DEC: seemingly elusive bass are plentiful, but gobies more so

The southern shore of Lake Ontario has given smallmouth bass anglers a lot of what they don't want — round gobies.

Although the gobies evidently are more abundant than the coveted smallmouth bass in this area of the lake, officials from the state Department of Environmental Conservation said there is not enough data to prove gobies, an invasive species, pose a threat to one of the most popular sport fish of the north country.

Cape Vincent Fisheries Station has reported four consecutive years of poor bass fishing along the southern shore, an area where DEC does not have much data on the fish population, said Steven R. LaPan, Lake Ontario unit leader for the DEC.

He said DEC will begin gathering data along the southern shore by late June.

Russell D. McCullough, senior aquatic biologist for DEC, said, “There is no conclusive evidence that the population of smallmouth bass has decreased. Just because an angler can't catch them doesn't mean they aren't there.”

Fred M. Kucik, owner of owner of Shady Lady Sport Fishing Charters, Sackets Harbor, said anglers do catch bass; it just has become more of a challenge to hook the bass and not the goby.

“The gobies go after the bait as much as the bass and the bass eat the gobies,” he said. “They don't want the bait when they're full of gobies.”

But it's a double-edged sword, he said. It's difficult for anglers to catch the bass, but when they do, the bass are huge because they are so well fed.

Mr. Kucik said the largest smallmouth bass caught by a customer from his charter was 23 inches long.

Bass are plentiful in other parts of Lake Ontario. The bass population in Pultneyville and the eastern basin, from Stony Point to Tibbetts Point, has increased, Mr. Kucik said.

Mr. McCullough said fish population data in those areas is plentiful.