Justin Hoffman Outdoors

Hello All,

Being in the fishing industry, I am given the opportunity to see and test many of the latest lures, tackle and accessories. Some cross my desk that are quickly dismissed, while a select few really make me take notice. The Joe Balog’s Goby Replica is one of those baits.

Realism and attention to detail is apparent at first look. Each lure is hand painted and poured and are hand crafted from real goby samples by one of the leading swimbait manufacturers and taxidermists in the United States. You honestly would swear this bait was alive!

While fishing the Western Basin of Erie in the mid 90’s, Joe Balog observed smallmouth bass spitting up gobies by the dozens, rather than their normal diet of crayfish and shiners. It was evident the bass preferred the easy-to-catch, high protein exotics to their native forage. At that time, Balog developed the first ever goby bait, the Drop Shot Goby. But after a few years of fishing with the bait, even with the incredible success of the technique, Balog theorized that there had to be a better, more realistic way to mimic a goby to the bass. Over seven years later, the Goby Replica was born.

The bait is heavy and hugs the bottom, just like the real thing, and can be fished in water upwards of forty-feet deep. It lays at rest upright, balanced perfectly on its pectoral fins. Those same fins lightly kick when the bait is moved, just like a real goby.

The Original Goby Replica weighs one-ounce and measures four-inches in length. It is available in five colours to match goby phases and different water bodies.

These life-like lures appeal to trophy smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, lake trout, pike, muskies and more. This is one lure I can’t wait to put through its paces this coming season!

Please check out Goby Replica for more information and ordering instructions.

For those that aren’t aware of the history of the Goby and their introduction to the Great Lakes, here is some background information, compliments of The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters:

Distribution

Gobies belong to a large family of fish represented by many species throughout the world. Two species from eastern Europe, the round goby and the tubenose goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris) were introduced to the St. Clair River in the late 1980s. It is believed that both species arrived in North America after being transported in the ballast water of ships originating from eastern Europe. In the fall of 2005, the Ontario government amended the Ontario Fishery Regulations to make it illegal to possess round goby and tubenose goby alive.It is also illegal to use them as bait.

After being discovered in the St. Clair River in 1990, both round and tubenose gobies have been found in Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, and Western Lake Erie. Round gobies have also been found throughout much of Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, southern Lake Michigan, and western Lake Superior. It has been found in Michigan’s inland waters and recently in inland Ontario, at Trent Severn Waterway (between village of Hastings and Healey Falls), Rice Lake, the Pefferlaw River and Lake Simcoe at the mouth of the Pefferlaw River. The round goby has completed their dispersal throughout the five Great Lakes in less than a decade, a dispersal almost as fast as the zebra mussel. It is believed that the isolated Great Lakes populations on Lake Superior were transported by intralake ship ballast water transfers from the St. Clair River area.

Impact

Round gobies have become extremely abundant in the St. Clair River, Lake Erie and parts of Lake Ontario reaching densities of more than 100 per cubic metre of water. In some areas they have become an annoyance to anglers due to their habit of stealing bait. The round goby is an aggressive fish that can spawn several times each season. These characteristics, combined with its abundance and relatively large size, mean that the round goby will probably have an impact on native fish species. The smaller tubenose goby is not as abundant and widespread as the round goby and should not have as much of an impact.

Although it is too early to tell what impact the round goby will have in the Great Lakes, changes have already occurred in the St. Clair River. As round gobies have flourished, the abundance of the small, native, bottom-dwelling fish such as mottled sculpin and native logperch (a small relative of the yellow perch) has declined dramatically in the river. Similar changes are expected to occur where the round goby becomes abundant elsewhere. It is not clear what this will mean for larger fish species, but it could affect their feeding habits. Round gobies have also been observed feeding on the eggs and fry of sportfish and may impact on these populations. Although walleye and other predators are feeding on gobies, their populations have continued to expand despite this predation.

Prevention

Although anglers and boaters can help to prevent the spread of gobies to inland waterways, there are no known ways of eliminating gobies from a large open system such as the Great Lakes. Gobies, like many other exotic species are here to stay. Although some predators are feeding on gobies, it is unlikely that they will significantly reduce goby numbers. The proliferation of zebra mussels and quagga mussels in the Great Lakes provides an ample food supply for the round goby, and they will continue to expand their range in the Great Lakes. Early detection of isolated populations may help slow or restrict the spread of round gobies. You can do the following to prevent the spread:

* Learn to identify round gobies and if caught, kill them. Do not throw them back alive
* Do not use round gobies as baitfish
* Dispose of bait properly: Do not release bait into the water
* Always drain water from your boat, livewell, and bilge before leaving any water access
* Never dip your bait bucket into a lake or river if it contains water from another water source
* Never dump live fish from one body of water into another body of water

Yours In The Outdoors,

Justin

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