WEST ERIE COUNTY, DWCO Randy Leighton, WCO Brook Tolbert Conditions: Walleye fishing on the lake has still been sporadic for most anglers although the local charter captains have been bringing in a number of limits so they are out there. Finding them is the challenge. Best bets for Walleye are to stay in shallow water... 25 to 40 feet untill the lake warms up more (if it ever does). Crawler harnesses trolled behind small dipseys or flat lining are all that's needed at these depths. A few catfish have been pulled in off the Walnut Access Wall near the mouth. Fishing at night in muddy conditions can be productive. Crawlers fished on the bottom were successful. Bass fishing continues to thrive in the Bay and along the lake shore on the East side of the Peninsula. Anglers fishing the South wall this past weekend were having a bass bonanza with a good number of lunkers reeled in. Shiners and leeches were the baits of choice. Current Lake Erie Water temperature as of this writing is 63 degrees Are You Prepared for Trouble? They were not wearing their PFDs and the man did not know how to swim. Luckily, they were able to get their hands on the live vests but had difficulty in putting them on in the water. The women got separated from her PFD and ended up cling to a plastic cooler to stay afloat. They stayed with their boat and fortunately, were spotted quickly by another boat who pulled them to safety. Their boat was towed back to the Walnut Access Marina upside down where it was righted and pumped out. When the boat was flipped over, the marine radio was still operating and the bilge pump was still pumping. Analyzing this near tragic scenario, it was mostly luck that that spared the lives of these unfortunate individuals. Although they did have their PFDs on board, they were lucky to have retrieved them at all. When it was discovered that the boat was taking on water, the PFDs should have been put on immediately and better yet, they should have been on in the first place, especially with a non swimmer on board. Had the woman not been able to retrieve the life saving cooler or the PFDs drifted any further away, this accident could have been tragic. It was only luck that another boat was within calling distance rendor assistance. On a positive note, the decision to remain with the boat was a wise one in this case. Many boats will stay afloat even when swamped and often times, a flipped boat will stay afloat if air is trapped underneath the inverted hull. When boating Lake Erie, particularly in rough conditions, wearing that PFD can instantly mean the difference between life and death. Don'd take the chance, wear it. Filleting Fish Brought in from Lake Erie: There are two exceptions to this rule; fishermen who go to a licensed Regulated Fishing Lake (a fee-fishing area) may have their fish filleted however, they will also receive a receipt from the establishment to identify the source. Anglers may also take fish to an officially recognized fish cleaning station and have them filleted. The operator of the station is required to give the angler a receipt indicating the species and number of fish filleted. This Week's Boating Safety Reminder: Local Weather: |
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