January 28th, 2009 West Erie County, DWCO Randy Leighton, WCO Brook Tolbert Conditions: Ice fishing activity has been a frenzy in the Erie area with anglers taking to the hard water in search of some action. Reports have been varied and widely scattered with reports of good catches of perch and gills to "tried everywhere, and came up short". Fishing in one stationary area certainly does stack the odds against the angler, and in winter conditions, moving around and drilling more holes often doesn’t seem worth it, however the patient angler and one who knows when to give up on a spot is more likely to score. Many anglers miss the subtle strikes that are common when ice fishing simply because they aren't paying attention as well as they could be. Watching for light strikes on five tip ups requires some concentration. Changing baits or jigs from time to time can also help. The noise factor certainly can come in to play as well, once the holes are drilled and you are settled in, its probably best to go into stealth mode. Temperature forecasts are predicted to be well below freezing over the next few week. Additional snow is expected and anglers coming from out of town would be wise to check weather forecasts and road conditions. PFBC Basic Boating Class: Area officers from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, will be conducting a safe boating class on Saturday March 21st from 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM. The class will be held in Room 110 at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center located at 301 Peninsula Drive, Erie, PA. Class size will be limited to 30 participants. This comprehensive class is designed for the novice boater or boater to be, as well as the experienced boater who would like to refresh his knowledge and is especially recommended for the new boater and their families. The class covers basic boating safety, boating laws and regulations, and equipment. Successful completion of the course qualifies the individual for a Pennsylvania Boating Safety Certificate (card). There is no charge for the course or materials, although registration is required. For more information and to register contact Linda Woznicki at 814-833-2829 or email at lwoznicki@state.pa.us or Valerie Tarkowski at 814-683-5126 or email at vtarkowski@state.pa.us Participants may bring a lunch or eat locally. Upon successful completion of the course , the Agency will require a processing fee for your Basic Boating Safety Card if one is desired. Who Needs a Boating Safety Certificate: Boating Safety Certificates (Actually a plastic card) are required for anyone operating a personal watercraft (jet ski) and anyone born on or after January 1st 1982 operating a boat powered by motors greater than 25 Horsepower. Law Enforcement: During the 2008 Erie steelhead season, Bureau of Law Enforcement Waterways Conservation Officers and their deputies were very busy with a good run of large steelhead for anglers to target. A good run of fish brings big numbers of anglers to the area and an influx of violations to address. The following information shows the top ten violation types and the number of prosecutions as well as the total number of warnings issued. The total prosecutions during the 2008 fall steelhead season reflect an increase of approximately 13 percent compared to the same period in 2007. The majority of violations were comprised of snagging, possessing foul hooked fish, lack of a Lake Erie stamp, various Nursery water violations, use of illegal fishing devices, PFBC property violations, fishing without a license, litter, possessing more than the daily creel limit, lack of a Trout stamp, and disturbing state nursery waters. There were 312 prosecutions and 811 warnings issued for a total of 1,123 enforcement actions. Local Weather Forecast: Wednesday...Snow. Additional snow accumulation of 4 to 5 inches for a storm total accumulation of 8 to 11 inches. Highs in the mid 20s. East winds 10 to 15 mph...becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of snow near 100 percent. Wednesday Night...Mostly cloudy. Snow showers likely in the evening...then a chance of snow showers after midnight. Additional snow accumulation less than an inch. Lows around 15. West winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 60 percent. Thursday...Cloudy. Highs in the mid 20s. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Thursday Night...Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow. Lows around 17. Southwest winds 10 to 15 mph. Friday...Cloudy with a 50 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the mid 20s. Friday Night...Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Cold with lows around 10 above. Saturday...Partly sunny. Highs in the mid 20s. Saturday Night...Partly cloudy in the evening...then becoming mostly cloudy. Lows 15 to 20. Sunday...Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 30s. Sunday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Lows in the lower 20s. Monday...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the mid 30s. Monday Night...Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of snow showers. Lows 15 to 20. Tuesday...Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of snow showers. Highs in the upper 20s.
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