# Dead Walleye?



## FCG (Jun 22, 2010)

The Western Basin has dead walleye all over the place. Any one know why?


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Saw a few in the Central also,


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## Double J (Jan 7, 2009)

someone needs to tell mother nature she's over her limit! lol might be due to the combo of the bad spring weather and the spawn.


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## Kodiak50 (Apr 26, 2010)

Wouldn't go so far as saying they are all over the place but seen a few around the reefs. Post spawn stress???


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## Tom (mich) (Jun 2, 2008)

We counted 7 dead walleye in the area north and east of Kelleys yesterday. Most looked like they had been dead for a couple of weeks. Not sure why.


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## Fish Scalper (Oct 31, 2009)

Saw quite a few in the chute South of South Bass yesterday, though we probably trolled past the same bunch a number of times. Everything dies so hopefully they laid their eggs before crossing over.


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## cramerk (Aug 3, 2005)

Saw the same thing by reefs yesterday. Talked to a few more knowledgable people and one said that they could have got caught in the nets during the big blows and were thrown back in when the nets were collected. Odd to see so many dead jacks either way.


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## blish123 (May 7, 2010)

Same seen here off marblehead and lots floated on to shore all sizes too, probably seen 25 dead past 2 weeks, this time last year lots of dead smelt were seen i remember.


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## Rod Hawg (Jan 13, 2011)

They couldn't have that VHS disease could they?


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## noggle83 (Sep 25, 2009)

got reports from friends that the DNR is investigating. Hopefully they find that it is not a blood pathogen and that it is just stress and a harsh winter.


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## GLSM (Apr 11, 2009)

Was all over the western yesterday.I must have counted 300 dead fish.They are everywhere.Picked one up just to see what was going on.It looked like their gills were blown out from side to side.Looked at a few more up close and it looked the same way.Like their throat was slit from gill to gill.


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## Indian Summer (May 26, 2008)

Did any of them look bloodshot at all? Red or even purple patches? it's hard to tell after a few days but VHS causes hemmoraging and we've seen that in the muskies and other fish just upstream in St Clair when the really bad kill happened a few years back. 

VHS is a dirty word so I sure hope it isn't that.


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## Longspur (Sep 9, 2004)

Hopefully it is not vhs. Some info.
http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/vhs/vhsfacts.html

Longspur


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## Nelliboy2 (Apr 11, 2011)

i saw 8 or 10 off of port clinton today. I hope its nothing though that would kill the fishing industry up there.


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## K gonefishin (May 4, 2004)

I saw a bunch fishing the last two days dnr said its from fish breathing mud that's what killed em guess a bunch came from rivers gills look slit from birds eating gills. A report is out there but didn't see it 

_Sent from my Droid_


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## Fish Scalper (Oct 31, 2009)

That's it exactly, mud!!! Conditions have taken a toll and weeded out the weak is all. The dead fish I observed were mostly on the large size and it's a fact, large things don't outlive their smaller peers in general. Large creatures need more oxygen, food and so on too survive. They couldn't get oxygen so couldn't chase food so died; that's life. The bite/marks tell you the fish are there, but aren't chasing. They're still trying to get over their pack a mud a day habit! Hopefully they get some clean water to flush out their gills and bloodstream and get on the bite.


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## rutnut245 (Jan 18, 2009)

I think cramerk hit it righ on the head.The fish were more than likely caught in trap nets and beat to death by the rough weather before they could be released.And as others have said,the gills were pulled out by birds.


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## capt S (Sep 5, 2007)

this is the most walleye i have seen dead in the spring. either way vhs or trap nets, this is not a good thing. it is a very sad sight


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## Hetfieldinn (May 17, 2004)

I heard the same thing as KGone. Water has been so muddy for so long, that the fish pretty much smothered to death.


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## rod bender bob (May 19, 2004)

Fish Scalper said:


> That's it exactly, mud!!! Conditions have taken a toll and weeded out the weak is all. The dead fish I observed were mostly on the large size and it's a fact, large things don't outlive their smaller peers in general. Large creatures need more oxygen, food and so on too survive. They couldn't get oxygen so couldn't chase food so died; that's life. The bite/marks tell you the fish are there, but aren't chasing. They're still trying to get over their pack a mud a day habit! Hopefully they get some clean water to flush out their gills and bloodstream and get on the bite.


I have a lot of small walleye 15-20" on our beach, a few large ones. Scientist told me it would be combo of spawn stress, horrible winds and diseases (the kind around most of the time).


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## Fishin' Buddy (Jan 6, 2011)

We were out Friday between the Bass Islands and the reefs, back and forth running throughout the day...we stopped counting at 30 walleye belly up. Saw the same thing that others are posting about the gills, looked like they all had spotting on the undercarriage (not sure if it was spotting, or decomposition starting...I didn't bring one onboard to inspect it). Strangest thing to me was not seeing any other species belly up anywhere. I would think that other fish would be floating by as well, if it were only related to mud...?


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## HARLEY54 (Mar 27, 2007)

Thats what I would like to know? From turtle creek to east of Kelly's the past 4 days and only seen dead walleye's floating? Why no other fish if its from the mud?? Agreed about the gills, the gulls are doing that! Wondering myself if ODNR has some explaining to do about there traps??


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## bocajemma (Dec 29, 2008)

HARLEY54 said:


> Thats what I would like to know? From turtle creek to east of Kelly's the past 4 days and only seen dead walleye's floating? Why no other fish if its from the mud?? Agreed about the gills, the gulls are doing that! Wondering myself if ODNR has some explaining to do about there traps??


My guess as to why you are only seeing or mainly seeing walleye floating is that the walleye are in the western basin this time of year for one thing and that is to spawn. They are not going to leave that area until they have done so or die trying to do so. Other fish will simply leave and find better water conditions. When the water temperatures are right, their instinct is to spawn regardless of any other factor. The good news, if you can call it that, is the fishing has been soooooo bad that the fisherman aren't even putting a dent in the walleye population.......


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## AndOne (Apr 18, 2011)

Makes sense to me. I fish a lot of inland lakes that are stocked with saugeye because they are more hardy...for lack of better words. They have tried to stock Walleye, but only to have them either die off or not spawn. Most of the lakes around where I live are shallow and muddy almost all year around. 

Not sure if that is the only reason, but I could buy into.


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## triton189 (Nov 6, 2009)

Longspur said:


> Hopefully it is not vhs. Some info.
> http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/vhs/vhsfacts.html
> 
> Longspur


It is being reported on another site (WC) that the DNR has confirmed it is VHS. How will this impact the fishery?


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## Tom (mich) (Jun 2, 2008)

bocajemma said:


> My concern is that the fishing has been soooooo bad *because* of this unexplained die off. I've been fishing the area from Saginaw Bay all the way down to Erie for over 25 years, and I've never experienced a season as poor as the entire 2011 season has been to date, including ice fishing.


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## Angler ss (May 15, 2008)

I am not sure what is causing the dead walleye but from reading this thread nets would be my guess. Walleye are one of the few fish trap net guys can't keep by law. Years ago they used to sane net the Sandusky bay for catfish and carp and when walleye get caught in the sane the cats and carp would beat them to death before they could be released.This would be why there aren't sheephead,white bass or perch floating because they commercial guys keep them. This is just my guess not a commercial basher my gradpa was a Lake Erie trap netter.
Angler ss.


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## Hetfieldinn (May 17, 2004)

Tom (mich) said:


> My concern is that the fishing has been soooooo bad *because* of this unexplained die off. I've been fishing the area from Saginaw Bay all the way down to Erie for over 25 years, and I've never experienced a season as poor as the entire 2011 season has been to date, including ice fishing.


The fishing was horrible five weeks before the first dead fish was even seen. We had an average of 20 mph sustained winds for a month staright, with an average of five foot waves and very muddy water. The lack of fishing reports is a result of not being able to fish. The water is clearing up, the wind forecasts are looking better, and fish are starting to be caught. It won't be long.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Saw a couple desd ones off Beaver in 45 FOW are last Saturday.
Interestingly enough, I saw the same thing happen at Attwood several years ago. All the floaters were large mature saugeye.


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## bobk (Apr 30, 2004)

triton189 said:


> It is being reported on another site (WC) that the DNR has confirmed it is VHS. How will this impact the fishery?


I just read that is was from trap nets not being able to be checked for a few weeks due to the weather.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

Motrality from VHS occurs during the heat of the summer, not in 50 degree water.


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## ShutUpNFish (Apr 17, 2007)

Look back through threads over the years....this pops up EVERY spring...fish naturally die in the spring for various reasons mostly having to do with some sort of stress....spawning, bad conditions, ice out, trap netting, etc. Fish floating around in ANY system during springtime, is a natural occurance. Especially in a system like Erie with the magnitude of fish in there. Relax boys...


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## 65redbeard (Mar 12, 2006)

not a good thing


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## sander (Oct 30, 2008)

The story on these dead walleye is getting a little ahead of itself, in regards to potential VHS, and message boards on several sites are beginning to tangle rumor with fact.

As of this morning (May 10) the University of Toledo's Lake Erie Lab has not received tissue samples from the Ohio Division of Wildlife for testing. The researcher who will do these tests has been contacted by the supervisor of ODNR's Sandusky Fisheries Research Unit regarding testing, but no samples have been delivered.

I saw a post on another board stating that ODNR had identified the cause of the dead walleye as VHS. I doubt that any DOW biologist actually said that; VHS can only be identified through testing done (in Ohio) at UT, the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture, or a couple of out-of-state federal labs.

Yes, the Division is currently looking for fresh samples to have tested, and VHS may indeed be found, but that still might not mean that this virus is the sole cause of the current walleye mortality. Although retired, I still co-chair the Aquatic Animal Health Advisory Committee for the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture. Our state veterinarian, Dr. Tony Forshey, has expressed cautions during other fish kill incidents that just because a dead fish tests positive for VHS doesn't necessarily mean that VHS was the cause of death.

Throughout my career I witnessed dead walleye washing onto beaches nearly every spring, and a few times in large numbers similar to what is being seen now. Usually the cause was post-spawning stress that allows infectious bacteria such as Aeremonas to lead to death. We've reached a point with VHS at which many of the susceptible fish species in Lake Erie can test positive, and it will be no surprise if fresh samples of the current dead walleye do likewise. But we're seeing that fish can often live with VHS without clinical symptoms until they become otherwise stressed. Emerald shiners have shown some of the highest levels of VHS in their tissues of any Lake Erie species; when did we last see an emerald shiner die-off?

Walleye have ample reason to be stressed this year. It's been a long, cold spring with strong waves and currents as they attempted to spawn. Extreme muddy conditions might have reduced their feeding efficiency (how has the bite been this spring?), which can further weaken them. Once weakened, resistance to diseases like VHS and Aeremonas declines and symptoms can appear. I believe the environmental conditions we saw this spring would likely have resulted in noticeable post-spawning mortality regardless of the presence of VHS. VHS is most active at water temperatures in the 50s, so don't be surprised if samples test positive. But this will not mean that without VHS, there would have been no die-off.


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## FINSEEKER II (Aug 19, 2009)

I would'nt worry if it was'nt only dead eyes. That means that whatever the cause is, it is only killing the eyes. If it was the mud or water conditions, would'nt it be killing some of the other species in the lake, just asking.


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## bocajemma (Dec 29, 2008)

FINSEEKER II said:


> I would'nt worry if it was'nt only dead eyes. That means that whatever the cause is, it is only killing the eyes. If it was the mud or water conditions, would'nt it be killing some of the other species in the lake, just asking.


If it was VHS, it would also be affecting other species. You have to remember that it is the walleye spawn time. they are in the western basin to spawn. They will not leave the western basin until they have done so or they will die trying to do so if necessary. It's their instinct. when the water temp is right, they spawn regardless of the weather or water conditions (mud). It stresses them out. throw in poor water quality and poor weather and you have more die off. could be other factors involved such as nets, viruses, bacteria, old injuries, and age but I would venture to guess that the root cause was stress from the spawn and poor water conditions. anything else would just be the final dagger for those that died off. I am sure that there will be reports out before long.... Don't panic before you have the facts. All is speculation at this point.


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## Jim Stedke (Dec 5, 2005)

Egg on my face!!!

Found a site that said most deaths from VHS occur when water temps are 37 - 41 degrees and rarely when water is above 59 degrees. 

I remembered VHS being a big concern over at Salt Fork the Summer we went Musky fishing and that was Jully so I assumed..... (we all that tune). Sorry.


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## Alaskan (Jun 19, 2007)

Last fall-winter it was the shad kill that took place in Mich waters of Lake Erie. Everyone had their panties in a bunch crying chemical release to who knows what. Strange thing is, it was temp related. The same thing happend in the St. Clair river at the same time. It was all during the quick freeze. 

I saw dead eyes floating last spring. Slow down with the sky is falling.


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## Carpman (May 18, 2005)

Yea, were getting our panties in a bunch all because of some dead walleye floating that doesn't even come close to the number of walleye slayed by anglers each year, including myself in the list of anglers.


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## cramerk (Aug 3, 2005)

This is bad to say but if we lost say 10,000 walleye because of a mixture of VHS and nets from rough "seas", these same seas and dirty water actually prevented hundreds of thousands of walleyes from ending up in our frying pans. I know my numbers this spring are down by at least 70 fish myself.


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## mjgood (Nov 20, 2007)

If you guys are worried about a few thousand walleye, take a look at this. Bayshore is killing huge numbers of fish. The study by Kinetrics shows 46 MILLION per year. They suck up more walleye and white bass than we could dream of catching in a lifetime. What about all the other power plants on the lake? Sorry, didn't mean to get more going, but this really sucks for all of us.

http://www.glu.org/news/2010/06/ohio-power-plant-responsible-fish-deaths/


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## Bischoff66 (May 25, 2007)

I had heard reports of gill nets in the area that had been left out because of all the bad weather we had. With the fish looking like there throats had been ripped out sounds like the nets could be the cause


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## Hardtop (Nov 24, 2004)

Good point CRAMERK.......personally, my numbers are down by 8 from last year....I didn't get many early trips in then either........HT


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## Nauti cat (Nov 30, 2009)

gill nets are banned in Ohio, as far asthroats seagulls eat the gill area and eyes


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## harle96 (Aug 2, 2005)

in 2010 we bagged 73 by end of May. My 2011 count thus far is Zero.


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## eyesman_01 (Jan 4, 2007)

I still haven't even made it out on the lake yet this year. Hope the water and weather clear up soon.


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