Lake Erie Fishing – Share the Outdoors

2016 Lake Erie Sport Fishing Outlook Once Again Good News for Anglers

Posted on January 23, 2024 by stoadmin

Western Basin Lake Erie News – Walleye and yellow perch bag limits announced

COLUMBUS, OH / Ohio DNR– Lake Erie anglers should experience another year of diverse fishing opportunities in 2016, according to Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch fisheries are managed through an interagency quota system that involves Ontario, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. Each jurisdiction regulates its catches to comply with quotas and minimize the risk of over-fishing these species. Quotas for the upcoming fishing season are determined through consensus agreement by these jurisdictions through the Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, which were just recently announced for 2016.

As a result of the 2016 quota allocation, the walleye daily bag limit is four, and the yellow perch daily bag limit is 30 per angler in Ohio waters of Lake Erie until April 30. The daily bag limit will be six walleye from May 1 through Feb. 28, 2017. From March 1, 2017 through April 30, 2017, the daily walleye bag limit will be four. A 15-inch minimum size limit is in effect during the entire season for walleye. The yellow perch daily bag limit will be 30 from May 1 through April 30, 2017, with no minimum size limit. Lake Erie anglers can find walleye and yellow perch bag limit information at ODNR offices, in special publications at bait and tackle shops and at wildohio.gov.

Walleye
Ohio walleye anglers will catch fish mostly from the 2014 and 2013 hatches, with some fish from the 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 year classes. Additional fish from 2007 and 2003 will also be harvested by anglers. Walleye from the average 2014 hatch will range from 15-18 inches, while walleye from the 2013 hatch will be between 16-20 inches. Fish from the 2003 and 2007 hatches are likely to carry most of the Central Basin fisheries, and a good number of these walleye will be over the 26-inch range. Large walleye from strong hatch in 2003 will continue to provide “Fish Ohio” opportunities (greater than 28 inches), with this year class nearing the size that may give Ohio a new state record walleye. Additionally, in 2016, anglers should see a number of smaller (less than 15 inches) fish from the excellent 2015 hatch. Anglers are reminded of the 15-inch minimum size limit and encouraged to release these fish with as little handling as possible so they can contribute to the fisheries in future years.

Yellow Perch
Expect good perch fishing in 2016, with improving numbers of fish in the Western Basin and the largest fish in the eastern areas of the Central Basin. Perch anglers should encounter fish ranging from 7 to 13 inches from the 2014 through 2008 hatches this year, with major contributions from the 2014, 2011 and 2008 year classes. Fish from the average-to-better hatches in 2007 will contribute fish in the 10-plus inch range. “In 2015, yellow perch fisheries flourished in the eastern portions of Ohio’s Lake Erie, and we expect this trend to continue into 2016,” said Tyson.

Black Bass
Smallmouth bass fishing in 2016 is expected to be fair but improving. Smallmouth bass catch rates decreased in 2015, when compared to 2014, but are still the highest observed since the mid-1990s. Smallmouth bass should be an excellent size (14 to 22 inches and weighing up to six pounds). The best fishing for smallmouth bass will continue to be in areas with good bottom structure, which is the available habitat across much of the entire Ohio nearshore and islands. Continuing the trend from previous years, largemouth bass fishing should be excellent in 2016. This emerging fishery is producing high catch rates and some large fish in nearshore areas and harbors across Ohio’s Lake Erie. All black bass (smallmouth and largemouth) must be immediately released from May 1 through June 24. Beginning June 25, the daily bag limit for bass will be five, with a 14-inch minimum length limit.

Steelhead
Steelhead anglers should enjoy another year of great fishing in 2016 in Ohio’s Lake Erie open waters and in tributaries. Peak summer steelhead action on Lake Erie can be found offshore from June through August between Vermilion and Conneaut, with catches measuring 17 to 29 inches. Most Lake Erie anglers troll for steelhead in deep waters using spoons with divers or downriggers until fish move close to shore in the fall. The daily bag limit remains at five fish per angler from May 16 through Aug. 31, and two fish per angler between Sept. 1 and May 15, 2017. A 12-inch minimum size limit is in effect throughout the year.

White Bass
White bass continue to provide excellent seasonal fishing opportunities in the Maumee and Sandusky rivers and in the open lake. The 2016 catch will be dominated by fish from the 2012 and 2010 year classes. A few fish from the 2007 hatch could be as large as 16 inches. Anglers should focus on major Western Basin tributaries during May and June and nearshore areas of the open lake during the summer. There is no white bass daily bag limit or size limit.

Other Species 
Bays, harbors and main lake shorelines offer excellent fishing for panfish, as well as occasional northern pike and muskellunge in vegetated areas.

Anglers are reminded that fishing conditions on Lake Erie can change hourly, and adjustments are often necessary to improve success. Anglers should take into account factors such as water temperature, cloud cover, water clarity, boat traffic, wave action, structure, currents and the amount of baitfish in the area. Anglers are also reminded to carefully monitor Lake Erie weather and to seek safe harbor before storms approach.

Updated Lake Erie fishing reports are available at wildohio.gov or by calling 888-HOOKFISH (888-466-5347). Information is available from ODNR Division of Wildlife staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the Fairport Harbor station (440-352-4199) for the Central Basin and at Sandusky Station (419-625-8062) for the Western Basin.

Information on the ODNR Division of Wildlife’s Lake Erie research and management programs, fisheries resources, fishing reports, maps and links to other Lake Erie web resources are available at wildohio.gov.

ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov.

Lake Erie Perch Bite “is on!”

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Forrest Fisher

2-Hook Rigs
4-Anglers Help Keep Active Fish Under the Boat

Master angler and Western New York fishing legend from Blasdell, New York, Herb Schultz, is usually catching 12-14 inch perch not far from Sturgeon Point marina. Shultz says, “The fish are usually biting at mid-morning!” Forrest Fisher Photo

While many in the outdoor world right now are chasing King Salmon, archery hunting for deer and bear, or hunting for various forms waterfowl, a good number of outdoor folks are looking to fill their freezer with some of the best tasting fish fillets in the world. These can be found in the eastern Lake Erie deep – Yellow Perch fillets.

The Lake Erie perch bite was delayed this year due to the extended hot summer weather, but the last few mornings of 30-degree weather have convinced the fish that winter is right around the corner and it’s time to start their annual binge feed!

Emerald shiners are the hot minnow bait, with ample supplies of these in frozen/salted minnow form and limited supplies of live minnows at local bait shops. Both work well. Some anglers are dipping their own at the foot of West Ferry Street in Buffalo, New York, but minnows have been in and out on days there.

From Buffalo, anglers accessing the lake at Buffalo Small Boat Harbor State Park start their search for perch off the windmills (southeast) near the old steel plant in 45 feet of water with 2-hook rigs fished right on the bottom. Similar rigs work at Sturgeon Point in 45 to 50 feet right straight out from the boat launch in 51 to 60 feet, three to four miles west of the launch. Likewise off the mouth of Cattaraugus Creek 35 miles south, where anglers fish off Evangola State Park in 56 to 72 feet of water.

The hotspots are easy to find. Look for a tell-tale circle of boats to find the huge moving schools of these tasty perch, but try not to crowd anglers already on site. Boat noise from above can spook an entire school of fish to move to another area. You’ll know if you get too close, as it is common for a friendly verbal greeting to accompany such a neophyte boat movement error. Of course, the greeting might not be as friendly as you might imagine.

Schultz may be fishing with perch leaders made from 50-pound test, but his perch rods and reels are ultra-sensitive models – he is a rod builder too! Note the rod-balance rigs – one of many Herb Schultz perch catching secrets.

During these fall perch fishing trips, I have occasionally been privileged to enjoy a fun trip to Sturgeon Point waters at the invitation of master perch angler, Herb Shultz. We generally fish together with friends and it makes for a day filled with laughs and great conversation on all the outdoor issues you might imagine. Johnny Held (“Chugger”) and Lenny Ingoldsby (“Gunner”) are among usual participants with Schultz, though I’m not sure if the day-long conversation about the upcoming hunting season, the Lake Erie water quality, 2^nd Amendment, the upcoming Presidential election or the great fishing was more fun.

On one trip while fishing only ¾ mile out from the boat launch in 48 feet of water, we were alone for the first 30 minutes or so. As other anglers saw Schultz’s high-profile 22-foot Starcraft fishing boat as they left the marina, not many passed and he seemed to draw a crowd. In fact, in less than an hour, there were at least 20 boats within rock-throwing distance, sparking some occasional boat-to-boat angler greetings, as active fish down below turned right off for our group of expert minnow dunkers.

The water was slightly stained from a combination of strong west winds and cooler air temperatures that provided the contributing momentum for lake physics to initiate the annual cool-weather lake turnover, which causes the bottom and top water layers to mix and turn stained or cloudy green.

While this phenomenon occurs three or four times before winter gets here, when it happens, the fish usually become disinterested in chow, but recent fish-catching activity shows this is not so with the yellow perch in our eastern end of Lake Erie for right now.

Shultz asked regular fishing partner, Len Ingoldsby, to weigh anchor in the big boat rig and this process is something to see and is another reason why, if you are in another boat – you really do not want to get too close to others, especially Schultz, before dropping your anchor.

Using a large, 15-inch orange ball float attached to a 3-foot long slip line and sliding hook rig, Shultz starts up and moves the boat forward in a 100 yard wide circle around the dropped anchor as the floating ball works its way down the anchor line to effortlessly dislodge the anchor and float it upward toward surface to allow for an easy anchor pull into the boat.

Shultz learned this trick from professional Alaska anglers when he visited his daughter in military service while she was stationed there about a decade or so ago. Schultz says, “I am always careful about not disturbing other anglers, but if they anchor too close to me, I can’t get my anchor out using this special “old man” anchor rig. I hope I don’t upset too many of them as we leave one area to head in or try another spot.” He was serious, but had a sort of grin. His usual facial profile.

We moved about two miles west to 50 feet of water where no other boaters were anchored and using his dash-mounted 4-inch Lowrance color screen sonar, Schultz grinned and said, “the fish are here guys, let’s drop anchor”. Ingoldsby quietly slid the anchor into the water and using the special bow-slip knot arrangement, was able to anchor off the bow without leaving the back of the boat. I constantly learn “new things” when my 60-years of fishing experience is in the midst of these savvy veteran Lake Erie anglers!

A few minutes later we all had our lines in the water and the fish seemed to have a case of lockjaw. “Chugger” switched to a Ted Malota 2-spinner perch rig with minnows, “Gunner” switched to a custom in-line spinner, a two-hook crappie-style rig with colorful beads, and “Unc” switched to an all-monofilament 2-hook dropper loop rig. Over the next 30 minutes, only Schultz with his all mono-rig was catching any fish and the rest of us were solidly eyeing up the details of his “hot rig” quite closely, especially with every fish he pulled up, which occurred every minute or two.

Being the gentleman that he is, Schultz offered each of us a custom rig like his from a well-stocked perch fishing box and only minutes later, we were all catching perch that had been spooked by wire rigs and spinner blades. “One more thing”, Schultz added, “I am tail hooking the minnows in one place, not two, like we usually do when fishing for perch”. This was an amazing discovery for some of us, that the fish would turn on and off with such a rig and minnow hook-up change, but that was the case.

Fishing with Herb Schultz is a seminar onto itself and can put you into a successful good-memory state of mind. Herb’s special advice? “You gotta keep it simple”. Herb says, “For perch, don’t get crazy with really light line and fancy rigs, you’ll just break them off and spook other fish, like you guys did.” He said that with a grin and there were teeth showing. That’s a big grin. He added, “Perch are fish that feed when they are hungry. They don’t care about anything else except where that minnow is coming from, just get it down there!” “Remember that!”

On the right day, angler hotspots and secret rigs that work can be shared at the marina.

To prove his point, Schultz told us he uses 50-pound leaders to make the rigs, then 20-pound test to tie the hook leaders on because he says, “I don’t like to lose multiple big perch when my line snaps off as I hoist them into the boat. It doesn’t happen anymore with the heavier leader line!” Schultz uses gold-plated Mustad hooks on a two-hook rig he ties himself with a sliding-loop bottom hook.

If you wanna know more about that trick “slider bottom hook”, look Schultz up at the next Southtowns Walleye meeting every third Thursday of the month at 7:00 p.m., 5895 Southwestern Boulevard in Hamburg.

We all cleaned our fish for about an hour apiece later that day and the winter freezer is looking good. Get out there and follow some of Herb’s simple advice and keep your hooks sharp.

Tight lines to all!

Hot Lake Erie Walleye – It’s Late September!

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Forrest Fisher

-Dunkirk to Cattaraugus Creek is HOT ZONE
-Stratified Lake Helps Focus Forage and Predators

The Lake Erie walleye fishery of Chautauqua County, New York, near Dunkirk Harbor, can be spectacular at times – times like right now. Late September, 2016.

1^st mate Dennis Gullo hollered out, “Setting the starboard side outside diver to Index 1-1/2 with ring, 10 foot leader, 17 pound test fluoro, we are at 155 back Captain.” Captain Roger Corlett softly replied, “What bait is on that one?” Gullo replied, “The 5-inch Pirate Lure Brown Trout.” “Yea, that’s been a good one lately,” Corlett grinned.

On the other side, Corlett deployed another diver with ring set to an index of three and 170 feet back, using a similar Rainbow Trout pattern lure. In the next two hours, both lures caught big walleye and memorable moments were made for everyone on board the charter boat named “89-Surprise.”

Captain Corlett modifies his lures to assure wide swing action (wobble) at 2 to 2.5 mph and to assure positive hook-ups without bent hooks. “I like to remove the front treble and replace the middle treble with a #2 VMC or Mustad, or other top high-strength hook that won’t bend and allow the fish to get away that we worked so hard to fool.”

Midwest Outdoors editor, Dave Mull, was all ears too. Shared tips and advice are hard to find on most days among fisherman, but Captain Corlett was schooling us about things that he does every day, his standard winning fish-catching tactics. Things we are not likely to soon forget.

Without proper professional science and management of Lake Erie, these conversations among happy fishermen might have never taken place. Thanks to the Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) in Dunkirk, New York, the walleye resource for Lake Erie’s eastern basin is well managed under the watchful eyes of Don Einhouse, Lake Erie Unit Leader, and his staff.

Lake Erie Unit Fisheries Leader, Don Einhouse, lower left, heads up a program that allows anglers to meet on a regular basis and review the “State of the Lake”, allowing questions and answers. This provides a renewable network of valuable communication between recreational anglers and the fisheries staff. Forrest Fisher Photo

The walleye resource is composed of local spawning stocks (eastern basin) as well as fish from summertime migration movements of western basin spawning stocks. Proof of the science and nature working together is that the walleye fishing quality in recent years has generally been very good. From the chart below, review and note that the success is largely attributable to excellent spawning success observed in 2003, 2010, and 2012.

The Lake Erie Fisheries Unit advises that measures of walleye fishing quality in 2015 were the fifth highest recorded in the 28 year survey. New York’s most recent juvenile walleye survey indicates a moderate spawning year in 2014. Overall good recruitment through recent years, especially from 2010 and 2012, suggests adult walleye abundance in the east basin will remain satisfactory for the next several years. Good news for walleye anglers.

The western basin of Lake Erie experienced a high walleye recruitment event in 2015, which should also help to support New York’s walleye fishery in the future. A new research initiative that began in 2015 uses acoustic telemetry to study walleye movement and assess the contribution of west basin migrants to the New York walleye fishery. A $100 reward is associated with the return of each tagged fish along with the internal acoustic tag.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit is responsible for research, assessment and fisheries management activities for one of New York’s largest and most diverse freshwater fishery resources. A variety of annual programs are designed to improve understanding of the Lake Erie fish community to guide fisheries management, and safeguard this valuable resource for current and future generations.

The staff at the Lake Erie Fisheries Unit includes Donald Einhouse, Lake Erie Unit Leader; James Markham, Aquatic Biologist; Jason Robinson, Aquatic Biologist; Douglas Zeller, Research Vessel Captain; Brian Beckwith, Fisheries Technician; Richard Zimar, Fisheries Technician; and MariEllen (Ginger) Szwejbka, Secretary. The staff is supported by Steven LaPan, Great Lakes Fisheries Section Head and Phil Hulbert, Chief of the Bureau of Fisheries.

The complete annual report on Lake Erie is available on NYSDEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/32286.html, or by contacting DEC’s Lake Erie Unit office (contact information below).

For comments to the Lake Erie Unit, please send to NYSDEC Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit e-mail: fwfishle@dec.ny.gov.

When Lake Erie Charter Captains Meet

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Forrest Fisher

Trolling, Casting?
Stickbaits or Live Bait?
Depth, Direction, Lure Details and GPS Numbers

Choosing the right lure, the right color, right size are key to success. Charters Captains have a virtual tackle shop aboard their fishing rigs. Forrest Fisher photo

The sky doesn’t fall in when charter captains meet, but secrets may be shared and debated. If you were a fly on the wall, you might want to be there. The knowledge of professional fishing guides and Great Lakes charter captains is one of those fishing resource elements that all who fish yearn to know more about – the guides know so many details.

They understand the important elements of water depth, wind direction, forage location and related changes, fishing line – type and strength, rods – length and action, reels – level wind or spinning, boat gear – safety first, landing nets – handle length and hoop size, cooler efficiency – Orion long-life coolers, live wells, sonar – Hummingbird and Lowrance, GPS, diving planes – Dipsey divers and Pink Lady’s and so many more, downrigger balls and releases – Black’s releases or Cannon or Big Jon or others, leader materials – Fluorocarbon or doesn’t it matter? How many are a gazillion things to know? These guys know all the not-so-little things.

When professional fishing guides and charter captains sit down together for great food and kinship at a 5-star facility such as Peak’N Peak Resort and Spa, do they share fishing secrets? You can ask ‘em! From left to right, Captain Frank Shoenacher – Infinity Charters, Gene Pauszek – Dunkirk Observer News, Captain Joan Erhardt & Captain Lance Erhardt – Sassafras Charters, musky guide – Captain Larry Jones, Captain Dan and Mrs. Korzenski – Hooked-Up Charters, and Captain Roger and Mrs. Corlett – 89 Surprise Charters. Forrest Fisher photo

Charter captains live to fish every day. They understand the pedigree of changes where they fish and believe it or not, most of them that catch fish all the time, share their effective fish-catching details with other trusted charter captains. Why? So that they are all in the winning column when they return to the dock with paying customers. That’s where the final score is decided.

Well-equipped fishing rigs are the standard for professional charter captains and guides where safety and fishing success is the objective every day. Forrest Fisher photo

Winning on the water means return trips in the future, extra tips at the dock and maybe even a Christmas card with a Tim Horton’s gift card in there. Paying customers are those folks that usually have little time to fish – but love to fish, and they have no time at all for learning the fishery and the gear, and all those things that matter so they don’t waste time looking for fish. When they are ready to try their luck, these folks NEED charter captains that know. They are willing to pay extra for that privilege and if you figure it all out, it may be way less expensive to simply fish with a good charter captain than on your own if time and money are a limitation for you.

It costs more to fish on your own, takes longer to learn all the necessary things to know, but its fun doing that too.

My last new boat, motor and trailer was list priced at $48,000. That’s not counting such necessary gear as sonar, rods, reels, line/lures, leaders, snap-swivels, etc. It’s a long and pricey list. At that price, I could take 3 charter trips of $500 each about three times a year, fill my freezer and do that for about 32 years and include a $100 tip at the dock for every good trip. That would result in a happy captain and I would probably get preferred status in the captain’s book when I call to go fishing. Not a bad way to go right?

Steve Geertsen (Clam Outdoors), with a whopper walleye caught near Dunkirk Harbor, Chautauqua County, New York. Forrest Fisher photo

Where I live, Captain Lance Erhardt and the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association (ELECBA) share information among themselves and their clients when it makes sense to do that. All fishermen have secrets, some things are special and some things are top-secret, like where they store the toilet paper when you really need it. The charter captains are always good for a few laughs.

When New York Outdoor News editor, Steve Piatt, fished with Erhardt and first mate, Zen Olow last week Piatt said, “We had such a good time, we laughed, we had lots of hook-ups, caught multiple species – especially walleye, and best of all, when we returned to the dock, we smelled pretty fishy! I think that’s the goal!” Not everybody does.

ELECBA has top captains that are drug tested prior to membership, first mates too, and so clients know things are on the up and up. Clients like that.

When the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) and the New York State Outdoor Writers Association (NYSOWA) met in Chautauqua County (New York) at Peek’N Peak Resort and Spa in mid-September (2016), ELECBA was the organization that provided the large group with the opportunity to learn about Eastern Basin Lake Erie fishing and catching opportunities. They excelled in their task. Camera shutters and video cam’s clicked for several days in a row and it was exciting for these visitors to experience fishing success like they did because they can spread the information across their respective communication links – newspapers, television, radio and website blogs. That means economic impact in a positive manner for the future.

Our fishing/communicator team of Dave Mull (Midwest Outdoors), Steve Geertsen (President of Clam Outdoors) and myself, fished with Captain Roger Corlett aboard his 31-foot Sea Ray, with first mate, Dennis Gullo, to catch seven walleye, a surprise pink salmon, a feisty steelhead, some hard-fighting sheepshead and a few giant silver bass.

All this in less than 4-hours on the water. Photo opportunities! I took 350 pictures! Dave Mull video’d several catches. One of our walleye measured 29-3/4 inches and neared the 10-pound mark, another was 28-1/4 inches and 9 pounds, and the other walleye were not little fish. That’s a freezer full.

Captain Roger Corlett has sore arms from Eastern Lake Erie walleye near Dunkirk Harbor. Forrest Fisher photo

The next day we shared the best problem, sore shoulders, hot coffee and no complaints. Dave Mull was mulling for a while that he lost a giant walleye that could have been a new state record, the fish was a monster – but slipped away. Do we wanna return? We left warm wishes for that with a $100 friendship tip. What fun!

We learned about setting diving planes, multiple line deployment tactics, lure selection options and why, and depths to fish.

The best deal is not when charter captains meet, the best deal is when you meet with the charter captains. Pass the word and get out there to learn more about where you like to fish when you get to fish on your own. Do it the hands on way with a charter captain or guide that is a professional and knows the ropes.

Here are a few of the Great Lakes Charter Captain’s from Dunkirk that I had a chance to meet over the conference, there are many more, and you can contact Captain Lance Erhardt (see below) for a complete list:

Tight lines!

Old-Timer Walleye-Catching Fish Secrets

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Forrest Fisher

Understand Depth and Speed, Control Bait Attraction

Big walleye in big deep waters like those found in eastern basin Lake Erie are not always easy to find, but the fish are there if you know how to approach them and how to keep your bait in the fish zone long enough for the fish to find it. After that, HANG ON!

For many traditional deep water (eastern end) Lake Erie walleye anglers, fishing methods have not changed much. Most of the old timers still prefer to troll than cast or drift, and they troll plugs using any of many longline trolling methods. It’s many of the old timers too, that catch most of the big fish. Go figure!

Their reasons are simple. They understand how to do it and they understand all the variations they think they need to make changes on the fly and be successful. Can it ever get any better than that? Do they ever get stumped and admit it? Answer: yes.

What changes? The savvy anglers who will talk details, many won’t, say it is the fish that seem to change their appetite for the lure type. They share that some old lures still work with regularity – like the floating Rapala taken to the desired depth, but many times, it is the brand new lure designs that simply slay the big numbers of fish and the biggest fish too.

Is it because the fish have not yet seen these lures? Do they have a different, more appealing wiggle? Are the lure makers doing a better job of convincing anglers to use the new lures and therefore they are in the water more and maybe even most of the time? Hard to say, maybe all of those reasons.

Some of the old timers I hang with when I can say they have not changed much except one thing. They use more simple means to get to the depth they want to fish. They use quiet speed control (electric motors) and slow down with the shortest possible line to reach the level that the fish (walleye) are suspended at.

Many still use in-line weight systems, 3-way rigs, and clip-on weights with old-fashioned 14, 17 or 20-pound monofilament line and they will not switch. Why? They are catching fish! They reason this way: they say they know the fish always on some kind of feeding timetable and that time can change from day to day. They shy away from 10-color lead core, 400 foot copper, and similar very long line systems. Why? They’re old and they won’t admit they’re lazy, but they do admit they don’t want to reel in a 10-pound fish for 35 minutes and have to go home because they’re tired. Guess that keeps their logic simple!

This modified Renosky lure is extremely effective when using simple speed and weighting system methods to get the bait to the fish.

So they troll around familiar waters with their familiar sinker-weighted, short-line, systems that harbor eddy currents that attract forage baitfish, then they try to match the shimmer and shake and size and color reflections of the type of baitfish they find there.

If they see suspended baitfish, they may be emerald shiners, smelt, shad or perhaps, there are schools of gobies if they see the bait right down near the bottom. They usually tinker with line deployment and weight-size vs. boat speed to connect with fish before very long.

Trolling lure plug types are usually 3-1/2 inches to 5-1/2 inches long, are usually wobble stickbaits and more often than not, they switch back to an old alternative all walleye anglers know, the spinner/worm. They switch between lowering speed and increasing their in-line weight to get into the fish zone, then let the fish decide on when to feed. They repeat the process with their known alternative baits every 15 minutes or so, one line at a time. They are patient anglers and that usually wins them many fish in the cooler.

Stickbait favorites in the eastern end of Lake Erie and many other larger water bodies include the new Bay Rat lures, new Rapala Shad family of lures, the new color Renosky lures, and the new line of Live Target Lures.

On many sunny days in July with a little riffle on the surface, early in the day fishing right after sunrise will find that lures that reflect shades of purple with any other color seems to be a killer. Many modify their lures and hard-lipped about sharing those secrets, but in the end, they say removing the front treble of 3-hook lures allows for a wider wobble at slower speeds and that this modified action catches more fish than other lures changes. They add a 2-3 inch piece of nightcrawler to the center hook and that allows an even wider wobble at slow speed. If the fish are near bottom, orange color lure pigmentation will often turn the fish on.

Spinner/worm style favorites depend on water temperature. There are the choices of Colorado blades, Indiana blades, turtle blades, willow leaf blades, and many other styles, including one-blade, two-blade and bead size and bead spacing variations, clevis size changes for efficiency and blade rattle (with the beads) that can really make a difference. All have a purpose. Tight lines.

Tuning Up for Summer Walleye – Part 2

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Forrest Fisher

Find the Forage, Match Your Lure, Catch Fish!

Bob Rustowicz has been a tournament winning angler for many decades- he fishes hard and often, following bait schools near his favorite fishing areas in Eastern Basin Lake Erie. This 11.42 pound walleye is currently leading the 32nd Annual Southtowns Walleye Association Tournament.

When tournament anglers travel to a waterway that they know, it is often a brand new ball game because everything changes week to week. Sometimes it’s better not to know the waterway, that way you can’t make the same mistakes by fishing the same way you did last time when you caught fish and now, the conditions are changed. Bad habits can cause bad fishing days, of course, we all know there are no days that are actually bad days to be out fishing!

You may know where the creek beds and the sunken roads are in reservoir lakes, the offshore shoals and reefs in natural lakes – maps can tell you that too, but it’s the other variables that affect forage location. Where the forage schools are controls where the predator fish are and what they will strike. As you choose your lures, this is a big key to catching fish.

Plain and simple, walleye like to eat. As waters warm, they eat often. Their metabolism rises and they have no choice, so they stay close to forage school locations. As anglers, it is up to us to understand how the wind direction and water temperature changes affect the forage. It pays to know as many details as possible about the forage community. What types of forage live in the waterway?

On Lake Erie, the deep eastern basin off New York and Pennsylvania offers many forage types, but the primary forage are emerald shiners, rainbow smelt, yellow perch and round goby. The walleye will key on whichever species has the most abundance where the walleye are located.

Walleye favorites in Lake Erie are the emerald shiners and smelt, so angler lures that mimic those forage types – when those forage types are available, are usually taking fish to the boat.

Usually, the smaller walleye key on the emerald shiner minnows, the larger walleye key on the longer and heavier smelt, but when or the other is in low supply, the fish switch in favor of abundance. When these two forage are hard to find, the walleye move toward shore into shallower waters and key on the yellow perch. Again, the walleye locations vary with forage density locations.

So while I am not a biologist, I have been fishing out there for nearly seven decades and have learned from the best of the best anglers. Today, we have so much equipment to help us cheat fair out there, since it now largely a matter of who can afford the best equipment to catch fish with science and technology helping us figure out where the forage is. We can monitor, water temperature, wind speed, water current, boat speed, oxygen content and Ph to narrow down where we fish any length of time.

To simplify, watch your graph, study the wind and wave weather maps – the resulting current eddy’s control the flow of phytoplankton and photoplankton. The young of the year emerald shiner and smelt nursery schools feed on these the larger forage is never too far from them. The walleye are nearby.

The wind maps can be found here: http://www.coastwatch.msu.edu/erie/e3.html.

Wind maps and lake current maps are available for all the Great Lakes at this link sector. These maps help you locate the surface temperature of interest and help you figure out where the forage are located in their highest density.

Rig up your preferred fishing tackle, just allow for adjusting to the baitfish that you locate to catch fish. As we transition into summer, the temperature cycles have been fluctuating and the wind shifts the lake currents topsy-turvy, often causing short duration turnovers. When you leave the dock and head out about a mile or so, check the water temp. If it’s 45, turn around and go fish somewhere else. Or, head out about 15 miles to get to the other edge of the thermal break.

Match the hatch is the key rule. Mimic the forage. New model lures always seem to catch more fish than old stuff for some reason. Are the fish educated? Nope. It’s just that they seem to always slam new baits, new colors, new sizes better than old stuff. Can the old stuff still work? Sure it can, but sometimes only on those days when the fish are really gorging themselves. Funny how that works.

So I am always trying new lures. The new effective lures from my end include those that look like smelt. This one from Live-Target Lures simulates an elongated school of baitfish. I really like it, especially when it’s working! It’s ideal when walleye are feeding on small baitfish, has a wide body profile, two hook or three hook design dependent on size, it suspends and is silent. The EBB90S in pearl/olive (color 801) is a 5/16 ounce suspending lure, 3-1/2 inch long that will dive 3-4feet. It has two hooks in size 4. The EBB115S is a 4-1/2 inch model and has three hooks in size 6.

Another of the new lures that has met with recent success is this one from Rapala. Another of the newbies that has attracted some of the country’s best anglers for many species is the Rapala Shadow Rap (SDR11MBS). This lure works best when there are also gizzard shad in the forage mix, as sometimes happens here in WNY in spring. It has flatter sides and offers a swimming minnow action, has a rattle, will suspend and stay there, a very effective lure to cast or troll, especially when fished as a jerk bait. The moss back shiner color has been my favorite here. It runs just 2 to 4 feet deep, but works well off the boards with weight or a diving plan or 3-color lead core for the June timeframe.

These lure types are also offered in deeper diving models if you prefer to fish without lead core or weights as the fish head out deeper.

In the Southtowns Walleye Association Tournament on Lake Erie’s eastern basin, the largest fish so far include (June 13th) for first place: 11.42 lbs, second: 10.72, third: 10.51 lbs. For the junior anglers under 16, first place is 9.52 lbs, second is 7.80 and third is 7.75. Bob Rustowicz is leading with the big fish.

Tight lines!

Lake Erie Committee Announces Walleye and Yellow Perch Harvest Levels for 2016

Posted on January 23, 2024 by stoadmin

Maintaining a healthy Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch fishery is the responsibility of fishery scientists and managers from many states and nations that meet each year to discuss the monitoring data behind the delicate balance of understanding a healthy fishery. Forrest Fisher Photo

The binational Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fish Commission (GLFC), comprising fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario, and Pennsylvania, met in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and recommended a total allowable catch (TAC) of 4.937 million walleye and 9.208 million pounds of yellow perch for 2016 (Walleye are allocated by number of fish; yellow perch are allocated in pounds). These TAC recommendations are an allowable combination harvest of recreational sport fishing and commercial fishing, for 2016 the numbers represent an increase in allowable catch for walleye from 4.114 million fish last year and a decrease in yellow perch from 10.528 million fish.

The Lake Erie Committee’s TAC recommendations are reflective of the status of Lake Erie’s fish populations and take into account the goal of consistent harvest from year to year. The individual provincial and state governments adhere to and implement the TAC recommendations in accordance with their respective regulations and management objectives.

TAC recommendations are produced after extensive lakewide biological assessments, analysis, discussions, and consultations with stakeholders. A central mechanism to discuss walleye and yellow perch management in Lake Erie is called the Lake Erie Percid Management Advisory Group, or LEPMAG. Through this process, stakeholder input directly informs the development of harvest strategies.

A healthy fishery affects the recreational economy and millions of people that utilize the resource.

WALLEYE

The Lake Erie Committee today recommended a 2016 walleye TAC of 4.937 million fish, a 20% increase from the 2015 TAC of 4.114 million fish. The TAC recommendation for 2016 reflects a stable adult population and a moderate to strong hatch in 2014. The 2011, 2010, 2007, and the 2003 year classes continue to contribute to the stability of the walleye fishery and allow for the increase in TAC from last year.

Each Lake Erie jurisdiction is responsible for implementing its portion of the TAC. The Province of Ontario and the States of Ohio and Michigan share the TAC based on a formula of walleye habitat within each jurisdiction in the western and central basins of the lake. Under a 2016 TAC of 4.937 million fish, Ohio will be allocated 2.523 million fish, Ontario 2.126 million fish, and Michigan 0.288 million fish. Most of the walleye harvest comes from the western portion of Lake Erie and, as such, jurisdictions in the eastern end of the lake are outside the TAC area. Harvest limits in the eastern basin are established separately by Ontario, Pennsylvania, and New York and remain in accordance with lake-wide conditions and objectives.

The walleye TAC recommendations are consistent with the Lake Erie Walleye Management Plan, which sets fishery goals and objectives for walleye. The plan is the result of extensive stakeholder and manager input through LEPMAG. In addition, the Walleye Task Group, comprising scientists and field biologists from all Lake Erie jurisdictions, provides scientific advice to the Lake Erie Committee. The committee also takes into account recommendations from LEPMAG and is informed by a model, developed in conjunction with stakeholders and Michigan State University.

YELLOW PERCH

The Lake Erie Committee remains strongly interested in maintaining stability in harvest while ensuring yellow perch sustainability. Consistent with that primary objective, the Lake Erie Committee recommended a 2016 TAC of 9.208 million pounds of yellow perch, a decrease from last year’s allocation of 10.528 million pounds. The decrease in the yellow perch TAC reflects declining abundance in the central eastern basins, coupled with increasing abundance in the western basin. Like the walleye TAC recommendation, the proposed yellow perch TAC is the result of deliberations among the jurisdictions and with stakeholders through the LEPMAG process.

The five jurisdictions on the lake share Lake Erie’s yellow perch established under an area-based formula. Under the 2016 TAC recommendation, Ontario will receive 4.385 million pounds, Ohio 3.876 million pounds, Michigan 0.209 million pounds, New York 0.119 million pounds, and Pennsylvania 0.620 million pounds.

The Lake Erie Committee noted that the lake-wide yellow perch fishery is performing at long-term trend levels and, thus, the overall TAC reflects a relatively small decrease. The performance, however, is not uniform throughout the lake. In some areas, called “management units,” the change in yellow perch abundance (and, hence, allowable harvest) is significantly different in 2016 compared to 2015. The Lake Erie Committee has strived to maintain harvest stability while still responding to specific trends in each management unit. The committee discussed the need to evaluate methods, including population modeling and assessment, for better understanding percid recruitment in the central basin.

THE LAKE ERIE PERCID MANAGEMENT ADVISORY GROUP (LEPMAG)

The Lake Erie Percid Management Advisory Group was first convened in 2010 and serves as the primary method to incorporate stakeholder needs and objectives into the Lake Erie yellow perch and walleye decision-making process. LEPMAG consists of senior representatives from all provincial and state jurisdictions on the lake, recreational fishers, commercial fishers, and other interested organizations. Through LEPMAG, fishery managers and stakeholders work together to identify the harvest policies for Lake Erie percids that meet the needs of all stakeholders while maintaining stability in the percid fishery. Michigan State University’s Quantitative Fisheries Center facilitates the LEPMAG process. Walleye are now being managed under the Walleye Management Plan, which was developed through LEPMAG and formally adopted by the Lake Erie Committee in December, 2015. LEPMAG members are in the process of developing population objectives and harvest strategies for yellow perch in Lake Erie. The objectives and harvest strategies are expected to be completed in the coming years.

THE LAKE ERIE COMMITTEE AND TACs

The Lake Erie Committee comprises fishery managers from Michigan, New York, Ohio, Ontario and Pennsylvania. The committee’s work is facilitated by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, a Canadian and U.S. agency on the Great Lakes. Each year the committee recommends a TAC for walleye and yellow perch. The TAC represents the number or weight of fish recommended to be caught by sport and commercial fishers without putting the fisheries at risk. The individual agencies implement the recommended total allowable catch.

Hockey Star Invites Anglers to find Giant Walleye

Posted on January 23, 2024 by Forrest Fisher

Former National Hockey League star, Rob Ray (Rayzor), now a revered NHL-TV color commentator, loves to fish and contributes support to help others understand the Lake Erie walleye fishery resource through two major walleye fishing tournaments from Dunkirk, New York. Forrest Fisher Photo

When a national hockey league star that everyone wants to meet offers to sponsor a 100% cash payout walleye fishing tournament in Lake Erie, guess what? There are a record number of participants! The result is fun, camaraderie, technique talk and many long-winded fishing tales, including the relatively small size of the biggest fish caught, many are just over 10 pounds for recent 2015 eastern basin Lake Erie walleye tournaments.

Anglers that fished eastern basin Lake Erie for walleye in the late 1980’s share that many bigger fish were typical back then. It was not unusual to catch one or two really big fish, 12 or 13 pound fish, during an extended weekend of fishing.

In 1986, just fishing for fun with a senior Lake Erie mentor, Russ Johnson, we caught six 11-pounders, four 12-pounders and one 14-pounder, not mention several hundred fish from eight to 10 pounds while fishing the forage-attracting eddy currents within five miles of Van Buren Point, not far from Dunkirk Harbor (New York).

Listen to Dave Mercer and Henry Waszczuk on learning more about forage and bait while understanding the fish species they are trying to catch. Do wiggling lures, wobbling lures or other lures (visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHYIm5CP_KU) complete the job of finding and fooling big fish best?Walleye limits diminished for serious walleye anglers through the late 90’s and early 2000’s, but while they are back to the norm for most knowledgeable anglers today (2015), there is one difference, there are not that many fish over 10-pounds brought to the scales these days. This is confirmed by the final standings of multiple summer tournament walleye competition events. Some big fish are caught, but not many. What happened has many anglers thinking.

Is it the predator-prey relationship index? Is it too many non-native invasive species like the round goby? Too much clear water? The Zebra mussels must be responsible! The deep water where the giant summer walleye live is cleaner and clearer than ever before, with 25 to 40 foot Secchi disc readings, and there is no obvious algae issue in the deep eastern basin of Lake Erie.

Regulatory agencies are not sure either, but each of the recent hatch years show solid walleye hatches, so it appears the predator population numbers are good. Some say it must be El Nineo! Last year we had 36 inches of winter ice off Buffalo, this year boats can be launched for perch fishing in February. Anglers ask, “What’s up?”

In this graphical depiction of a bait ball and predator from Live Target Lures, the idea of the predator-forage feeding frenzy is made clear. One reason why bait-ball style lures have been very effective for anglers (see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXuup8tBS2w).

While no one actually can provide sound scientific rationale for the shift in catch size, changes in the lake have certainly occurred. There have been changes in the fishermen too, anglers are much more efficient today. They have learned how to run high-tech line rigs, find fish with side- scan sonar and can zero in on fish locales pretty fast.

Still, when all that happens the way it all should as an angler develops modern-day proficiency, the fish are not massive. The walleye giants seem to be gone.

In 2015, eastern basin walleye schools were hard to find, but they were eventually located. Word spread and the walleye had moved down from their usual thermocline zone of 60 to 70 feet from the surface into 110-115 foot depths. They were feeding on schools of deep smelt to find survival forage. The temperature was 49 degrees down there! Brrr! Bait-forage type imitation lures used during that time were effective for many anglers.

Have the giants disappeared because the emerald shiner forage base has diminished? Have the emerald shiner schools been compromised and have they met some form of Mother Nature demise? Many ask this question, some blame the ice boom placed at the head of the Niagara River, the variable weather or possible fish diseases.

Some question the long and numerous fishing contests that take place during or immediately following the post-spawning cycle. Are some contests removing the big walleye spawners from eastern basin waters that occasionally are caught before the migratory walleye from the western basin arrive? Final standings in early season contests have dozens of fish tipping the scales over 10 pounds, but not in the late summer contests. Where did the big girls go by late summer? Are they gone? Seems impossible to escape 100’s of boats with skilled anglers and gear all summer.

The migratory walleye schools swim all the way from western basin Lake Erie (Ohio) each June to the eastern basin of Lake Erie to escape the warm summer water and reduced oxygen levels suspected there (from algae blooms).

Modern fishing gear is not the problem in finding the fish, as high tech anglers have plenty of gear that will satisfy all questions. Forrest Fisher Photo

Is it time to form a larger study group with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) or consider creating an international management agency to regulate Eastern Basin Lake Erie Tournament Regulations, a Tournament Board of Governors? A group that would require the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources to work together to approve walleye tournament action and time of year, length of event, number of participants, etc.

It would seem that since Ohio Lake Erie fishing regulations in tributary and western basin Lake Erie waters also allow fishing and harvest during spring walleye spawning cycle periods that the concern for the spawning time period of contests should not be valid concern in eastern basin Lake Erie. Are there other factors at work?

There are plenty of fish to catch in summer, but no giants. Why? These are things that a lot of anglers think about. One thing for sure, it’s food for thought, for all of us.

To learn more about the two major Rob Ray (Rayzor) sponsored walleye fishing contests in eastern basin Lake Erie with 100 percent cash payback, contact Mark Mohr at markmohr37@gmail.com or via phone at: 716-998-9871.

Tight lines!