A round goby that was recently caught in the Fox River in Neenah is displayed, Sept. 4, 2015. PC: Fox 11 Online
LAKE WINNEBAGO, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Lake Winnebago has seen an increase in the population of the invasive round gobies. A single goby was first spotted in the lake in June of last year.
The number is now up to 60. The Wisconsin DNR says the species could be harmful to the delicate ecosystem.
“We don’t know exactly what kind of changes would happen to the system if they became established, but we do know that where they have become established they’ve displaced other small bodied native fish, sort of changed the invertebrate communities through predation, and also preyed upon game fish eggs,” said DNR Bureau of Fisheries Policy and Regulation Specialist Kari Lee-Zimmermann.
To combat the growth, the DNR is proposing a plan to lift restrictions on anglers catching gobies. As of now, every goby caught needs to be eviscerated and then brought to a DNR service station.
“Which would mean that after they got their one, any ones they got after that they would have to throw back technically by law. And we don’t want them throwing them back. So we would like them to be able to get as many round gobies out of that area and help us monitor the situation,” Lee-Zimmermann said.
The new proposal, according to local angler Darryl Lehman, would be a great change.
“If you’re actually catching them, and it looked like the rules said you actually have to make sure the fish is dead so it can’t be transported. I would think that’s a good idea where if you’re catching them, keep catching them and catch as many as you can,” Lehman explained.
The DNR added gobies are spread by being transferred from one body of water to another. The proposed change includes a clause to make sure each goby is eviscerated when caught.
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