April 20th, 2011 West Erie County, DWCO Randy Leighton, rglerie@msn.com Conditions: Area anglers are quickly moving into the spring crappie and perch bite with many anglers spotted around the Bay and along the North and South Piers. Perch and crappie fishing in the Bay has been fair to good with anglers doing best at the West End. Bay temperatures are now hovering in the low 50s and have warmed enough to spark the Spring pan fish spawn. Some steelhead remain in the Bay but will soon migrate to the Lake as the water warms. Stocked trout will remain in the tribs for another week or two giving anglers additional opportunities and there are still plenty of trout to be landed at the Gravel Pit Pond, Lake Pleasant and the Basin Ponds at Presque Isle. Cool temperatures and reasonable precipitation have kept a fair number of steelhead in the tribs and fresh fish can be found near the mouths and along the lake shore. The water temperature off Toledo is 46 degrees, off Cleveland 41, and off shored of Erie, 40 degrees. West County Trib conditions were at good levels, clear to slightly stained with good flow as of this writing. The Gravel Pit Pond is scheduled for additional trout stocking on Saturday the 30th, Elk Creek from the Legion Hole in Girard to the mouth is scheduled for April 26th and at the Mckean Hole area April 20th. Crooked Creek is scheduled for additional stocking on April 26th. For detailed stocking schedules go to 2011 Trout Stocking Schedule by County Elk Valley Sportsmen's Annual Club Kids Fishing Derby: A Few Tips To Save Fuel This Boating Season: No need to dwell on the cost of fuel but with a little extra care and maintenance on your boat and trailer you can go a long way to maximize your fuel economy. Consider the following fuel saving tips:
Never exceed the manufacturers tongue weight for your hitch. Proper tongue weight should be between 5 to 7 percent of the total tow package, which will include the weight of the boat, all loaded gear and the trailer weight. This helps the trailer package the follow the vehicle efficiently by reducing sway and bob and maintaining balance between the vehicle and the trailer. Make sure the boat is level on the trailer and the trailer is level when hooked to the vehicle. In adjusting the boat on the trailer, V-frame trailers allow for the lowest adjustment of the boat to the trailer and at the same time enable easy loading and unloading of the boat without any damage to the trailer or boat. Proper boat and trailer height and assuring that the boat is centered on the trailer also reduces wind resistance and maintains safety. Match the vehicle's recommended tow rating to trailer weight. When towing, make sure the tow vehicle is capable of towing the boat and trailer package by checking the vehicle's tow rating in the owner's manual. The weight of the boat should include all gear and fuel. Investing in a good quality boat cover and cross bows to take up cover slack if necessary can help reduce wind resistance. This will reduce the wind drag when towing down the highway. A cover also protects the boat from the elements. It is imperative that the cover fit properly and be tightly and completely secured to avoid excess stress on the cover tie downs and snaps. This is best achieved with a custom fit cover for your boat rather than and "off the shelf" cover. Double check bearing protectors or "bearing buddies. Most trailers come with bearing protectors to keep the hubs properly lubed. These need to be checked regularly to make sure they are full of grease. Most bearing protectors can be tested by simply pressing the spring-loaded piston. If the hub has adequate grease, it will rock back and forth slightly, but it will not fully compress. Do not over fill "bearing buddies" as the grease will break through the seal on the inside of the wheel and may cause damage. Refer to the trailer owner's manual for specific instructions. When towing, accelerate slowly and steadily from complete stops. Jack Rabbit starts waste fuel. Maintain consistent speeds when possible, especially with interstate driving (your vehicle's cruise control will help). Support Your Local Sportsmens Clubs: The S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie will have their regular monthly meeting on Monday, April 26th, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. at the Polish Falcons Club, 431 E. 3rd Street, Erie, PA. The public is welcome to attend.
Smaller fish like trout, dont need to spend a lot of time in a brine. About 1 hour will do for smaller fish. You want these fish to be cleaned and ready for the smoker before you brine then and have them laid open so the brine can get inside. Brining can be completely optional for smoked trout. While the trout brine you can prepare the smoker. Small trout (about 9 inches) can be completely smoked in as little as an hour or so, but more time will add extra flavor. Watch the fish to make sure they dont dry out, but leave them in the smoker for up to 4 hours. Use a mild wood like a fruit wood or oak to smoke with. Traditionally alder is used with fish and if you can get some it makes a great smoke flavor. Try to place the trout in such a way as to let the smoke get to the insides of the fish. Once the trout is smoked it will be easy to remove the bones because the slow cooking process helps to separate the meat from the bones. Once the trout is completely smoked y you can eat them just the way they are, or you can use the smoked trout almost like smoked salmon as an appetizer or an ingredient in other dishes. Try adding about 1 cup of smoked trout meat to 2 cups of cream cheese. Season with garlic and Tabasco and serve it as a dip. (Oh yeah babe). Smoked trout can be frozen for months or refrigerated for days, but remember that hot smoked fish isnt preserved and if you do not intend to eat it right away then you need to refrigerate it or feeze it. It is generally a good idea to remove the skin and bones before freezing. Local Weather: Wednesday Night...Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain and snow showers. Cooler with lows in the lower 30s. West winds 15 to 20 mph. Gusts up to 35 mph in the evening. Chance of precipitation 30 percent. Thursday...Partly sunny. Cooler with highs in the upper 40s. Northwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Gusts up to 30 mph in the morning. Thursday Night...Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 30s. North winds 5 to 10 mph...becoming east after midnight. Friday...A chance of snow showers in the morning. Mostly cloudy with rain showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 50s. Chance of precipitation 70 percent. Friday Night...Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms. Not as cool with lows in the mid 40s. Chance of rain 70 percent. Saturday...Showers and thunderstorms likely. Not as cool with highs in the mid 60s. Chance of rain 60 percent. Saturday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers. Lows in the lower 40s. Sunday...Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers. Highs in the upper 50s. Sunday Night...Mostly cloudy. Lows in the lower 40s. Monday...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers. Highs in the lower 60s. Monday Night...Mostly cloudy in the evening...then clearing. Not as cool with lows in the lower 50s. Tuesday...Partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Warmer with highs in the mid 70s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
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