Small Mouth Bass
Feeding Study
Ontario Lake
Saturday 8 June, 2013
Barb Elliott, Conservation Director with the NYS Bass Federation, arranged with the USGS (United States Geological Survey) for bass anglers to assist in a feeding study of the small mouth bass in Lake Ontario.
One of our members came forward to assist. Using a special permit, anglers were allowed to catch small mouth bass and bring them to the research vessel alive. A tube was placed into the fishes mouth and the stomach contents were captured in a plastic bag for study.
A few of the photos that were taken are below.
A tube placed into the fishes mouth
stomach contents are placed into a plastic bag
All of the fish that were caught and studied were released back into the water unharmed, just maybe a little more hungry than before they were caught.
Stomach contents examined, recorded and brought back to the lab for further analysis.
The primary diet of the small mouth bass were Gobies and Alewifes
Gobies were introduced from ballast water of cargo ships that came from Europe. These cargo ships once near port would empty their ballast tanks into the great lakes, before they took on their cargo.