White bass in Marshall County?
By Stacey Creasy
LAKE Of The WOODS � White bass in Marshall County? Ocean fish in northwest Indiana?
Strange, but true.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources said anglers have been catching white bass on the Lake of the Woods, and will likely catch many more this year.
Anglers are also catching white perch in Cedar Lake in Lake County.
Lake of the Woods, a 416-acre natural lake located near Bremen, is filled with white bass, a species that looks very similar to white perch.
The white bass were first found in the lake a few years ago. They are beginning to dominate the waters. White bass made up 37 percent of the fish harvested from the lake in 2001.
DNR biologists discovered white perch in Cedar Lake last year. The fish, which are normally found in the Atlantic Ocean along the East Coast.
The DNR believes both fish were probably illegally stocked into the lake.
The white bass is a native species of Lake Erie.
Biologists believe the white perch first made its way toward U.S. fresh waters through Lake Ontario.
Research at Cedar Lake last year found that white perch made up the majority of the 781 acre natural lake's fish population. This voracious, fish-eating species has nearly eliminated the large yellow perch population of Cedar Lake in just the last five years.
�It�s unfortunate that these two species were illegally stocked at these lakes since they could damage native fish populations. But we hope that anglers will take advantage of the situation. Both whites are tasty and fun to catch,� said DNR spokesperson Robertson.
Robertson recommends using an ultralight rod with spinners, minnows, or other fish-like lures to catch white perch and white bass. White perch are measuring in the 12-inch range at Cedar Lake, and white bass up to 18-inches can be found at Lake of the Woods.
There is no size or bag limit for white perch. The bag limit for white bass is 12, but there is no size limit.
Local anglers who insist on fishing for yellow perch can still find them in Lake Maxinkuckee. The white perch has never been found there.
Late April and May are the best times to catch these two �white� species.
Despite their common name, white perch are not related to native yellow perch. White perch are members of the same family as striped bass, yellow bass and white bass.
More information about white bass and white perch log on to: http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/exotics/wperch.html
|
|
| Community Calendar |
|
No events listed.
|
|
Interactive Calendar
|
