Round Goby Fish ; Rideau Locks Smiths Falls

This is not good !!

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Invasive fish species swims its way into Smiths Falls

Researchers from Carleton University are in Smiths Falls studying the sudden appearance of the Round Goby Fish – an invasive species native to the Caspian Sea in Eurasia.

Seventeen of the fish were found at the Edmonds lockstation when it was drained.

The round Goby is native to Eurasia, particularly the Black and Caspian seas, and was spotted in Lake Ontario in 1998. It is believed it was introduced to our waters through the ballast water of ships travelling the St. Lawrence Seaway after arriving from Europe.

It is more aggressive than native fish and competes for the same food source. It also is known to eat the nest eggs of bass which has negative consequences on bass populations.

The researchers want to understand their movement patterns through lock systems as part of a larger project about how locks and dams affect the ecology of the Rideau Canal.

They are also trying to figure out how the fish got there, and how to prevent them from reaching the Ottawa River.

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Some interesting information on the Goby from Great Lakes Now, Gobies eating mussels and fish and snakes eating the Gobies...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z6wH9i1rqE

Thanks for that , very interesting video (for the most part) on how the Goby are affecting the lakes &waterways. Who knew :)

Its to late they are here and have been for a while.
Just like the Carp.

On many of the lakes that I fish, the go to bait, is an artificial goby.

I guess not all invasive things are bad - we have a lot of things that came from other countries or areas that have proven to be good - too bad we can't pick the ones we want - pheasants, brown trout, potatoes, etc.- unfortunately a lot of diseases and bugs also came - chestnut blight, ash borer, gypsy moth , stink bugs .etc. -- 90 % of the firewood I burned this winter was from dead ash trees -

I remember when the goby's first came to quinte roughly 20 yrs ago for about 2 possibly 3 years I cut the heads off of quite a few and I can honestly say I haven't seen one since once the pickerel took a liking to them they cleaned them up rather nicely.

For the last 10 years, when I fish the tribs heading into lake Ontario, I loose a lot of my baits to the dreaded goby. Sometimes I have to change spots, as they can strip you clean in a hurry.

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Originally Posted by fishermccann

For the last 10 years, when I fish the tribs heading into lake Ontario, I loose a lot of my baits to the dreaded goby. Sometimes I have to change spots, as they can strip you clean in a hurry.

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Yeah I hate when they come in when fishing for the suckers. They just nibble your worm and makes you think a fish is there. You get used to it but at first you think some are little bites.

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