CURRENT CONDITIONS... Winter just doesn't want to let go in the Erie area...in fact we have now surpassed the all time seasonal snowfall record. Current snow pack with forecasted rains & warm up will keep water levels high for awhile. Remember not to let high water ruin your fishing trip. Tribs on the East Side of the County are the best bet in high water followed by the upper ends of Elk & Crooked. Another option is fishing with scented baits close to shore in muddy water. Fresh fish still are continuing to appear as of this writing. WHERE TO GO FOR STEELHEAD: The "hot spots" like Manchester, the Walnut Project waters, the Elk Creek Access area and the Legion Park areas are really drawing the crowds. There are good numbers of fish in Crooked creek with considerably fewer anglers. Again, please note the posted Nursery areas on Crooked. Fishing in Commission designated nursery waters is prohibited and officers have issued a number of citations for this violation. Good catches have been reported in the Walnut Creek boat basin and fish are being caught off the wall. The "Chutes" area has been productive for the fast water angler. HOT BAITS FOR STEELHEAD... With the tribs having a nice dark color, jigs, minnows and skein are the hottest baits. Suckerspawn and egg fly patterns are also working well. Powerbaits continue to be a favorite as always but especially in murky water conditions. CRAPPIES... Patrols found boat anglers catching large amounts of Crappie approximately 60 yards off shore. They were located about 1/4 mile past the third Parking Lot where the shoreline nears the roadway. Remember that all boats must have the proper lights displayed after sunset. LANDOWNERS… Remember that on the tributaries, even the streambeds are private property. If land is posted or you are asked by a landowner to leave their property… you must do it or face possible defiant trespass charges. You are a "guest" on their property and should act as you would wish someone would if they were in your backyard at home. A reminder that fishing is only permitted on the West Bank of the Manchester hole as well as the chutes area and is so posted. Fishing opportunities only exist due to the landowner tolerance and hospitality. Anyone whose behavior would threaten this access for future generations may find himself or herself facing enforcement action from officers. A great idea for those that love to watch or participate in the stocking of trout is to carry along a garbage bag. There aren't always enough buckets to go around and it sure is nice when the landowners see anglers picking up litter along the stream. S.O.N.S. Hatchery receives 33% Walleye Egg allocation increase… The PFBC has increased the number of walleye eggs to the S,O.N.S. Co-op Nursery by 33%. As with all Co-op Nurseries, eggs or small fry are provided by the PFBC for these hard working volunteers to raise. This defers costs to the agency and assists in enhancing fish stocks. TROUT OPENER... Regular trout season opens at 8:00 am on Saturday, April 14th. The daily creel limit for the Fairview Gravel Pit, Lake Pleasant, & Conneauttee Creek is 5 trout (combined species) with a minimum size limit of 7." These waters are closed to fishing from April 1st to the Opening Day. Tributaries remain open until midnight on April 12th. They close for only 32 hours to permit stocking of the tribs. Remember that "ALL" boats using PFBC Owned or Controlled Lakes or Access Areas must be registered. Local areas would include Eaton Reservoir, Fairview Gravel Pit, Walnut Creek Access, etc… Trout regulations on the Lake Erie tribs have a creel limit of 8 combined species (only 3 may be 15"+) Questions have arisen as to fishing in the tribs and Inland Waters on the same day as to total fish permitted to be caught. Remember… IT IS A REBUTTABLE PRESUMPTION THAT FISH IN POSSESSION ON A WATERWAY WERE CAUGHT FROM THAT WATERWAY. In other words… the burden of proof falls upon the angler that they met the legal size or creel limit if he or she is found not to be in compliance. Some examples of awkward situations would be as follows: 1> An angler that caught 5 fish at the Gravel Pit could go to one of the tribs and catch 3 more fish. If the fish in possession were under the 9" size limit for the tribs, they would be in violation unless they could prove that those shorter fish were caught at the Gravel Pit in compliance with the size limit there. 2> An angler catches 5 trout on the tribs and then goes to the Gravel Pit. He should be able to take 3 more fish but the burden would be on them to prove that they were not all caught at the Gravel Pit and that they were not over their possession limit. The best solution for these would be not to put yourself in the situation in the first place. Taking the fish caught on the tribs home before going to another water area is probably the best bet. If visiting from out of town, taking them to one of the official fish cleaning stations is another option. In many cases, officers have never met you and aren't aware that you perhaps have never broken a law in your lifetime. In only minutes they have to make a decision as to whether a violation has occurred based on their experience, instinct, and evidence in front of them. Using some common sense and thinking how things would look will make these encounters more pleasant for everyone involved. CONGRATULATIONS … Michael Clement will be receiving the Eagle Scout Award on April 1st. He is the son of PFBC Deputy Nick Clement and his wife Heidi. His Eagle Scout Project was the gravel trail from the roadway to the Walnut Creek Project Waters. This replaced what used to be a slippery clay trail and has made access so much safer for thousands of anglers. Congratulations to Michael from all of us in the Fish & Boat Commission. PUBLIC MEETING… On Monday, March 19th 2001, officials of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission met with local sports club Representatives and anglers to invite public comment as to proposed regulations by Pennsylvania to assist in Lake Erie walleye rehabilitation efforts. The following is a list of changes being made by other states. Pre Rehabilitation Post Rehabilitation
Ohio: 10 walleye/day 4 walleye/day (Spring) No minimum size limit 6 walleye/day (Summer) No closed season Michigan: 10 walleye/day 6 walleye/day 13" minimum size limit No Closed season New York: 5 walleye/day 4 walleye/day 15" minimum size limit Closed season in the Spring Ontario: 5 walleye/day (West) West: 4 walleye/day (Spring), 6 walleye/day (Summer 4 walleye/day (East) East: 4 walleye/day No minimum size limit Season Closure in Sanctuaries The proposal of Pennsylvania is essentially to close walleye fishing in Lake Erie during the Spring spawn period until the first Friday in May to mirror Pa. Inland Regulations currently in effect. The regulation if adopted, would take effect in 2002. This closed season will be a proportionate contribution by comparison to the remaining states and Ontario. It would also save a portion of the larger brood stock that typically make up this catch. Commissioner Concilla's efforts for conservation were well supported at the public forum and the Lake Erie Research Unit staff made an informative presentation. PYMATUMING REPORT by WCO Joe Russell / Western Crawford County… Currently the fishing in Pymatuming has picked up greatly, with walleye averaging 16" to 20" inches, and quite a few over the 24" mark. Most of the fish being taken have been from boats at the north end of the lake around the Manning launch area. The majority have been in 14 to 17 feet of water using chartreuse single tail jigs and tipping them with minnows. Jigging type blade baits such as the Sonar blades will work well too. Folks are also doing well off the spillway after dark using the same bait. Crappie and perch have also picked up but are in slightly shallower water with perch going 6 to 10 inches and crappie about the same. DWCO Randy Leighton PA. Fish and Boat Commission Western Erie County Rglerie@aol.com WCO John Bowser Pa. Fish & Boat Commission Western Erie County jwb014@aol.com
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