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Erie County WCO Report / January 2001
Ice Conditions…
Commonly, officers are asked to comment on local ice conditions & thickness.
We must refrain from doing so due to the liability involved and the quick
changes that can occur. A report issued today for safe ice in Presque Isle
Bay may be totally inaccurate if a freighter is moved into the shipyard.
Other agencies follow the same procedures. We will provide recommended
thickness but the actual ice conditions will be left to the individual
anglers to decide on the day they are fishing. Minimum thickness for a
single angler or a small group of spread out anglers is a good 4" thick.
Drilling small pilot holes as you walk out can be done to check ice
thickness.
Where to go and what to catch.
Misery Bay at the far Northwest point on Presque Isle is always a hot spot
for those willing to brave the elements. Look for the ice huts and use good
judgment before venturing out on the ice. Good catches of perch and panfish
have already been reported with an occasional bass or steelhead biting to
liven up the action. Live shiners have been the dominant bait. Regular
limits still apply...Perch limit 20, minimum 8" , Other panfish, 50 fish
limit, no size, Steelhead, limit 3, 15" minimum (only 2 of which can be Lake
Trout), Bass Large or small mouth or combined, limit 4, 15" minimum, Northern
Pike, limit 2, 24" minimum.
Steelhead fishing should be great at the Walnut Creek Boat Basin when the ice
forms. Black Minifoo Jigs tipped with maggots have been a perennial favorite
in that spot.
Reports of Bluegills being caught in the Edinboro Lake fingers have come in
but not yet confirmed by officers.
The Stateline Ponds offer a nice alternative for those looking for a change
of pace in their ice fishing.
Citations Issued…
A rough breakdown by percentage for citations issued by Western Erie County
officers for the year 2000:
20% - Fish Rules & Regulation (majority were snagging or too many rods)
15% - Boating Equipment or Operation violations
8% - Littering
8% - Private property violations on lands open to public fishing
8% - No Fishing License
37% - Fish Commission Property (violations at Walnut Creek Access & Fairview
Gravel Pit)
2% - False & Fraudulent Statements to Officers
2% - Fishing in Nursery Waters
Looking back, this was not a typical year.
. Rough Lake Conditions & only minor schooling of walleye created
modifications in normal boat patrol patterns & frequency.
· Heavy angling pressure in the Walnut Access Project Waters required
increased enforcement presence by officers.
· A mixture of new WCO's & Deputies in training status throughout the year
modified some patrol patterns to expose them to the wide variety of
situations encountered in the Erie area.
· WCO Bowser experiencing some health problems and losing 2 months of work.
. The great assistance of the public in violation reports continued to help
keep things on a level playing field for sportsmen.
A complete & detailed Statewide Law Enforcement Report will be issued by
Harrisburg BLE later in the New Year and be available for viewing on the PFBC
Website.
My Thanks… I wish to extend my sincere thanks to all of the clubs, anglers, media
contacts, and friends for their wellwishes & prayers during my surgery. I
would especially like to acknowledge the dedication & support of my fellow
officers & deputies for their "extra" effort to protect the resource & its
anglers in my absence. My recovery is coming along nicely and I anticipate
getting a green light to return to work in February. The encouragement &
assistance received from Commissioner Concilla, the Harrisburg Staff & NW
Region Office has been wonderful and has (almost) made me feel guilty for the
couple of times I was mad at them.
I can't help but to mention in closing the wonderful Christmas Gift
received from Ed Kissell & the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie. For years, I have been
trying to avoid getting one of the "Singing Bass" wall plaques but my efforts
were apparently in vain. A physical therapy workout thankfully prevented its
public presentation to me at the December meeting but Ed came through for the
club a few days later in its delivery .....John Bowser, WCO Last reminder
2001 Licenses must be displayed on January 1st, 2001
Best wishes for a safe and successful New year. John Bowser, email - Jwb014@aol.com
Waterways Conservation Officer
Randy Leighton, email - Rglerie@aol.com
Deputy Waterways Conservation Officer
PA. Fish and Boat Commission
West Erie County
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