ODOW surveys show record walleye hatch again: NE Ohio fishing report

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Lake Erie trawl surveys by the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s fisheries biologists have proven an unprecedented fifth straight yr of document hatches of walleye round Lake Erie. Whereas the yellow perch numbers are nonetheless low, a speedy progress fee of the perch shares have been a trigger for optimism.

“Lake Erie walleye anglers will proceed to profit from terrific walleye populations,” mentioned Division of Wildlife Chief Kendra Wecker. “This yr’s hatch will develop to catchable sizes in two or three years, which it would contribute to a long time of fantastic fishing within the Walleye Capital of the World.”

Whereas sport and industrial fishermen are disenchanted with the low numbers of yellow perch in central and japanese Lake Erie, good perch fishing is forecast for Western Lake Erie.

“Lake Erie yellow perch are surveyed and managed as regional populations inside administration zones,” mentioned Travis Hartman, the Division of Wildlife’s Lake Erie Fisheries Program Administrator, “The Division of Wildlife makes use of these zones to observe perch hatches and, by evaluating outcomes to earlier years, decide protected harvest ranges.”

The walleye day by day bag restrict for Lake Erie sport anglers will undoubtedly stay at six fish per day. Perch ought to proceed to have the normal day by day bag restrict of 30 fish round Western Lake Erie, however the restrictions imposed lately will proceed a day by day bag of simply 10 perch east of Huron.

There may be optimism, mentioned Hartman. The yellow perch being surveyed are typically thriving, rising quicker and longer than age teams checked up to now by biologists.

“Perch have typically modified their feeding habits,” mentioned Hartman. “They’ve switched their food regimen from emerald shiner minnows and small baitfish to midges, spiny water fleas and mayflies. The perch we examined are wholesome, and we really feel they may have profitable spawning seasons sooner or later.”

Lake Erie fish shares are collectively managed by the states bordering Lake Erie — Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York — and the Province of Ontario. Their research will lead to a complete allowable catch from their waters, which might be set on the annual Lake Erie Committee conferences held on March 29-30 in Hamilton, Ontario.

Trout stockings kick off chilly climate bonanza: The trout vans have returned this week to the Cleveland Metropark’s lakes to deliver some excellent rainbow trout fishing. Whereas winter ice ought to quickly be on the best way, trout are the right recreation fish for each open water angling and ice fishing.

This yr’s load of three,000 rainbow trout, brook trout, golden rainbows and colourful tiger trout have been launched on Monday in Wallace and Ranger lakes.

Shadow, Ledge and Judges lakes will get a trout transfusion Friday.

“Walleye Lake is the largest of the lakes, and the most well-liked for trout fishermen, so it will get about 1,400 of the foot-long trout,” mentioned Aquatic Biologist Mike Durkalec.

The trout are provided by Hooked on Trout Farm, which raises all kinds of species of fish. The tiger trout it stocked within the Cleveland Metropark lakes are actual trophies, with one launched at Wallace Lake stretching 21.5-inches in size.

The day by day trout bag restrict is three trout per angler at Wallace, Ledge, Ranger and Decide’s lakes. The day by day bag restrict at Shadow Lake and the Ohio & Erie Canal, which was stocked a couple of weeks in the past, is 5 trout per day.

The place’s the rain?: Steelhead trout fishermen want some rain to elevate river water ranges and lure a contemporary batch of huge trout from Lake Erie. It appears to be like like like a moist weekend is so as. However not a gully washer that may shut down the river fishing all weekend.

Within the meantime, there are good numbers of trout already within the rivers, however costume heat. Sucker spawn and yarn eggs are working proper now for fly fishermen, and spin anglers are counting on spawn luggage and marabou jigs tipped with maggots or minnows.