How and where to catch round goby

[gobystudent]

Hello seasoned anglers,

I am a student at De Paul University and am heading a research study involving the invasive species, the round goby. I would like to find out where and how to catch the gobies utilizing sites along the lake front as well as some rivers and estuaries. Would anyone know some good spots for such an endeavor? Would anyone have some tips as to what rig to use and the best pole to purchase? Any info would be helpful.

Thank you,

gobystudent

[Navyfisher]

Go to any harbor on Lake Michigan, any rod and reel would work, just make sure it is at least 6 feet because it will help you with this move. Tie on a small hook and put some splitshot on the line. Bait it with anything, worms work well as does corn. You should be able to see the buggers and dip your line in front of them. Don't reel, just get the right amount of line and dip and lift up when you get a bite. you'll have a bucket full for research in no time.

[TheWoz]

Seriously any stretch of water you can stand in front of on the big lake. X2 with navy fisher. If you don't have all that tear a worm in half and do the old worm and bobber method. Or stand around any harbor and ask the guys to give them to you instead of throwing them to the gulls. Man what class did I miss out on at DePaul!?

[Handler]

Don't forget a fishing liscense for each person fishing.

Also, even though fishermen begrudgingly catch them by accident, if you don't have fishing experience, and depending on how many you need, it might take quite a while to catch them. Heading to Montrose and asking other fishermen to save them for you isn't a bad idea. If you gave them small pails with water, they could probably keep them alive for you.

[TheWoz]

Well shoot. I've been wanting to get up there and do some perch fishing. So maybe I'll bring a bucket since when I go for perch I only catch gobys lol

[ffishman]

One thing to remember, if you have too many it is ILLEGAL to put them back in the lake. Throw the extras in a garbage can.

[DasGoby]

If you don't have all that tear a worm in half and do the old worm and bobber method

Gobies don't have swim bladders and so can't come up more than a foot or so off the bottom. You can catch them with a slip bobber if you set the length correctly so your bait is near the bottom but I think you are better off just fishing on the bottom. Gobies like to hide under rocks so don't be afraid to drop your bait into the rocks as well.

[Tikimahn]

Just get a wire hook, and some worms... Put a chunk of worm on the hook, stick the rod out and drop the line to the bottom. Just lift it and let it fall. I've done this to catch them for cut bait on the DPR, it'll work anywhere though, they're so abundant they're literally everywhere.

[DasGoby]

How do they work as cut bait? That is a good idea.

[RonG]

Having live gobies in your possession is illegal in Illinois. You may need to apply for a permit/exemption if you are doing research. Giving all the anglers around you little pails to catch them would give a DNR official quite a rush as he wrote tickets to every one of you for posession. Then the anglers might gang up on you and toss you into the lake.

[gobystudent]

Has anyone been down to Calumet Harbor? I have found many articles in which studies were preformed there. What is the area like? Is there a better time of day to go fishing for goby, there or otherwise? Has anyone caught goby in any of the estuaries or rivers around the Southwestern Lake Michigan region or the Illinois River Valley region?

Thank you all for your posts!

[Navyfisher]

Has anyone been down to Calumet Harbor? I have found many articles in which studies were preformed there. What is the area like? Is there a better time of day to go fishing for goby, there or otherwise? Has anyone caught goby in any of the estuaries or rivers around the Southwestern Lake Michigan region or the Illinois River Valley region?

Thank you all for your posts!

Best time for Gobies is any time, but if you catch them while they are breeding males become very dark almost black and will hit any lure in their way. Gobies spawn in cycles through out the year. I have a buddy on another fishing forum that did a paper on gobies for his masters. I can put you in touch with him for advice if you PM me your email.

Last summer I was fishing Waukegan Harbor when a DNR officer came along checking licences. He checked everybody on the pier, I asked him about the bucketheads down the way. He said they just had gobies and sunfish and were still well under their limit. I asked him about the Goby possesion law andhe told me it was a lost cause and he didn't see a point in enforcing it. The Gobies are here, other officers may not have the same opinion though.