ANOTHER YEAR OF GREAT LAKE ERIE FISHING EXPECTED FOR 2003

[FISH4U]

ANOTHER YEAR OF GREAT LAKE ERIE FISHING EXPECTED FOR 2003
COLUMBUS, OH
- Anglers can again expect to find some of the nation’s finest and most diverse fishing opportunities this year on Lake Erie, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

“Whether targeting the lake’s famous walleyes, plentiful perch, hard-fighting smallmouth bass or steelhead trout, great fishing opportunities are available this year on Lake Erie,” said Roger Knight, Lake Erie fisheries program manager for the ODNR Division of Wildlife.

“Fishing should be good to excellent for most species this year,” said Knight. “With a large charter boat fleet, numerous boat ramps and marinas, and shoreline access to the lake and its tributaries, anglers should take advantage of the fishing experiences that Lake Erie offers.”

Walleye

An abundant 2001 walleye hatch will enter the Lake Erie fishery this year. As a result, state fish biologists expect this season’s anglers to reel in plenty of good walleye catches.

The plentiful two-year-old fish from the 2001 hatch will measure 13 to 15 inches. Anglers can also expect to catch a good number of fish from the 1999 hatch that will measure 16 to 18 inches. Anglers should anticipate 20 to 26 inch catches from the 1996 and 1998 hatches, as well as some fish from earlier hatches now in the Fish Ohio category at more than 28 inches.

The reduced bag limit for Ohio anglers remains in effect at four walleyes during March and April and six walleyes the remainder of the year.

“Long cold winters normally benefit young walleye by helping reduce the numbers of other fish species - such as gizzard shad, alewife and white perch - who compete for the same food sources as the walleye,” said Knight. More important to a successful walleye spawn, he added, is warm and mild spring weather.

Knight said it is worth noting that it was the combination of cold winters and mild springs during the 1980s that helped produce that decade’s now world-renowned Lake Erie walleye fishery.

“We actually have just as many spawning walleyes in Lake Erie today as we did in the early 80s,” said Knight.

Yellow Perch

The excellent perch fishing anglers have experienced since the mid-1990s should continue through 2003 and beyond. Limit catches of large yellow perch, common across the lake last year, should again be attainable on many trips. Many of these excellent table-fare fish will be in the 9 to 13 inch range with August, September, and October being the peak harvest months.

Conservative regulations for sport and commercial fishermen and improved spawns have helped Lake Erie's yellow perch stocks to gradually recover after low levels in the early 1990s.

This season, thanks to an excellent hatch in 1996, anglers should continue reeling in fine catches of perch measuring 10 to 12 inches. Added to the catch will be perch from the 1998 and 1999 spawns, measuring 8 to 10 inches.

Catch rates should peak in September and October and rival those of 2002. Ohio's daily bag limit for yellow perch remains at 30 fish per angler.

Smallmouth Bass

Fishing for Lake Erie's third most popular sport species should remain good to excellent during 2003. Smallmouth bass anglers can expect to land smallies from 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 classes now ranging in size from 14 to 18 inches. Typical catches will be in the 14 to 18 inch range and weigh 1.5 to 3.5 pounds. Fishing should be good at many of the traditional spots especially in the spring and fall.

Successful spawns over the past decade have provided excellent smallmouth bass fishing opportunities across Lake Erie. Anglers target smallmouth bass from spring through fall with the best action occurring in May, June and September.

If recent trends continue, anglers will see catch rates similar to that of 2002. Hot spots should include the Lake Erie islands area, Western Basin Reef Complex, Sandusky Bay, Ruggles Reef, and harbor breakwalls from Cleveland to Conneaut.

The daily bag limit for smallmouth bass is five fish with a minimum size length of 14 inches.

Steelhead Trout

On the open lake, anglers should look for peak steelhead action on the waters off Lorain to Conneaut throughout June and August, with catches measuring 19 to 28 inches. Many charter guides now offer steelhead charters as an alternative to traditional walleye charters.

Once Lake Erie's steelhead move into central basin streams in the fall, these feisty fish provide additional angling opportunities for wading stream anglers throughout the fall and winter months. The Division of Wildlife maintains this popular fishery by releasing approximately 400,000 steelhead trout each spring in the Vermilion, Rocky, Chagrin and Grand rivers and Conneaut Creek.

Fishing conditions on Lake Erie can change hourly. Adjusting fishing methods according to current conditions is key to the best success. Anglers should take into account such factors as season, cloud cover, water clarity, boat traffic, wave action, and amount of prey fish present. Electronic equipment to mark fish is advisable. Once a school of fish is located, anglers should try various techniques including drifting, trolling, and jigging at various depths in the water column.

[shadowman]

that should hush up some of the nay-sayers