Erie Limits

[Joe]

I just thought I would post what the limits are right now for any who might travel up that way. First, know that during the spawn months the game wardens are out in force. They also hire extra wardens to increase the patrols. They will have wardens in boats when the ice is gone, wardens driving around and watching, wardens in the water fishing with everyone else, wardens in the woods, and even, on occasion wardens in blinds. Yes, they watch the Maumee river and other areas very well in Ohio during the spawn and catch lots of people for violations ranging from snagging, to over the limit, to littering. You can also be held accountable if you net a fish for somebody who keeps the fish and is then either over the limit or if the fish was snagged, in other words, only net your fish and those of people you know.

Walleye Limit: 4 through May 1st. All fish not immediately released must be kept with the angler that caught it. If you and your buddy are out fishing and you are both using one stringer that you are holding and each of you have gotten three fish, still trying for number four each then you will be ticketed for two fish over the limit as you have six fish with you. To be legal you and your buddy have to have seperate stringers holding only your fish.

Size Limit: None, I and most others will encourage you to not keep the larger females except maybe one for the wall. The smaller fish are better eating.

Possession Limit: 8 fish. If you stay up there for a week and keep any fish then you should be aware that if they see you out keeping a limit every day they may very well pay you a visit to check your car, hotel room, or even your freezer to see if you are beyond the possession limit. The car and accomidations is not too unussual. The checking the freezer does happen on occasion. They can count fillets to determine if you are over, the fish do not have to be whole. If you want a fish fry and you have fish in the freezer for that and you get checked they better be from a store in store packaging.

Methods of fishing: During the spawn you are limited to one lure, with a single hook, that cannot have an opening larger than 1/2". Trebles are not allowed. Stinger hooks are not allowed. Crankbaits are fine as long as you replace the hooks with only a single hook as described above. You are also only allowed a single rod.

It just seems as though some people need to have this information in more places than just the DNR website and the regulations pamplet.

[marcbodi]

Hi,
There is no extra retrictions on hooks and rods and lures on the Lake only in the Rivers.Limit of 4 Walleyes Til May 2.











May I be fishing somewhere Tomorrow.

[Buckeye]

Joe did you just make these regulations up? You got the daily bag limits correct but the hook restrictions are exactly what Marc said (single hooks with size restrictions apply only to certain sections of certain rivers) but there is a 2 rod limit in Ohio. Multiple hooks are allowed on each of your 2 rods on the lake all year.

The possession limit is one day's daily bag limit until you are 1/4 mile from the lake or any stream or river. Once you have your fish off the boat, away from the lake or river, and cleaned, you may stockpile all you want in your freezer. Basically there is no possession limit on walleyes in Ohio once you leave the lake or river.

Those of you that come from out of town and stay at motels, campgrounds, etc. right on the lake are technically supposed to keep the skin on your fillets for identification purposes. I was told by our local game protector that if they have a reason to check your coolers and find more than one day's limit for the number of people in your party, they will check into how many days you have been there and do the math. Once again....as long as you never exceeded the daily bag limit you can keep as many fish as your length of stay permits.

[SS]

There is a lot of misinformation in the 1st post. I'll address what I know.

There are not possesion limits unless you are within a 1/4 mile of the lake, then it is the daily bag limit. There is a reg in the administrative code that is not in the fishing regs provided with licenses that addresses this. Basically, if you have a cooler of fish in the parking lot where you are fishing you could get a ticket. If they are in the freezer back at a hotel that is close to the lake, and you have complied with the daily limit and other applicable laws, it would be EXTREMELY unlikely you would have any problems. Pretty sure leaving a piece of skin on is required and I would package fish individually. At least some hotels and fish cleaning services can store frozen fish until you depart.

I really don't know if a warden would ticket two guys sharing a stringer w/six fish for being over the limit, but they certainly wouldn't ticket both!!!!lol. If it was acknowledged that the fish belonged to two people, then its clear they are within the limit.

Personally, I'd encourage you to keep all big fish and put the little ones back. The big fish have made their contribution & have a limited amt of time left. The smaller ones will contribute for many years to come. Bleed them and trim every bit of red meat off and they are delicious.

Ohio Wildlife Officers are rigid, but everyone I've met has been fair and reasonable.

Good Luck,
ss

[seagull]

S.S....How mant tip-ups are you allowed on Lake Erie. I remember many years ago it was some unbelievable number like 6 or 10?

[Ironguts]

Thanks Buckeye for clearing the possesion limit up question that the first post started. I'm going to be out on Erie for a week in April so this was a great concern. I searched all over the Ohio DNR website and couldn't find anything about a possession limit of Walleyes on Lake Erie. To me that seems a little odd when compared to some states and Canada but whatever the law is I'll be happy to follow. The first post really had me questioning what I was reading. I guess I feel if you don't know what your talking about when it comes to game laws, you shouldn't say anything like the first post outlined.

[RHLSnoopy]

Ice fishing 6 tip ups.

[marcbodi]

Hi,
In my reply I stated the Limit went to 6 on may 2.It goes to 6 on may 1.





















May I be fishing somewhere Tomorrow.

[marcbodi]

Hi,
I fogot to mention Michigan has a 13"limit in there waters.











May I be fishing somewhere Tomorrow.