Asian Carp DNA found in Lake Michigan

[carptracker]

Originally Posted by fishpoint

I met the Director for the Cook County Forest Preserves and chatted with him about the Asian Carp problem. He was one of the guys who helped with the 'fish kill' in the Fall. He told me that bighead carp are already in Lake Erie but are not thriving. He said the plankton was more abundant in Lake Erie compared to Lake Michigan. On that basis, he didn't seem to think the Asain Carp would fare very well in Lake Michigan.

I've seen the data on most of those bighead carp in lake Erie. They were VERY fat fish. They were doing VERY WELL. Anyone who says that individual bighead carp were not thriving in Lake Erie does not know what he is talking about. However, there is no evidence that they are reproducing there. There have been 5 bighead carp caught in Lake Erie, the last more than years ago. There probably are just not enough fish there to establish a population. I know of a lake in Hungary which also has VERY fat fish, that has open water productivity only a little higher than Lake Michigan. And there are parts of Lake Michigan that are very productive, like Green Bay and near other river mouths, where the carp could put on a lot of weight. Plus, the carp have other ways they can feed effectively other than on zooplankton an phytoplankton. The carp will survive in the Great Lakes. The question is whether they will reproduce enough there to be a problem.

[fishpoint]

Thanks Duane.

If the bigheads are already in Lake Erie, wouldn't they be able spread to the other Great Lakes?

[carptracker]

Originally Posted by fishpoint

Thanks Duane.

If the bigheads are already in Lake Erie, wouldn't they be able spread to the other Great Lakes?

Well, with so few of them there and doing so well, there really isn't any reason for them to invade the other lakes. They can't even use much of Lake Erie. Possible that some of them would wander into some of the other lakes eventually, but remember Lake Erie is a pretty big place - bigger than some states - and there have been only FIVE fish caught in nearly 20 years.

[HunterOpel]

I think anyone who thinks they are not doing well is NUTS, I shot my first bighead in ILL in 1985 in a slough outside of Hardin, ILL, Didnt even know what it was, it took them about 20 years to get really established and take over, they will do the same in the Great Lakes, It will only take longer since it is a bigger body of water, and no amount of Controlled fish kills at $1 million a pop or electric fences or anything else the goverment will find to spend tens of millions of our tax payer dollars on will stop them. They are here to stay!!!!
Our only hope is to arm ever man, woman and child with a bowfishing bow and GO CRAZY.. I think there will be one shot out of the Great Lakes in the next 5 years that will make mine look like a minnow. That is my prediction. I am no Biologist, just a guy who bowfishes alot and is observant to what I see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!