Rawbee

Tman-that's a terrible catch. Lol. Chinook and esox- esox I think you are correct with how nature can handle itself. I just think like Chinook says, "what is the answer"? I don't think it's just the goby. I think weather changes, pollution, chemicals, over fishing. There is a dramatic amount of changes happening, and it feels like they are accumulating and setting us up for a complete transformation. I moved to Ontario from Manitoba because I wanted to experience the nature and outdoor activities I'd remembered from when I was a child. In a decade or two alone, the changes have been immense. I love to see the groups and technology working to save us, but you start to see things with your own eyes that tell you we need more help. I don't think it can hurt us to evolve quicker and adapt to what's going on around us. I do believe it can hurt us, if we don't. The population alone doesn't make sense mathematically with our rates of use and damage, the water and nature are first to go right now, and goby are just adding to this impact. Even if it manages itself out to sustain itself. We won't be part of the equation. Not when it comes to being able to eat the animals safely, or even handle them for that matter. Things like botulism aren't fun for humans to deal with, Never mind if our soils, waters and foods are all Harbouring it. And that's all just from one tiny species of fish. ' sniffle' packing up right now and going fishing before its too late!!!

@Tman12 Your thoughts on bass season should be a larger discussion. I think you are absolutely right about it as well. Last year my 7 year old pulled a 4 pound bass from right beside the dock. He was fishing pan fish, and I didn't see the bass in the shallow, but he did because he had my glasses on. Him, not knowing it was a bass,but just excited he saw a bigger fish than what he was catching. So he placed his bobber right close, hoping to catch it and surprise me. He did. As we were pulling it out of the water to remove the hook, with my bare eyes I could all of a sudden see the movement of what seemed like 50 60 goby. I hurried as fast as i could, maybe 5 seconds handling time. Still though. In that time damage was definitely done. And when the bass returned, it took some more time for it to clean and secure the area. It doesn't happen immediately. The gobies continue to take jabs even once the bass has returned. So I believe you make a great point. Cheers.

This is a tough one. In my opinion, I don't feel some people really care about the impact this is having on our native species when it comes to the fish,or it seems like they couldn't stop it, so they are trying to make it sound "not so bad". Gobies out spawn our native fish immensely. That seems to be a serious issue when looking at all the problems facing us anglers today, and future generations. When spawning they become very territorial and voracious. They have been witnessed destroying salmon, bass, and trout eggs in minutes, and sometimes by the tens of thousands. Unless our fish increase spawning habits, I don't see them competing as well as we hope. This is just my personal opinion. I've watched the animals adapt to these creatures over the last 6 years in Lake Ontario alone. The birds dive bomb them like mad now, the fish have started to eat them, animals like mink and weasel help out a lot, especially mink, with their impulsive, kill it if it moves behaviour around the rocks and shore lines. But the gobies numbers are still hitting amounts of up to 100 per square meter of Lake. I wouldn't doubt that the number is more in some locations, just from what I've seen in places like the credit River and certain harbours and rivers on the north side of the lake. They've spent millions on research and prevention over the years all over North America. (from what I've read any way ). But the gobies are still here. The article left out the problem with parasites and botulism I believe. That will probably be something to think about while everythings eating them. I'm not saying I'm right. But I sure hope we have something left for our children to experience through their life. I hope whoever is doing this research and promoting it, wants the same thing.