Fungus is killing bluegills

[Pony]

I have been drifting for suspended bluegills for as long as i can remember. Recently i have been hearing about a fungus in some of the lakes i regularly fish that is killing some of the bluegills. Especially Monona in Madison and Rock Lake in Lake Mills. If anyone has heard anything about this i would like to know as i dont know much about it.

 

[Trent]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Read this... Fish

 

[Pony]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

In Wisconsin we've known about the effects of PCB's and Mercury for awhile, what i am talking about is something that was just written about in a wisconsin fishing magazine maybe a month or two ago. I've bits and peices about it from just talking to a few fisherman, but have been unable to get any hard facts.<br />I appreciate the response as it was a very interesting article. Thanks

 

[roscoe]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Hey there pony85.<br />Exerienced the same thing on Fox Lake (Beaver Dam) about 20 years ago. Fungus was killing off all the crappies. Thousands and thousands of them floating in the lake.<br /><br />If I remember correctly, the fungus was plugging up their gills and they were suffocating. <br /><br />DNR said they were fine for human consumption, and I know lots of fishermen who ate them that summer. No, we didn't eat the ones that were floating by, but we did eat the ones we caught.<br /><br />Strange thing was that all the dead ones were the same size, about 9-10 inches.<br /><br />Here is a DNR report about a similar thing, in northern WI.

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Roscoe, grew up fishing fox lake and I remember that fish kill well. From what I remember the crappie fishing never went back to what is was before that. ( or it didnt in the time I fished that lake ) I think that some of this kind of stuff is prolly natural and it kind of purges the lakes system. Not nessasarily in these situations but possably could be the answer.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Give Gene a call at D&S Bait, Tackle and Archery (608)241-4225. He's got his thumb on what's going on with the Madison chain. I'd surely start with him. They're located at 1411 Northport Dr. right up from Warner Bay/park of Lake Mendota.<br /><br /> http://www.dsbait.com

 

[Pony]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Thats interesting that the dead floating crappies were aroung the same size. One of the things i've heard about this bluegill fungus is that its only affecting smaller fish. Im not sure if thats true or not, but is is interesting to say the least. Barlow i just may check out that bait shop...or maybe even ****'s tackle.( used to be the yellow barn with the smilie face on Hwy 83 and I-94...if anyone recognizes that)

 

[roscoe]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Been to the yellow barn a bunch of times. <br /><br />mikeandronda, I used to like to head up to Fox lake around fathers day. We would go over to the big island where the herons ?? had their nest colony. It was absolutely deafening when all those babies would start screaming for food. pretty cool.

 

[TwoWatt]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Only thing killing these northern Indiana bluegills is...... ME <br />Keep your fungus up in Wisconsin.

 

[Pony]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

sure as long as you keep that smell from Gary Indiana down there . j/k

 

[Pony]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

In any case i hope this fungus thing doesnt get as bad as that crappie kill...i've been to those tlakes a few times this year and havent noticed any floating fish, so im hoping its a small kill off.

 

[eurolarva]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Same goes for Minnesota. We dont want that fungus here either. I kept 16 nice ones today that we had for supper. They seem pretty healthy on the lake I fish.

 

[Pony]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Well I also hope the fungus doesnt show up elsewhere. As far as i have heard/read the fish are still completely safe to eat. Im going fishin on thursday so i hopefully will figure more out then....

 

[Barlow]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

catch the fish. <br />clean the fish.<br />eat the fish!<br /><br />...don't worry about it. I'm sure some 'expert' somewhere is writting a column stating that breathing is bad for you.<br /><br />I talked to a few guys I know here in the area that fish the Madison chain constantly and they were saying they've been doin' well on the 'eyes and perch still and when they fish for gills they're bringing them home and eating 'em. So far no ones dropped dead or gotten sick from them... so fish away!<br />good luck!

 

[Pony]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

Good point Barlow....Well i went to the lake yesterday, and i didnt see anything out of the ordinary. Caught a few decent sized gills and cleaned them up. Im no longer worried about it, at least for now.<br /><br />On another note i heard that the perch are starting to hit on Mendota...seems a bit early so im not sure i believe that or not.

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

I have seen floating fish and they have fungus on their mouths and occassionlly on fins. This is normally in the later spring. I Have picked up a few and examinded them and they all appeared to have been on a stringer. I am presuming someone caught a few nice fish and, after dragging around on a stringer for many hours, released them? (I have also witnessed people culling out of their live well in the heat of the summer with the same affect).<br /> After handling and the stress of the stringer, the fish were put back. Of course they didn't make it. Please handle fish carefully if going to release do it right away. Always wet hand if touching the fish. The small 3 lb. will be a large 6lb. later.

 

[Pony]

Re: Fungus is killing bluegills

I agree that fish need to be handled carefully...but i think this fungus is different than fish that have been on a stringer or in a livewell. These fish develop the fungus while alive, and die from it....not die and then get funguses on them.