WCO MONTHLY REPORT / WESTERN ERIE COUNTY
By Wco John Bowser & Dwco Randy Leighton
PA. FISH & BOAT COMMISSION
NOVEMBER 2000NOVEMBER FISHING TIPS: ... Steelhead continue to be abundant with the promise of forecast rains
bring new fish to the tribs. Cold weather requires some modifications that
can be prepared for in advance. Here are some of those tips to make your
experience in Erie more satisfying:
…Allowing your reel to get wet in freezing weather can make the drag system
ineffective. Be sure to thoroughly dry out a wet reel.... especially in
freezing conditions. …Smearing a thin coat of petroleum jelly on each eyelet can alleviate Frozen
rod eyelets. Water will not stick to the eyelets and allow them to freeze
them shut.
Ice on your line or float will adversely affect you casts and excessive ice
build up can make 4# test line sound like rope when it hits the water. Clear
any ice build up frequently. …When wading, an extra set of gloves can be a blessing if that first pair
falls into the water. …Disposable pocket hand warmers work great when they kept dry but nothing
beats the good old Jon E. Hand warmers. …Fish become less active as the water temperature drops. Sometimes it is
necessary to induce the strike. Bright colored Glo Bugs and Blood Dots in
red, chartreuse, pink and orange can be the ticket in cold water. "Jigging"
will often produce a strike when the fish aren't hungry. Twitching a small
maribou jig under a very light float will often produce the desired result.
Try pink, chartreuse, or white in cold water. …Perch fishing in the Bay has been good lately when the weather cooperates.
Try the West End of the Bay near the Erie Yacht Club and on the West Side of
Dobbin's landing. Reports of 10" plus perch have been common. Remember
perch must be 8" and the limit is 20 per day. WALNUT CREEK BOAT BASIN… is scheduled to open for fishing at 4:30 PM on
November 7th. This date is tentative barring inclement weather preventing
the removal of docks by that time. No fishing is permitted in the basin
prior to this time. LITTER … is still a problem along our streams. The sad part is that it is
left by such a small percentage of anglers yet the public paints us all as
slobs. Even though we can be proud of ourselves when picking up our own
trash… it is not enough. Because of some litterbug, you are perceived in the
same grouping. I am not saying that everyone should police the entire
stream… just take a little bit extra from the area that you were fishing in
and it will add up. Help keep our lands open for the future, grab that ball
of monofilament laying tangled by your feet or those couple empty bait
containers. CLEANING OF FISH along the stream … is not a violation as long as the head &
tail remain intact. It is a violation if you fail to bag & properly dispose
of the entrails from that fish. We all know how many thousands of fish are
caught on the tribs & lakeshore. Common sense says that a landowner would
not be happy with the odor when the sun hits them or the mess if their family
pet decides to roll in it. Violations of this nature fall under the
littering section. There are official fish cleaning stations licensed by the
PFBC for cleaning & filleting of fish on both the east & west sides of town. The large number of fish present in the streams has led to an increased
number of snagging/foul hooking violations. If a fish is not caught by the
mouth, it is a violation unless it is released "immediately" unharmed. Even
the attempt to snag a fish carries the same $100.00 penalty, AS DOES THE
POSSESSION OF A SNAGGING HOOK. Sadly, there have been incidents of anglers cutting a freshly caught female
steelhead only to slice her open for the skein, discard the carcass along the
stream bank and then go on to "catch more steelhead?" One recent incident was
witnessed & reported to officers with detailed information. Appropriate
citations were issued. PIRANHA?? … Recently, a fish was brought to the Fairview Fish Culture Station
that was found at the edge of a west county pond. It seemed at first to be a
Piranha measuring 20" in length. Investigation by officers found it to be a
closely related cousin to the Piranha named a Pacu. It is the common name
for several species of South American freshwater fish. Pacus have a narrow,
plate-shaped body. Some pacus look much like piranhas, to which they are
closely related. However, unlike piranhas, pacus have blunt teeth and eat
plants and plankton (small, drifting water organisms). Piranhas have sharp
teeth and eat fish. Some small pacus are popular for home aquariums.
The black pacu may grow to more than 3 feet long and weigh over 65 pounds .
It is found in rivers throughout the Amazon region. In Brazil, where it is
called tambaqui, the black pacu is an important commercial food fish. During
the long rainy season, adult black pacus migrate far from the main branches
of the Amazon River into flooded parts of the tropical forest. There they eat
seeds and fruits that fall into the water. When the floodwaters go down,
black pacus return to the main river channels. They stay there, eating
little, until the next rainy season. It is unlawful to introduce any
non-native species into Commonwealth waters without the appropriate permit to
do so.
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