Tom Hamilton note: This interview covered several more questions than printed in this short article. The article has some verbal errors and some of content may be missing or out of text, but that is normal for anyone that has ever been discussing technical topics interviewed by the press. Eric Gaertner actually did well considering the first interview was lost and later notes were scribbled everywhere in margins. However, per the Northern Pike, the explanation of quality pike was not totally understood by the writer and it ended up as a misquote. The members of this forum understand that though.

Despite challenges, expert upbeat about fisheries

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Editor's note: (photo) Tom Hamilton is a former fisheries biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Whitehall Township resident has worked with area municipalities and other volunteers on natural resources projects, many dealing with fishing and fish habitat restoration.

02/25/08 By Eric Gaertner ** you do not have permission to see this link **
Q: What are the current conditions of the area fisheries?

A: From a fisherman's standpoint, let's put a positive spin on it, that we actually do have some pretty good fishing going. We have a lot of challenges, but I'd like to highlight some of the positives we can look forward to.

Perch: Over the last few years, in 2005 and 2006, we had some very good year-class reproduction in drowned river mouth lakes. Those year classes are just now coming on line as far as what we like to have for good-eating size, getting past the 7-to-8-inch class. So right now we have a perch fishery that's starting to come on. The positive about that is that when you're dealing with perch and numbers, now we're talking about activities mom and pop and the ordinary kid can get into.

Walleye: The last time we were able to plant walleyes it was fortunate that it was very good survival year classes both for Muskegon Lake and White Lake area. Those year classes passed the size limit last year, but I kind of like it one more year past that where you break the 18-, 19-inch barrier. First off, because now you've got a fish that is big enough for a nice couple of fillets for the family, good-eating quality. That's coming on strong for this year.

Northern pike: Our average size of our northern pike fishery is getting larger and that is due directly to the total abundance of the forage base we have, everything from the smaller gobies, alewives, on up to the suckers, sheepshead, the shad, the big gizzard shad and fish like that. What that allows us to do is in the concept of quality management, in other words allow some of the bigger pike to go and eat the smaller ones. They would be able to take care of the large gizzard shad that nothing else can feed upon, and that would create a good tourism, trophy fishery, catch-and-release, and taking that forage base converting that food into more food for the other fish that we like, bass, bluegill, perch and so on.

Q: How concerned are you about the reduction in prey fish in the Great Lakes because of the mussels?

A: I'll use the example of alewives, the No. 1 forage base for the chinook fishery, which is quite popular. At the moment, the alewife fishery is declining, but not as much as the other forage base fisheries. Our chinook fishery, for instance, our average size of chinook is smaller by about half of what it used to be. That's not all bad. I say that in that the quality of the meat is better, less fat, but better quality meat. We also have more numbers of chinook right now, for a couple different reasons in relation to that forage base. You may not get as many 25-pounders, but if you get three or four 12- to 15-pounders for every big one you used to get, you get more meals, better meals, more activity, it's not all bad.

Q: How can we halt the noticeable decline in the percentage of the population taking part in fishing and hunting?

A: You have to be a little more innovative in getting the kids out and working with them. A lot of area organizations are doing that. Some of the other states are putting in legislation to get more hunting education into the schools so they qualify for licenses when they get out. You have to think outside the box a little bit. I love to give the one example of another state that may be way ahead of Michigan. They are actually having bass tournaments as a high school sport. In Illinois, the students got together and had bass fishing contests with other high schools. You can speculate on that and have a lot of fun in the future if you were ever to think of Reeths-Puffer and North Muskegon competing with Montague and Whitehall high schools in a local bass tournament.