Round Goby

Please take a look at the below invasive. This a rather nasty fish that should be killed on site and reported to your local authorities if found. Please make sure and provide precise collection location when reporting to your appropriate agency.

I caught a half-dozen of these little turds with fins while fishing off a pier in Grand Haven, Michigan 10 days ago. They were big ones, too -- one was going on 4" at least. Luckily the local gulls had a taste for them.

It's looking like I might be doing my master's thesis on these fish, so I'll keep you guys posted on the details

look like goodbait minnows to me you should see what bites um

look like goodbait minnows to me you should see what bites um

These are not to be used as bait as most bait is released into the waterways you are fishing in.

look like goodbait minnows to me you should see what bites um

These are not to be used as bait as most bait is released into the waterways you are fishing in.

The scary thing is there is now a market for round goby artifical baits. These work well for walleye around my part of the world....

what will they think of next

http://www.inhs.uiuc...dec98/goby.html

Guys around here have been using soft plastic goby imitators for years now. Smallies seem to like them around here.

well if anyone catches any can you ship em to me I'll pay for shiping I've got a ffriend whose nuts about all fish that look like darters?
Thanks,Robert

No Robert. It is illegal to maintain these fish as well as transport them. They are a horrible problem in the Great Lakes region and they should all be killed and properly disposed of on sight.

Up here in Ohio, especially Lake Erie, it is illegal to have a live goby in your
posession, period. If caught they must be destroyed immidiately.

We catch many of them while perch fishing on Lake Erie.
They meet up with the transom or side of the boat at a high rate of speed,
and the seagulls clean up te mess.

THey are nasty little fellows that can clean out a smallmouth bass nest of
all its eggs very quickly.

Why do those freighters have to bring in things like that in there holds?
Wish they would bring in some freshwater tolerant blue crabs instead!

In the international food section of one of the more upscale grocery stores here in Ann Arbor, I found a can of what was called "bullhead in tomato sauce". The rest of the label was in Russian, and it had a picture of a round goby on the side. I know that European bullheads are technically Cottids, but the fish in this picture was definitely a goby. If this is indeed a commercial fishery in Europe, perhaps we could convert our goby problem into something profitable? I'll post a pic of this for you when I get the chance to go back over there.

In the international food section of one of the more upscale grocery stores here in Ann Arbor, I found a can of what was called "bullhead in tomato sauce". The rest of the label was in Russian, and it had a picture of a round goby on the side. I know that European bullheads are technically Cottids, but the fish in this picture was definitely a goby. If this is indeed a commercial fishery in Europe, perhaps we could convert our goby problem into something profitable? I'll post a pic of this for you when I get the chance to go back over there.

If you can Buy me a can of that I'll pay you double above cost.....

I do know these little bastards are a fishery subjects in the caspian sea area I have just never found the product and have been looking quite hard. Interestingly Kate some have been looking into using them on a commercial scale here. These fish and sea lampreys are a possible commercial fishery if it could be marketed properly. I have personally eaten both and found the goby hard to stomach but I could see it being really good if prepared right. Sea lamprey is actually really good and I can't figure out why this is not a fishery target fish. Like with sturgeon though in the late 1800's one really just needs to educate the market about these hidden delicacy items.

My only fear would be that by making them a delicacy item that the stupid government would then "protect" them from over fishing..... Something that they are well know for......

If you can Buy me a can of that I'll pay you double above cost.....

I do know these little bastards are a fishery subjects in the caspian sea area I have just never found the product and have been looking quite hard. Interestingly Kate some have been looking into using them on a commercial scale here. These fish and sea lampreys are a possible commercial fishery if it could be marketed properly. I have personally eaten both and found the goby hard to stomach but I could see it being really good if prepared right. Sea lamprey is actually really good and I can't figure out why this is not a fishery target fish. Like with sturgeon though in the late 1800's one really just needs to educate the market about these hidden delicacy items.

My only fear would be that by making them a delicacy item that the stupid government would then "protect" them from over fishing..... Something that they are well know for......

While reading this I was thinking the same thing you mentioned below. I'm willing to bet that if there was a fishery market for the goby or lamprey they would try to manage it somehow...just like non-native trout. The whole trout situation REALLY grinds my gears.

If you can Buy me a can of that I'll pay you double above cost.....

I do know these little bastards are a fishery subjects in the caspian sea area I have just never found the product and have been looking quite hard. Interestingly Kate some have been looking into using them on a commercial scale here. These fish and sea lampreys are a possible commercial fishery if it could be marketed properly. I have personally eaten both and found the goby hard to stomach but I could see it being really good if prepared right. Sea lamprey is actually really good and I can't figure out why this is not a fishery target fish. Like with sturgeon though in the late 1800's one really just needs to educate the market about these hidden delicacy items.

My only fear would be that by making them a delicacy item that the stupid government would then "protect" them from over fishing..... Something that they are well know for......

While reading this I was thinking the same thing you mentioned below. I'm willing to bet that if there was a fishery market for the goby or lamprey they would try to manage it somehow...just like non-native trout. The whole trout situation REALLY grinds my gears.

Is it not interesting how most if not all native fisheries are sidelined to exotic fisheries. It is pretty much like the idea is to replace the native fish as an afterthought of past mistakes in management. It always burns me when a fricking brown trout or Atlantic salmon has more government protection in it's non native range than in it's native range. The stupidity of this is unbelievable. It's like when the Prairie chicken was pretty much going extinct from overhunting...what was the official plan ? To introduce Hungarian Partridge because the Native Prairie chickens were not adapted to our winters.

Ummm..OK yeah there is some good logic...(I'm not kiding BTW this was the actual reason for trying several times to introduce Hungarian Partridge into the US)

"Why protect the Native animals when you can replace them" is unfortunatly a common thought among those in wildlife management.

If you can Buy me a can of that I'll pay you double above cost.....

I do know these little bastards are a fishery subjects in the caspian sea area I have just never found the product and have been looking quite hard. Interestingly Kate some have been looking into using them on a commercial scale here. These fish and sea lampreys are a possible commercial fishery if it could be marketed properly. I have personally eaten both and found the goby hard to stomach but I could see it being really good if prepared right. Sea lamprey is actually really good and I can't figure out why this is not a fishery target fish. Like with sturgeon though in the late 1800's one really just needs to educate the market about these hidden delicacy items.

My only fear would be that by making them a delicacy item that the stupid government would then "protect" them from over fishing..... Something that they are well know for......

I agree -- I think people are just afraid of them because they don't look like "normal fish". I've heard that sea lamprey is excellent, but they look like a blood-sucking worms and that turns people off.

Anyhow... I'm planning on trying the so-called bullhead in tomato sauce and reporting back with my findings Richard, if you want a can or two I'll pick it up for you and get it to you somehow. Or if you're visiting The Tank sometime soon, you can get it at Hiller's Market in the Arborland Mall off of US-23 at Washtenaw Ave.

Richard, if you want a can or two I'll pick it up for you and get it to you somehow.

I still need to get your container back to you (Thanks much BTW). I do plan on visting the Tank soon so I'll drop that off there for you or if I can I'll run it by the fish lab if your around there much. I need to bug Ron about looking up some specimens in the collection anyhow.

I still need to get your container back to you (Thanks much BTW). I do plan on visting the Tank soon so I'll drop that off there for you or if I can I'll run it by the fish lab if your around there much. I need to bug Ron about looking up some specimens in the collection anyhow.

OK Richard, there's a can of succulent, Grade A round goby flesh with your name on it sitting in the conference room ....

I still need to get your container back to you (Thanks much BTW). I do plan on visting the Tank soon so I'll drop that off there for you or if I can I'll run it by the fish lab if your around there much. I need to bug Ron about looking up some specimens in the collection anyhow.

OK Richard, there's a can of succulent, Grade A round goby flesh with your name on it sitting in the conference room ....

Excellent Thanks much Kate.

Is there any evidence of predation on the goby by any native species?