Project Title: Understanding Yellow Perch Angling Success in Western Lake Erie

Project Overview: My project aims to identify the reasons underlying the reduced success of Yellow Perch anglers in western Lake Erie during recent years, despite the adult population being estimated to be stable. Two potential reasons have been hypothesized to underlie these trends. First, increased availability of preferred pelagic invertebrates may be reducing the propensity of Yellow Perch to strike angler lures. Second, Yellow Perch may not be abundant in the waters that anglers are targeting during the peak fishing season. This project seeks to explore: 1) the degree to which the spatial overlap between Yellow Perch, Bythotrephes, and other pelagic invertebrates has increased during the peak fishing season; 2) the factors that mediate the dynamics of Yellow Perch overlap with pelagic invertebrates and anglers; 3) how Yellow Perch behave across gradients in the abundance of invertebrates such as Bythotrephes; and 4) how Yellow Perch abundance, habitat use, and overlap with pelagic invertebrates affect angling success. 

Advisor: Dr. Stuart Ludsin