DWR Reg Changes for next year

[TubeDude]

I fish Willard Bay, mostly from shore, sometimes from a boat, and I don't understand the change from 50 to 15 Perch limit.

I have fished WB for a lot of years and have never caught a Perch!  Probably because I don't specifically target them, but the methods I use could invite a Perch bite once in awhile.  I have never fished WB thru the ice, because most years I don't trust the conditions.

I see others on Bigfishtackle reporting catching Perch, but only a few here and there. 

So why the change in limit, when I don't believe there is a large population of the species in WB?

They are trying to give the Perch a chance to establish a stronger population so the rest of the predators have something to eat in the spring and early summer each year.

The perch spawn before the shad.  So there are baby perch to eat before the shad are large enough.   They definitely contribute to the food base.  And what a lot of folks don't realize is that baby carp show up well before the shad so they too are part of the early forage base.  

It ain't only the baby perch that get eaten either.  I filleted a two footer catfish a couple of weeks ago that had an 8" perch in its gut.   And I've seen lots of "yearling" 5 and 6 inch perch in walleyes and wipers.