As the fisheries managers at the departments of natural resources for those states bordering Lake Michigan research the state of its yellow perch population, new data has been compiled and it’s jaw-dropping serious.
The findings exonerate those of us who enjoy fishing for this remarkable species but it doesn’t bode well for its future.
Jack Schafer is an outdoor artist and is as knowledgeable about our local collar county fisheries as anyone. He’s been poring over the research and admits that it paints a sad picture for the big lake’s perch population.
“My first fishing trip ever, at age five,” Schafer said, “was to Lake Michigan to fish for perch with my dad and grandfather. It was the perch that ingrained my love for fishing and opened the door to the sport I deeply love, even to this day.”
Unfortunately, like for so many of us growing up in Chicago, the days when one could expect to catch a tub-full of perch may be a memory soon, Schafer said.
“We enjoyed lifting the heavy stringers and the great fish fries in those days,” he said. “But, then, things began to change.”
What happened?
“My knee-jerk reaction,” Schafer said, “was to blame the meat hogs, those bringing in coolers full of big perch. I placed the blame for their decline squarely on the most obvious target.”
However, as Schafer delved into the voluminous research data that has been amassed by fisheries biologists, he realized that his criticism missed the mark.
“I searched for some hard numbers and solid facts about the perch decline,” he said.
Soon he realized that, “The true reason for the decline had nothing to do with angler overharvest.”
He explained that recent surveys conclusively showed that the majority of the perch population was adult fish. There was very little recruitment of young fish.
“Why are there no young perch? They are being starved to death. The culprits are the exotic mussel species that infest our near-shore water. These mussels feed on tiny zooplankton in the water, the same zooplankton needed by perch fry just after absorbing their egg sacs and for several weeks until they were large enough to switch to invertebrates or other larger aquatic food sources.”
It is obvious, Schafer said, that the zebra and quagga mussels which seine the zooplankton from the water with incredible efficiency, have cleaned the table and there is little left for the young perch.
If you have been to the lakefront lately, you have noticed how clear the water is.
Only a few years ago, because of the fertile water of Lake Michigan, depth of vision on a good day was a foot or two. Today, you can see the bottom in ten to fifteen feet of water.
Compounding the problem are other exotics, like the round goby, a sculpin-like fish that grows to six to eight inches and which is a bottom feeder. At one time, the goby count in southern portions of Lake Michigan exceeded dozens per square yard of bottom.
If there is anything left after the voracious gobies fed, it was too little to support the perch.
So, while many anglers are ecstatic at the size of the true jumbos that are being taken, perch 15 inches long that weigh well over a pound each, it is only a matter of time before the lack of recruitment will result in a plummeting population of one of the most popular species to live in the Great Lakes.
They’ve done it before. Let’s hope that the fisheries biologists can find a miracle cure or the “Miracle of Lake Michigan” will only be a memory.
Bob Maciulis is a freelance writer for the Daily Southtown.