Freshwater Science: Can Walleye See the Bait on the Hook?
Walleye fishing in Ohio significantly contributes to the state’s $1.9 billion sportfishing industry, but the fish are experiencing significant changes to their environment due to harmful algal blooms. For these visual hunters, those changes affect finding food and mates, and anglers who fish for walleye may have to change their approach to selecting lures.
Dr. Suzanne Gray at The Ohio State University is linking walleye vision, murky waters from harmful algal blooms and lure colors to determine the impacts algal blooms can have on visual hunters like walleye and on the success of Lake Erie’s sportfishing industry.