larry b Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Any else notice a large increase in their population this year? Last year I'd see a couple here n there at the smaller ponds I fish,this year I've seen dozens,maybe close to a hundred on a relatively small body of water one morning.I'm wondering if they're to blame for the skunk I got this morning going for crappie.The conditions were perfect for a spring bite and my buddy got 1 small one in 2 hrs.That doesn't happen here unless it's a cold north wind or something Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMGraham Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 My wife and I have also noticed a lot of them while kayaking. Apparently they are a fishing machine, so they could be eating up a lot of the crappie and pan fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron4blues Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Cormorants are piranha with wings. If they are hunting in a smaller pond they very well could deplete a population very quickly. Fortunately, they don't discriminate, so perhaps the gobies will be a bit less of a problem this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordanl Posted April 29, 2015 Report Share Posted April 29, 2015 Seen them take a decent bass last fall. They have a huge appetite and can do a large amount of damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktheperchman Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Any else notice a large increase in their population this year? Last year I'd see a couple here n there at the smaller ponds I fish,this year I've seen dozens,maybe close to a hundred on a relatively small body of water one morning.I'm wondering if they're to blame for the skunk I got this morning going for crappie.The conditions were perfect for a spring bite and my buddy got 1 small one in 2 hrs.That doesn't happen here unless it's a cold north wind or somethingI was at the marina in PC last spring just looking out at the docks when up pops a cormorant with a crappie that had to be 12". It flipped that fish around and forced it down its neck with very little effort. I noticed a bunch of them in the pond across from Beechwood golf. There had to be twenty of them and that pond is not too big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 It looks like another heavy invasion of the corms this year , saw hundreds of them a few days ago in front of the Beacon . They were diving close to shore and having a feeding frenzy on something . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassmaster24 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Many big flocks on lake o coming east from the hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lungpuncher Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 i've noticed some in Welland the past few days as well. In the river and flying around too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubba14 Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 They were there across from Beaverdams today Marktherchman, some in the water and half a dozen sitting on the half-submerged hunk of wood. When I was at Gravelly Bay tonight they were all over the place as well. The MNR should be doing something about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted April 30, 2015 Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 Every spring you will see thousands of them in huge flocks migrating north. They are expanding to inland waters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry b Posted April 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2015 More this year than ever,I fish religiously for spring crappie and I've never seen this many Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbyc Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 in my opinion, i think its time for an open hunting season for these birds. before they deplete the fish population even more.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner-2 Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 I see them flying around Smithville all the time this year never seen it before just goes to show you can only protect something for so long and they will get out of hand they should be at least destroy the eggs there is so many around they must play in the roll of some of the smelts and a lot of the other fish how long can they let this go on something has to be done same with the gulls they have 4 goose seasons to try to knock down the population i rather see geese then cormorant's not that i would hunt them they would taste like crap but i can bet that the MNR can't see a problem that's why they are protected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry b Posted May 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 The funny thing is there are hardly any geese at the pond by my house this year and there has been a huge flock hanging out there for years.Do the cormarents chase them away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 Jmo was telling me yesterday that he has a pond in the yard and cormorants were invading the pond . He has never seen them in the pond before ! I think it's time for a huge cull and using the fishy meat for a new cat food .......that's my cormo rant ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron4blues Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 In years past when cormorant numbers have been high, they have been linked (or more correctly their droppings) to higher than normal e-coli counts in Lake Ontario waters. So their numbers aren't just a fisheries matter, but also a potential public health issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunker D Posted May 1, 2015 Report Share Posted May 1, 2015 They slowly took over the break wall in Port Colborne, the one you can't walk to, over the years I have seen it go from all seagulls nesting there to all cormorants they forced the seagulls out of that spot due to their numbers and now its a good couple hundred out on that wall......I would rather have the seagulls because I am a better fisherman then they are but the cormorants on the other hand have me beat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
browndc Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Thought it was just me, but obviously there has been an increase in the number of these birds locally. Even noticed one on a tiny farmers pond out in Virgil the other day. These birds are not native to this part of the world, are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Thought it was just me, but obviously there has been an increase in the number of these birds locally. Even noticed one on a tiny farmers pond out in Virgil the other day. These birds are not native to this part of the world, are they? They are native, and were at one time on the endangered list, like the osprey, due to the use of DDT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry b Posted May 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2015 Most seemed to have moved on now,a fellow I was talking to made a good point.They were likely waiting for the ice to displace from Erie,sort of a migration detour you could say Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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