Killed my first round goby tonight

[Dave Bailey]

Fishing at Frenchman's Bay, and the guys next to me hauled in one of the little buggers. They didn't know what it was, so I told them, pointed out the identifying marks, and then told them it was illegal to release it back.

Than I stomped on it.

They were kind of shocked, even though I had warned them, and I must admit I wished there was a more socially acceptable way of despatching them. Afterward I realised that I could have hauled out my knife and severed the spinal column behind the head, which is probably what I'll do in future. On another board there was a thread about this; the stomper had been seen by seen by some people who were a bit sensitive, and they were offended. It might be an idea to do such things discretely, or at least humanely, we don't want to get a reputation as people who gleefully stomp on fish. And if anyone mentions anything be sure you explain, in detail, exactly why you had to do it. If that doesn't satisfy them then stomp on them...

I'M KIDDING!

[tweedwolfscream]

Hahaha.

I caught and killed my first round goby a few weeks ago at the Bluffs. I think I clubbed it, just so my fish bat would get some action that day... no one was around, but I suppose clubbing with a fish bat is a "socially acceptable" way to kill a fish? That way if someone sees you and doesn't know what's actually going on, it just looks like you're taking a panfish home for dinner? Although after clubbing it I dropped it off in a nearby dumpster. Then I left the invasive species hotline a voicemail about it, not that round gobies in Lake Ontario are news or anything. They did phone me back and get all the details.

[mcfly]

I usually just tie some line on each side of the goby and slowly rip him in half while yelling "FEEL THE PAIN YOU INVASIVE BASTARD!"

No but seriously, you don't have to stomp on goby or make a scene about disposing them. It makes uninformed and uneducated people who know nothing of fishing think we are just abusing animals.

The best 2 ways of disposing I practice are:

A) Throwing them into a bush away from the water, the racoons and seagulls can eat them (don't throw them on the shore and let people see mounds of goby beside your fishing spot, some uninformed naturist could start throwing them back in the water)

B) have a plastic grocery bag handy and fill it with Goby, then throw in the trash on your way out from fishing


P.S. no need to report goby at Bluffs, it's very well known. I fish there twice a week and I see MNR there all the time. I also help explain goby to those who are uninformed or don't speak english so well

[OldTimer]

Break their neck to dispatch them instantly............. feed'em to the gulls.......... or bag'em and throw in the trash.

OT

[MichaelAngelo]

Three or four years ago I asked the angler next to me if I could use it as bait... he wasn't thrilled with the question LOL.

[Dave Bailey]

(07-17-2013 10:44 AM)MichaelAngelo Wrote:  Three or four years ago I asked the angler next to me if I could use it as bait... he wasn't thrilled with the question LOL.

I believe it's illegal to use them as bait even when they're dead. I guess it might be a female with a load of eggs ready to drop.

[smcs28]

okay, newbee here, what is the identifying marks of a goby, and what areas are they in?

---

nervermind, found this :

http://www.invadingspecies.com/invaders/...rettyPhoto

[tweedwolfscream]

The fused pelvic fin is a dead giveaway. Almost all fish have a pair of pelvic fins on the forward part of their underside, but on a round goby they're basically webbed into one, which looks almost like a suction cup facing down. There's also the black dot on the front dorsal fin. Those two things can differentiate a round goby from anything that looks similar.

[fishfight]

Too bad these gobies cannot re-used as bait. Prior to my knowledge of the evasive species, I caught a small one the size of my thumb long time ago, when I used it as live bait, landed three sheepheads in no time before it eventually died. Now i would just leave it on the ground and seagull would eat them.

Killing one or ten would not even dent their population, they are like viruses. I just saw a documentary last week, that Marine biologist might have finally found a solution to get rid of Zebra muscle. a Vrius that only attacks zebra muscle and destroy them from within.

[OldTimer]

(01-28-2014 06:13 AM)fishfight Wrote:  ...........Too bad these gobies cannot re-used as bait. ...........

In a way I agree with you here - problem is: if the MNR allowed it at all it would ultimately lead to people taking goby to "un-infected" waters and spreading this "virus" as you called it............

So perhaps it's best left as "kill as you go".

an aside............It is quite interesting, and a bit dark in a way, that many major lure manufacturers have "goby finishes" or "goby look alike" products available.

   

Cheers,

OldTimer