All about minnow baits used for perch on Lake Erie

In 2012, when Hurricane Sandy went through the north coast, causing massive storm damage from high winds, emerald shiners were noticeably affected. Afterward, wild bait collectors could not find any wild schools near their normal nearshore locations.
Not only did the shiner shortage last the rest of the season, but the population of this preferred bait minnow has still not fully recovered. The past few years have been better, but at lower levels than desired. 

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