About CABBSFounded in 1967, CABBS brings together people who share a passion for building, sailing, paddling, and motoring in boats. Through meetings, outings, and a lending library, members have an opportunity to learn and have fun wtih those who share a similar interest. Visitors are always welcome at CABBS activities.  Cleveland Amateur Boatbuilding and Boating Society |
January 9, 2005 Meeting PresentationKevin Kayle PresentationKevin Kayle, a Lake Erie fisheries specialist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife in Fairport Harbor had a special message for those CABBS members who fish on Lake Erie or those who are concerned about the health of the lake. That number might include all of us. Fish Sampling
The GRANDON, based in Fairport Harbor is a 47', steel hulled trawler specially equipped for fish sampling. It operates in the central lake basin and ranges from Vermillon east to the Pennsylvania line. It records about 32 trawls a month.
Fish sampling is done by trawling the lake, often along the bottom, and then examining and counting the catch to statistically generate estimates of fish populations.
The Lake Erie Dead ZoneKevin discussed the dead zone in the central basin area of the lake that many of us have read about. He stated that the lake has always had a dead zone going back to the formation of the lake itself. The zone is a bottom layer of water in which there is no available oxygen for life. Today, the size, shape, and location of the zone changes with factors such agricultural runoff, pollutants, and other human activities. It can appear as one zone or a collection of smaller isolated pockets.
The clarity of the water is improving. Fish such as whitefish and burbot that depend on clearer water are making a comeback. Other fish that like more opaque water such as carp are declining in number. Kevin and his group are on the lookout for seaborne botulism in fish. None has been found. Although some large fish kills create the suspicion of botulism, the kills have been caused by sudden water temperature changes. Temperatures have been known to change by twenty degrees in a short period of time. Invasive Species
An invasive species that's been around a while, the sea lamprey, might get a boost in their population due to a dam break on the Chagrin River. To understand why, Kevin examined the life cycle of the lamprey. Over a four to five year period, lamprey larvae mature in river and stream beds along Lake Erie. The mature larvae move out into the lake where they develop into adult lamprey. These creatures which are snakelike in appearance, attach themselves to fish and parasitically feed off the tissue of the host fish. The recent breech of the Daniel Parks dam on the Chagrin River will now make it possible for the lamprey to move upstream beyond the dam to lay their eggs in the river and tributary beds that previously were unreachable.
The Ohio Division of Wildlife fisheries management program is funded completely through fishing and hunting license fees and some Federal tax reimbursement revenue. |
RemindersDEC 14 2008 Monthly Meeting Guest Speaker:
Plans & Notes |
Based on current data, the yellow perch population for 2005 is excellent, the best in decades, and should be provide plenty of fishing fun for anyone who wants to catch them. Kevin suggested luring them with shiners just off the bottom.
Walleye are coming back. The 2005 season will be limited to 15” or over in size to keep the regeneration of the fishery going strong.
The lake level currently is at the midpoint of its multi-year cycle from high to low. Since 80 - 90% of the lake water flows in from the Detroit River to the west, the lake level is influenced by weather and snow pack in the upper Great Lakes.
A big problem in the lake today is the environmental stress caused by invasive species. Zebra mussels, round gobi fish, are two common aquatic ones that get a lot of attention. A lesser known but more worrisome species is the Asian Carp. This fish can grow to over two feet and is noted for its appetite and muscular jumping ability. It can shoot up to ten feet out of the water and has been known to collide with boaters and knock them over. The fish ranges in the Mississippi River watershed at this time but there is worry that the species might invade Lake Michigan through the Chicago River canal. Controls relying on electrocution of fish are in place to prevent their entry and hopefully the controls are effective.
Sea flea plankton is another invasive species. Possibly you've reeled in a cottony, tangled mass on your fishing line. That's sea flea plankton.
Kevin had a special dislike for the double crested cormorant, a native bird species that has become a nuisance. The population of this fish eating bird had been reduced to low levels by the effects of DDT pollution but now it has come back strong and is over-represented in certain areas. The problem is that large concentrations of these birds feeding on fish deplete the fish resources and weaken the ability of the fishery to regenerate in sizable numbers.