The fishermen at Lake Starnberg had a good year in 2020.
For the first time, the whitefish have landed more numerous and thicker in their nets.
Leoni - Because of the corona pandemic, the traditional fisherman's day could not be celebrated last autumn.
That was a particular shame, because Andreas Gastl-Pischetsrieder, chairman of the fishing cooperative Würmsee and Fischer in Leoni, could finally have reported positive news for his colleagues after several years with unsatisfactory catch results.
"All in all, we can finally speak of a good fishing year 2020", is Gastl-Pischetsrieder's conclusion in an interview with Starnberger Merkur.
Above all, the yield from the whitefish, the so-called bread fish and thus the best to market fin bearer of the 35 professional fishermen still active on Lake Starnberg, gave cause for joy.
After fishermen had complained about below-average catching successes and above all about the low weight of whitefish in recent years, the tide turned last year.
“Compared to the previous year, the whitefish were able to gain an average weight of around 15 grams, and significantly more were caught again.
In the summer months it was even possible to achieve top catches from time to time, ”explains Gastl-Pischetsrieder.
The chairman of the cooperative explains this positive trend with the “unusually mild winter with almost no snow and little frost” last year.
In addition, major storms in the cold season "finally caused a large water circulation in the lake again".
From spring onwards, the weather was constant and uniform, which apparently also contributed to a good plankton development.
For the other fish species found in the lake, the catches were mostly in the range of previous years.
Although not an excessive number of pike went into the net, "often beautiful, large specimens", reports Gastl-Pischetsrieder.
Also carp, eel, perch and tench did not produce exceptional results.
On the other hand, catches of catfish, the largest fish in the local waters, have increased.
“Small ones are regular bycatch in the trap net in the summer months.
Large and very large ones were also caught occasionally, ”says Gastl-Pischetsrieder.
The fishermen's yields of arctic char, lake trout and pikeperch gave the fishermen less cause for joy.
As in years, only single char was caught.
“Most of them were rather small, but there were also a few large specimens.” The remaining fish species such as bream, rods and other whitefish (e.g. roach, rudd, aland, nose) played a subordinate role.
The professional fishermen are still worried about the cormorants and goosanders.
"The cormorants also noticed that there is more and more to be had at Lake Starnberg," says Gastl-Pischetsrieder.
Therefore, schools of 15 or more of these voracious fish hunters are not uncommon.
"It is particularly bad for us with the individual cormorants who deliberately steal the fish from our nets and damage the nets in the process." There are also an extremely large number of goosanders who like to chase after the young fish in groups.
The professional fishermen on Lake Starnberg have been back to work for over a week after the winter break.
"The catches are still a bit cautious, currently whitefish are mainly caught," says Gastl-Pischetsrieder, who hopes that 2021 will be at least as positive as 2020 and of course that the traditional fisherman's day can take place again in autumn.