Goby, or round goby, native to central Eurasia, were introduced into the North American Great Lakes by way of ballast water transfer in cargo ships.
Why is Understanding Goby Important?
It is important to understand Goby to:
Select a Lure: Selecting the best lure based on mimicking the look like a Goby.
Understand Goby as Bass Forage
Habitat: Shallow and deep(offshore) and pretty much any bottom compositions except sand.
Bottom Feeders: Gobies do not have a swim bladder and as a consequence, spend most of their time in a stationary resting position. Swimming excursions into open water are necessarily brief and carried out with a jerky action.
Additional Considerations
Size: Round gobies range in length from 4 to 10 inches, with a maximum size of 9.7 inches. They weigh between 0.176 to 2.816 ounces, their weight increasing with age.
Bottom: Round gobies are small, soft-bodied fish some characterized by a distinctive black spot on the first dorsal fin. The eyes are large and protrude slightly from the top of the head and, like most gobies, the pelvic fins are fused to form a single disc (shaped like a suction cup) on the belly. Upon maturation, round gobies become mottled with grey, black, brown, and olive green markings. Adult male round gobies turn inky black during the spawning season and develop swollen cheeks.
Diet: Gobies diet includes zebra mussels which is also an invasive species in the Great Lakes.
Sand: Some suggest gobies do not go to sandy areas and some bass are starting to spawn on sand in body of waters infested with gobies to protect their eggs/fry.
