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ERIE WCO REPORT - 9/19/01 Perch
As is typical, September continues to be a banner month for perch. 50-62' due north of Walnut Creek and north of the point at Presque Isle at the '886 and '490 location are the productive areas.
Boaters are limiting out in less than one hour catching doubles and triples of 12-inch-plus perch. If Emerald Shiners are not available, Fathead Minnows will work just as well.
Anglers have been having some luck along the South Pier as well with both Perch and Crappie. Just a reminder that the Perch limit is 20 fish per person and the minimum size is 8-inches. Be sure to count your fish to avoid costly fines. Steelhead
Steelhead continue to stage at the tributary mouths. Boaters have had some luck trolling the shoreline as have the shore anglers. The "chorus line" continues to build along the shore at Trout Run. Water levels remain very low in the tribs however, some rainfall is predicted for this week. Current Lake temperature is still a warm 69 degrees. Late night and early daybreak anglers are having luck on the wall at Walnut Creek and to some degree north of the access at Elk Creek. Tipped minifoo jigs, Powerbait, single eggs and crawlers have been the productive baits. Artificial egg pattern flies and sucker spawn imitations are also good choices. Walleye
Continue to hang six miles west of the Pennsylvania/Ohio border with limits being taken there. It is about a 14-mile run out of Conneaut, Ohio. Pennsylvania-area anglers are picking up three to four per trip but mostly get steelhead in their attempts. Biologists report a number of Walleye located in 40-feet of water off of Godfrey Run but note that there are a large number of Bass, Sheephead, Catfish and Suckers mixed with them. Law Enforcement
With the overlap of boaters and shore anglers, crowds at Walnut are large, especially along the Wall. Anglers are again reminded that the boaters coming in and out of the channel have the absolute right of way. Wall anglers must realize that with the wind and waves, the channel gets very shallow and often times boaters have to "hug the wall" to stay in navigable water. Fishing line can do costly damage to a boat's outdrive. Officers will be on the lookout for anglers not reeling their lines in to avoid boat traffic. Boaters having problems with angler lines should inform personnel at the Walnut Creek Access Area Office of any specific incidents and should not attempt to take these situations into their own hands. Boaters are asked to sound their horns or whistles when entering or exiting the Walnut channel as a courtesy to the wall anglers. With the large crowds, litter is already becoming a problem. Officers will have little tolerance for this unfortunate problem. Be sure to police your area when you leave. A reminder that the Manchester hole is privately owned and fishing there is granted only by the generosity of the land owner. Fishing in the Manchester hole is permitted only from the West Bank. Fishing is not permitted on the "island" or on the East bank. Breaking the rules, littering or unruly behavior in this area can jeopardize public access to this great fishing spot. Strict enforcement at the stop signs at the Walnut Access entrance shall continue. This is a heavily used pedestrian crossing and will be enforced for those failing to stop their vehicle. There have been several near misses already this season. The next Fish-for-Free Day is this Saturday, Sept. 22, 2001...
This is a great opportunity for experienced Pennsylvania anglers to introduce a friend or relative to the great recreation offered by fishing in Pennsylvania. First authorized by state law in 1984, free fishing days have traditionally been designated to coincide with National Fishing and Boating Week in June and with National Hunting and Fishing Week in September. On designated free fishing days, anyone can fish on any Pennsylvania waters open to fishing without having a fishing license. All other general and special fishing regulations, such as seasons, sizes, creel limits and tackle restrictions, apply on these dates. If you are new and do not know the rules, angler guidline booklets are available any place that licenses are purchased. Project Waters...
are scheduled to have loose material removed from some of the holes this week. This should be perfect timing for the steelhead runs soon to come. Please excuse the temporary inconvenience.
by:
John W. Bowser, WCO
Jwb014@aol.com
Randy G. Leighton DWCO
Rglerie@aol.com Crawford County Report - WCO Joe Russell
Pymatuning Lake continues to be slow this week, but the water temperature is still up there. Lake levels as of today were almost two feet down from normal pool, so it doesn't take long during a warm day to heat up all the shallow water. The fishing hasn't stopped all together though, as Carp are still being caught in large numbers at the spillway. More information to come when the fall run starts and the Walleye start biting again. Conneaut Lake has been very productive this last week with anglers reporting catches of quite a few good-sized Smallmouths and Largemouths. Bluegills are also doing extremely well with anglers limiting out after a couple hours of fishing. Conneaut Lake has cooled down quite a bit more than Pymatuning, however, probably because of the deeper water. With the onset of an early goose season and duck season only weeks away, hunters are reminded that all boating laws apply when hunting from a canoe. One U.S. Coast Guard approved wearable life jacket must be on
board for each person in the boat and boats over 16-feet need a type IV throwable device. This has been law for many years now and we are going to make a concerted effort to make sure these laws are followed for the boating public's safety. Don't be surprised if officers are at boat ramp or a patrol boat stops you on the lake to check your safety equipment. We have a job to do and the public's best interest in mind.
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