Back in the day… I have heard that comment many many times about the days when a couple of kids could take a bucket of minnows and a couple of cheap Zebco fishing rods and bring back a boatload of tasty yellow perch. My last time experiencing that phenomenon was in 1987 when my wife and I took a picnic lunch and borrowed our neighbor’s aluminum boat, and we anchored out about a mile from our beach. We were not expecting to catch anything except a sunburn has we ate our lunch. I baited the rigs, and we casually tossed a line off the side.
Then, the fun began.
We looked to have sat upon a massive school of yellow perch lurking along a ledge and rockpile about 15 feet below us. We reeled them in one after another. Many times, there were two fish on. Even after throwing back the small ones, it wasn’t long before we had a full bucket of perch, and most of the middle of the old Sears rowboat was covered with fish. Even after running out of minnows, the little buggers were still biting on the hooks.
Looking around, I saw that we had only been out an hour, and I told Melissa that we had to clean all these perch. So we stopped and spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning and pan-frying perch over an open fire at the cottage. We haven’t had that same experience since.
The Saginaw Bay Fishery
This morning, our friend Lakon Williams, whose family owns Bay Port Fish Company, posted a lengthy post on Facebook asking for help. I was shaken up a bit by her message, but I thought I should share it here for your own awareness.
Lakon’s Call For Action
Folks always thank us for doing our job, which means the world to us. However, it’s the next fishing generation that motivates us during struggling times to stay afloat. The future fishery is worth protecting and fighting for. Please take the time to read my desperate plea.
My name is Lakon Williams and I have managed my families fishery for 12 years. I grew up fishing for Yellow Perch with a pole on shore, as every kid should. I enjoy my job greatly, and the crew I work with is the best. Every year, my son’s art projects are about fishing or boats. My son built a fish company in school when he was 6. Fishing is in his blood. Even at a young age, he knew how important fishing is to our families’ lives. We want this fishery to be sustainable for generations to come. In order for that to be possible, the ecosystem needs to be balanced. Our MI government is not doing anything productive to help.
Farmers on the Water
Unfortunately, recent years at our fishery have hit us with hard luck, consisting of expensive engine repairs, equipment failures, roof leaks, low water damaging boats, an excessive amount of windy, unfishable days, and so so much more. On top of regular fishery problems, we have been fighting the MDNR for equal fishing rights. As we watch the number of commercial fisheries in Michigan decline every year, there are now only 10 of us still active. A once-needed and relied-on industry to supply a valuable protein during times of war, is now being overregulated to extinction. Yes, this is sad. If you don’t think so, feel free to remove yourself from our page!!
We are the farmers of the water. We provide a service for MI folks who don’t fish themselves, which is 90% of MI. We are Michigan’s oldest industry! We are not being listened to, and the Michigan public is not being loud about our MUTUAL injustices. (Which is sad also!!) The non-fishing public (YOU) are the ones who get the worst shake of this.
Michigan Commerical Fishing is Very Regulated
Our government restricts our industry to no Lake Trout and no Walleye harvest. Even accidental bycatch is not allowed and must be returned to the lake dead or alive by law. The 10 state-licensed MI commercial fishermen are the only ones excluded completely from these species. YOU pay higher prices for Canadian-caught fish in MICHIGAN because our MDNR doesn’t want to upset the Walleye Sports groups advocates by allowing a commercial harvest. How does this make sense? It doesn’t!!! We can catch Walleye just as easily as Canada can, and it would be cheaper.
The huge problem is now the Walleye diet is almost 50% Yellow Perch. Only 1% of Yellow Perch hatched every year survive past age 1. They are getting eaten to the point of extinction in Saginaw Bay. The MDNR still has not acted or fulfilled their duty to protect all native species of the Great Lakes. They are also failing greatly and have been for a while on representing all of the Michigan Public, not just the sports fishery.
What can you do about this?? There are a few things if you choose to:
1. Attend the May 7th Lake Huron Committee Meeting in Claire at Jay’s at 1030 am. Express you want Yellow Perch to be saved and why it matters to you. Demand aggressive action. Saginaw Bay has had a completely depressed Yellow Perch population now for 18 years. One simple bad stroke of luck could damage the Yellow Perch beyond repair. The predation is too high. What are the Walleye going to eat if there is no more Yellow Perch? We know they are already eating themselves. Estimated adult population is over 10 million Walleye in Saginaw Bay.
2. Go to this link and comment on the DNRs new management plan for Yellow Perch/Walleye in Saginaw Bay. Tell them you want more action to save the Yellow Perch!! More Walleye need to be taken out to give Yellow Perch a chance to rebound. Unfortunately, sports angler hours are down. The recent upped limits for the sports walleye fishery did nothing to help the unbalanced ecosystem.
See more at Walleye Management – Michigan DNR
When you have reviewed the plan and want to comment send an email to:
DNR-FishSaginawBayPlan@Michigan.gov.
3. Stop by and support us when you can! You keep our doors open. Your visit makes a difference!! When we are having a rough week, a customer can always change our mood simply by loving our fish. 
Fish Folk, if you care about Yellow Perch or us…it’s time to speak up. Tell the MDNR we don’t have time to “wait and see!” We can’t be the only ones who care about a more balanced ecosystem!! For the future fishermen and women of Michigan, please consider speaking up. I dislike public speaking, but I refuse to go quietly into the night during this injustice. We need to stop fighting between fishing groups and work together to balance Saginaw Bay. I fear the worst is coming if nothing is done for both the Yellow Perch and Walleye. 
#fightfortheyellowperch
Video: Michigan Walleye Fishing and Production
Related Reading
A Short History of The Saginaw Bay Fishery
We ask a DNR Fish Biologist; What Happened to All the Yellow Perch in Saginaw Bay?
The Planned Demise of the Michigan Commercial Fishing Industry
