My wife and I have been fishing the Rock since about 1992. Just about every weekend from April-Oct. I have seen explosions in fish populations and rollovers from one species to another in abundance. However, over the past few years everything has gone to pot.
I've been thinking about it lately and I think that the decline in the various gamefish populations might be coincided with the explosion of the white bass (stripers). I am beginning to believe that the white bass have been feeding on the offspring of the other species--reducing their availability. This is normal, but there has been an overabundance.
This is the first year, however, that I don't catch stripers all day. They are bigger this year, but fewer and not so much of a nuisance.
Anyway, that's my theory and I'm keeping all the white bass I catch. Hopefully, that will help the other species. Catch and Release of the walleyes and bass for the next couple of years might help recovery too. It would help too if the DNR did some stocking. They haven't done walleye or crappie ever. Here is a link to the fish stocking database: http://infotrek.er.usgs.gov/doc/wdnr...tsAllYears.htm
Enjoy!
Luke
My job used to get in the way of my personal life, but not anymore.