Erie Wco Report
Pa. Fish & Boat Commission
Wco John Bowser... Western Erie County
Walleye... catches have been hit & miss. It has never been more true that
"you should have been here yesterday!!" Saturday July 24th was one of those
days. I have never seen so many full coolers with big fish. I know it was the
most 10#+ walleye I have ever seen in a day. Many people were using bungee
cords & tarp straps to keep the lids closed on their coolers. On the
following day, catch rates slowed down again. It seems the highest success
rate was taking place in the second trench due north of Walnut with Loran
numbers of 884 to 888 and 370 to 415. Best lure set up was worm harnesses
with the black & purple combination of beads and run off the downriggers. One
angler that came all the way from the Ithaca, New York area ended up with one
that was 31 & ½" with an 18" girth weighing 11&3/4# after 8 hours in a dry
cooler. He had weighed it when first caught at 13&1/2#. It seems that the
fishing is going to get better really soon. Steelhead... remarkable catches of steelhead have been observed in the area
which constitutes the north side of the second trench. No one is quite sure
why this has been occurring but it has been a nice bonus while everyone
awaits the main walleye school from the west to arrive. If the current
drought situation continues look for a fishery similar to the one we had last
fall. Elk Creek is only about 4' to 6' wide at the Folly's End Campground
area right now. Shoreline fishing should start around Labor Day with small
short runs in the lower stretches of larger tributaries. Walnut Creek Boat
Basin should be the best fishing and the stream improvement project planned
for early fall will prove very successful to enhance streamside opportunities. Trout Limit... has been changed from 8 to 5 starting on Opening Day of the
Year 2000. This change will only apply to Inland Waters and not effect the
Erie Tributaries. The Fairview Gravel Pit & Lake Pleasant will have a 5
trout limit. This change was brought about by strong public support
advocating the reduction and not by the any recommendation of the Pa. Fish &
Boat Commission staff. This is indicative of the public's perception of the
fishery being more recreational based than consumptive. Thefts... a number of thefts have been occurring along the Lake Erie
shoreline. Pa. State Police report that a number of vehicles have been
broken into at access points to the lake while owners were engaging in water
related activities. Anglers & boaters are urged to keep any valuables
concealed in the vehicle or better yet leave them at home. There were also 3
reported thefts of boat trailers at the Walnut Creek Access area. Two of
these trailers belonged to the Fish & Boat Commission and they are believed
to have been taken between the 15th & 19th of July. They were parked behind
the boat barn next to the lake shore. Anyone with any information is urged
to call either the State Police at 814-774-9611 or Wco Bowser at 814-774-0928. Wco's have been busy with boat accident investigations and "Boating Under the
Influence" cases during July. These investigations are time-consuming and to
some extent weather related as the hot days have increased the number of
boaters present on the water as well as the thirst of those on board. It is a
wise practice to have a "designated driver" for your boat if alcohol is being
consumed. The effects of the sun & motion on a boat heighten the effects of
drinking dramatically. Don't be a victim or a defendant in a criminal charge! Congratulations are in order for Wco Mark Kerr. As of July 31st, he will
become a newlywed.
He is taking his bride to Scotland & Ireland on a fishing trip for their
honeymoon. Plans include checking out the Loch Ness Monster.
Wco Ann Caretto... Central Erie County
The boating activity has been very heavy on Presque Isle Bay, Lake Erie,
Edinboro Lake and even Lake LeBoeuf. With the heavy traffic, please
take a little extra time to think about your wake and the damage it may
cause before you put the throttles down. The fishing success on the other hand has not gone as well in the Bay. It
has been
spotty in all locations. The bass in the Bay have been turning on and
off at what seems to be a whim. I just received the hard data from the
Fisheries folks on some bass surveying completed in June. The good news
is that it appears that there is a good population of Largemouth between
7 and 12 inches. This will hopefully result in good fishing over the
next several years. Most of the best catches during the survey came
from Marina Lake. Some Anglers have had luck with Walleye in Edinboro Lake, and I know of
two forty plus inch Musky that have been caught, photographed and
returned to Edinboro for the next Musky hunter. They were caught by
trolling in the middle of the Lake. Sorry, I tried, tackle is a guarded
secret. Raw data from surveying of Edinboro Lake conducted last summer
also show a good population of 8 to 13 inch Largemouth. Fisherman have also been having some luck with Crappie at Lake LeBoeuf.
The two methods prevailing, jigging and bobber with worm or grub seem to
be working well. Unfortunately, the survey for Lake LeBoeuf has been
postponed due to scheduling conflicts. Hopefully we will be able to
have a report next summer.
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