It's truly an amazing story. The Yellow Perch fishery in the Northern Chesapeake Bay was decimated for the last decade and a half and many people, including myself only ever saw pictures of them in books to prove that they ever existed in the first place. Over-fishing by commercial fisherman led these fish into a decline, reducing their stocks so significantly that they were basically on the verge of extinction. Once the damage was done, the commercial fishing industry turned their sights elsewhere and left the Yellow Perch alone. These are a very slow-growing fish, living just over a decade and spawning later in their life cycle. In addition they never move very far from where they are born. This combination made a chance for a natural comeback very unlikely.

So both the commercial and recreational fishermen wrote them off as a sad story. In doing so, nature was behind the scenes working its wonders unencumbered by pressure from humans. Fast forward two decades and a wondrous event unfolded. A huge natural population of Yellow Perch began to appear, and appear is exactly what happened. Some people out for a winter's stroll along the banks of the Susquehanna River at the head of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland could actually see them in the water in huge numbers. Some have said that the schools are half a mile wide and several miles long. That's some comeback!

Known in the past as Maryland's first fish because they were the first fish to show up each year, they now are a part of my New Year's day ritual. Standing on the docks in freezing cold weather and chipping ice from the eyes of my fishing pole is just an awesome way to ring in the New Year. Catching and releasing all but a few fish to take home and cook should keep the population strong. The Department of Natural Resources has stepped up and banned commercial fishing so far. I hope they never are fished commercially.

The story however doesn't end here, though. Most local bait shops, struggling in this economy would close for the winter months, laying off their employees and suffering from the lack of fishing available. Well, enter a new fishery and these bait shops are now doing a booming winter business. I personally make it a point to go and spend some money in their shops to do my part to help them out. Over the years they have become friends and they are a great place to hang out and talk fishing. They wisely saw an opportunity and made it work for themselves. Some good luck, some smart business sense.

As opportunities present themselves in dentistry, we must be dynamic and alter our business plans accordingly. I try very hard to add new procedures to my repertoire each year. Try to foresee the next big opportunity and strike hard. What will it be? It's not so hard to figure it out. Guided implant surgery, laser periodontal treatment, short-term orthodontics. The point is to position your practice to be one step ahead of the practice down the block. The Yellow Perch success story doesn't come by every day. Search out and find your next big windfall and jump in with both feet. Think big for 2011 and grab every opportunity.