Lake Erie Smallmouth Bass Study with Zak Slagle

About this episode

Zak Slagle discusses smallmouth bass research on Lake Erie, including movement patterns, spawning habits, and the impact of invasive species.

We have a returning guest on the show today—Zak Slagle, a biologist with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources—and we’re talking all things smallmouth bass on Lake Erie. We get into some really cool stuff from the latest research, like how these fish move throughout the seasons and what tracking studies are starting to reveal. Zak also breaks down spawning habits, genetic connectivity, and how invasive round goby have changed the game for smallmouth. We couldn’t help but talk about chasing trophy smallmouth, plus what climate change might mean for the future of the fishery and conservation efforts going forward. If you’re into fishing this podcast is for you!

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris DePaola, Don Clowes

Guest: Zak Slagle

Topics covered

• smallmouth bass
• fishing
• Lake Erie
• biological research
• conservation
• climate change

Keywords

• smallmouth bass
• Lake Erie
• fishing
• biologist
• conservation
• climate change
• round goby
• tracking studies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Places: Lake Erie

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