. Remember these canals are manmade not natural.

 

[Louie]

what a bout all the native fry these none native fish eat. A school of baby bass is a easy meal for a hungry cichlid.

I agree with you but suspect for every cichlid that eats baby bass or sun countless bass and suns eat and grow using cichlids fry.

Keep in mind cichlids dont swim around hunting like LMB they from what I have seen stay in a territory .

You get to know cichlids in canals,etc they take a teritory and dont leave which is why come cold you had such massive cichlid die off.

The cichlids are so territorial that if a canal is cleaned (rare) or heavily polluted like it was by Marlins stadium canal. Once its liveable the same EXACT fish will return.

I agree congo eels,snake heads which are active hunters are a threat but from what I have seen and no expert it has been LMB ,pickerel,bowfins which hunt the fairly "stationary" cichlids.

Mazambique talipia from what I have seen are not "stationary" though have only seen them in one small area.

Mayans-Oscars-Jags-acara-red devils other talipia you know exactly where you will find them once you fish for them. They eat mosquito fish,jewel cichlids algae and each others fry.

I agree with Warmouth some eat natives but find if anything natives have thrived due to them other than congo eels and snakeheads which are probably the rarest exotics.
If you look at fishing forum none of us have caught them. We are spread all over S.Florida but not 1 has caught one.

The cichlid population has taken a BIG kill and a yr probably 2 will show if natives devoured them and flourished as I suspect or those who disagree with me are correct.

 

[Louie]

Yet there are plenty of largemouth bass and sunfish, their populations were never dented by these nonnatives. Remember these canals are manmade not natural.

I agree but in fairness to Multispecies and warmouth you do have huge canals which go to Glades and natives do live and thrive in them as do cichlids.

This canal is 11 miles into Glades . By me its only man made canals which you wont see a LMB or sunfish near them because they are HOT as can be 6/7 months a yr.

The more natural dug canals like this which are found closer to Glades hold natives also and HUGE LMB.
I just dont think the cichlids hurt anyone. 3 yrs now of fishing this . Walking miles and not a single python have I seen lol.

 

[scottgeeze]

In your case you saved lots of Pike and Muskie,etc. I just dont see the cichlids here as a problem if anything a huge food source.

I agree the Carp are a problem probably biggest problem as they are found in all waters but they are introduced by the state and "protected" pfffft by law its illegal to kill them.

People here also bow hunt or cast net for them but also everything else.

I fish roughly once a week and use barbless hooks as dont want to hurt,kill anything but no vegeterian lol

Yep, agreed. If you don't eat them or mount them let them go.