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Erie Wco Report / May ‘99 Wco John Bowser / Western Erie Fishing has been picking up... not too much word on walleyes although catches
are being made. Seems that it tends to be kept somewhat secret to keep the
crowds down along the shoreline.
Recent patrols have observed fair-good bass fishing on the western end of the
lake from Elk Creek to the Ohio line. Best success was in 19 - 20' of water
drifting with tube jigs bouncing off the bottom. Remember the limit is 1
bass/day at 20" size minimum.
Yellow Perch were being taken off of Conneaut with a 14 & 3/4" one being
taken weighing in just shy of 2# with an 11" girth.
Bass are in Elk Creek now and the catfish will hit prime there usually when
the forsythia come in bloom. A nice change of pace in fishing is the catfish
along the shoreline at the old steel lands (now the Pa Game Commission lands)
whenever there is a mudline from either wave action or rains. Have seen them
caught there at a rate of one fish / minute on nightcrawlers.
Goby News... I attended a recent conference of the Great Lakes Fishery
Commission and heard an interesting tidbit of info. A Canadian biologist
was discussing the forage base (food base of game fish) and its transition.
It seems that the Round Goby has become an important part of the food chain.
Their surveys revealed the following percentages that the Goby represent as
a food base for various species:
Walleye ...... 5%
Burbot......... 15%
Yellow Perch..... 18%
Bass ........... 27%
Seems that things have a way of adapting, zebra mussells form protection for
fish eggs from predators... now... Gobys are filling the void of diminished
smelt populations as food. Nature seems to have its ways of adapting.
Safety Tips to Ponder... While on patrol this spring, I have observed some
activity, which while some may be perfectly legal, they may not be the safest
or smartest
.... the most common one would have to be wearing hip boots in a small boat
and especially when not wearing a life jacket
..... launching your boat for a deep water fishing trip without doing any
inspection of safety equipment or running any nearshore shakedown cruises.
.... kids being cut loose on personal watercraft for hours in 53 degree water
without any heat saving protective clothing other than a life jacket
.... not wearing life jackets in cold water boating conditions
.... not reviewing your boating summary handbook at the start of the season
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