Goby Massacre

Good afternoon folks

I was out this morning at the bottom of Hadden Rd. Very windy conditions and the drive out with the outfitter was a bit challenging but the boys did a great job. Still lots of slush and surprises.

We got absolutely no fish. Worst day ever but we still had a good time.

We were in about 10ft of water with weed bottom. The bottom of the lake was absolutely covered with dead Gobi.

Has anyone else seen this? I have never seen this before. I mentioned it to someone on shore and they said that it was pike killing Gobi. I find that kind of hard to believe.

Anyone have an explanation for this phenomena?

Your thoughts.

Thanks

This post has been edited by COSPER on Mar 09, 2025 - 07:04 pm

Maybe some low oxygen levels in the area and causing some winter kill? I agree that it's hard to believe the pike were doing the deed. The low oxygen conditions maybe the reason you got absolutely nothing fishing?? Did you see any perch or other fish in that shallow?

Gobies prey on zebra mussels. Zebra mussels can be reservoir for Botulism which will kill fish.
My guess is Botulism from eating Zebra mussels. Happens periodically. If it was low oxygen i would expect to see other species of dead fish as well. If dead fish were all gobies than botulism.

I saw about 5 little perch and they were just cruising by and didn't even stop. The huts close by were very productive yesterday. So they said. No huts were productive today . There were about 6 active huts around me.

Just found a few articles with the goby die off


Researchers believe the round goby is linked to outbreaks of botulism type E in Great Lakes fish and fish- eating birds. The disease is caused by a toxin that may be passed from zebra mussels, to goby, to birds, resulting in large die-offs of fish and birds.Nov 19, 2018

I guess its a good thing. Hope it does not affect the game fish this spring.

Every one mentioning botulism is probably on the right path. Gobies can survive high concentrations of botulism but will have large die offs from it.
I would guess botulism as a likely cause.

Sounds like a good guess with botulism...take home message. Don't eat gobies and hope all those other fish we like are not eating too many as well.

Gotta say.., every white fish and perch I cleaned this year between Cooch and Simcoe have been full of goby…

"Shoulda been hear yesterday" I think I've heard that before...

Yeah I think if it was the mussels it would effect the fish eating them aswell.

What if they were caught killed and desposed of back in the water?

There was a dozen gobies in the last the last whittie I cleaned. I fish heavily gobie areas and did not see them dead in the water .