Efforts by government agencies around Lake Erie to conserve and boost the lake's walleye stocks via three years of very strict sport and commercial catch-rules, plus a big smile from Mother Nature in 2003, are paying off with the brightest fishery status since 1990.

That, in a nutshell, is the proverbial rest-of-the-story behind this month's announcement of substantially larger Erie walleye catch-allotments for 2005 by the Lake Erie Committee of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
The LEC, using a new modeling approach and harvest policy developed in response to once-falling walleye stocks, has boosted the lakewide walleye fishery's total allowable catch or TAC to 5.8 million fish for 2005.

Ohio receives a lion's share of that at about 3 million fish and Ontario receives about 2.5 million. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York receive relatively small allocations based on their limited ownership of the lake.

"It's not a political thing," stressed Ohio's Roger Knight. "It's a scientific estimate of what the TAC ought to be." The new TAC, he explained, still is below the 6.6 million average compiled since 1979 though it is more than double the TAC of the 2.4 million that was in place during the lean years of 2001 to 2004.

The magnitude of changes in the TAC from here on likely will not be so dramatic, especially under an LEC harvest policy aimed at trying to keep harvests at sustainable levels.

For Lake Erie sport fishermen, the new TAC does not mean that the fish will be jumping into the boat this summer. That depends on favorable weather for fishing, especially on weekends when most anglers have time to get out, and on the fish staying where anglers can get to them.

Nor does the new, larger TAC mean that conservative fishing rules suddenly will evaporate. But state fisheries managers are not ruling out easing at least some restrictions for 2006.

"Any changes will hinge on the forecast [for the walleye stocks] and early signs of the status of the '05 hatch," said Knight, who is Lake Erie programs coordinator for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Because of the time-consuming path built into changing fishing regulations, wildlife division managers will have to decide roughly by late summer whether to make changes for 2006, and that allows only a preliminary assessment of the 2005 hatch. Spawning is under way now, and, as Knight so well notes, "weather trumps everything."

Last week's unrelenting northeast winds did nothing to buoy up enthusiasm for 2005, given that such prolonged blows push cold central-basin waters into the western-basin spawning reefs and fish-nursery areas. Such blows also stir up spawn-choking silt from the shallow western-basin bottom. Still, the spring of 2003 witnessed some questionable weather and yet that year-class of walleye was the best in 20-plus years and it forms the bulk for the renewed stocks today followed by 2001 and 1999 fish. The 2000, 2002, and 2004 year-classes were rated poor, or worse.

Knight declared it "a possibility" that Ohio will return to a daily creel limit of four walleye in March and April, up from the severe limit of three implemented last year for those months along with a 15-inch year-round minimum length. The cut from four to three was met with strong protests especially from the charter- sportfishing community, guides contending that they could attract early-season customers with a four-fish limit but not with three.

The daily creel limit in Ohio waters is six walleye May through February. In Michigan waters it is five fish June through March, but the fishery is closed altogether in April and May. In Ontario the sport fishery is closed March 15 to May 13, with the daily limit otherwise being six walleye, no size minimum.

It is less likely that Ohio will give up the 15-inch minimum as it continues to aim at protecting younger fish in its waters.

Most male walleye are not mature enough to spawn until age three and females at age four. Moreover, managers are not prone to making annual changes given the vagaries of hatch success from year to year. So doing could create a roller-coaster effect in which rules rarely seem in synch with stock size.

For instance, the pool of catchable walleye this year is 42 million fish, including about 30 million 2003 fish, most of which will be legal size in Ohio and Michigan waters by mid to late summer and some of which already are legal. It is the biggest pool of walleye since 1990 and stands in stark contrast to the mere 16.3 million fish in 2000, the lowest stock noted since 1978.

But next year's walleye pool is forecast at just 31 million because of a poor hatch in 2004, and thus relatively few two-year-olds will be entering the fishery. Knight said that the LEC's model forecasts that about 2.7 million of the 30 million 2003 fish available this year will be caught lakewide. That will leave a sizable pool of '03s for 2006 and beyond, natural attrition aside.

The whole TAC system and quotas for each governmental jurisdiction has evolved essentially because of Ontario's commercial gillnet fishery, which has tremendous catching power.

Rest assured that Ontario gillnetters will get their 2.5 million fish this year. Large, toughly-built gillnet tugs run in all weather. Northeasters and even monstrous 15 to 18-foot seas do not stop them from "pulling twine," unlike sport- fishing boats that typically are pinned down for safety's sake by four to six-foot or larger seas.

"We won't even come close to the quota," acknowledged Knight of Ohio's allotment of nearly 3 million walleye. Last year Ohio sport anglers took just 859,000 walleye when the state quota was 1.23 million. But if the fishing this year is good, especially with lots of 2003 fish available, and word get around and interest surges, that catch possibly could double this year. "It's a cap," Knight said of the annual TAC. It does not mean that the total should be met every year. Commercial walleye fishing in Ohio waters has been banned by law for more than 20 years. "Quality fishing is the goal," Knight added about Ohio's strategy in regard to its quota and regulations. For instance, the 15-inch length minimum is expected to eventually help boost the number of larger walleye in the overall stocks, and larger walleye in turn are known to prefer the central- basin haunts in summertime. The central-basin walleye fishery, it is noted, has suffered for lack of fish in recent summers.

Knight noted that during the last several years of conservative catch restrictions and a very low TAC, about 15 percent of the lake's walleye stock was taken each year. Under the new TAC policy and models developed by the LEC, about 14 per cent of the lake's walleye stock will be taken in 2005, "if we hit it." So while the TAC seems so much higher, the percentage of the stock targeted to be taken is essentially the same. And even low stocks can produce bumper crops of fish, as witnessed by the super 2003 year-class.

The newly developed LEC approach, moreover, will react quickly to "droughts" or series of poor hatches, Knight said. "Hopefully with this [harvest] policy we'll avoid getting as low as we did."

In related news, the LEC set the yellow perch quota for Ohio at 5.4 million pounds out of a lakewide total TAC of 11.8 million pounds. That is a slight increase of the state's 2004 quota of 5.1 million pounds. Ohio's daily sport-creel limit of 30 perch remains in place.

The lake's perch stocks continue to show improvement, this after declines in the early to mid 1990s led to conservation restrictions for that species. Those measures, too, have worked.

21 inch Smallie

Lake Erie fishing Report update September 3, 2004
Walleye fishing has picked up. On September 1st we had 110 pounds of very nice Walleye. The next day September 2, we had 71 pounds of fish. Fishing is really great. We used the weapon tipped with night crawler. We were fishing 3 miles north of Rattle Snake Island.

Lake Erie fishing Report update August 15, 2004
Charlie Waldo and his two sons and grandson came Bass fishing. We did very well using softcraws and tube jigs. We caught and released 40 Bass. See a few of the pictures below.
Waldo1
Waldo2
Waldo3
Waldo4 Lake Erie fishing Report update August 13, 2004 Lake Erie fishing Report update August 6, 2004
Hard to believe but the May Fly hatch is still going on. Fishing has been up and down. We have had strong winds now for four days due to a bad cold front. Not many of us are going out. I am preparing to move my boat East for the Fall Walleye fishing. Lake Erie fishing Report update July 16, 2004
Today we fished North West of West Sister. We had Don Spees and crew for two days but could only fish today because of high winds yesterday. They made up for not being able to fish Thursday. They caught 54 Walleye, 110 pounds. Great Job!
Don Spees and crew Lake Erie fishing Report update July 12, 2004
Kenny Guy and crew
Fishing has been up and down depending on the amount of wind. Today we have a good breeze until noon. This crew who are Bass fishermen, did well after a day of coaching. They had 36 nice Walleye. They are now Walleye fishermen! Lake Erie fishing Report update July 2, 2004
I have not updated the report In some time. The fishing has been down due to the May Fly hatch, but now is picking up again. Kevin Mcughiln and crew had 38 nice Walleye today. We fished west of West Sister Island. Great job guys. Kevin Mclughlin and crew. 38 nice Walleye
Lake Erie fishing Report update June 20, 2004 Jack Hostetter and his 29.5 inch Walleye. Nice job Jack!

Lake Erie fishing Report update June 18, 2004
The fishing lately has been up and down, many factors have been at play. weather wind or lack of wind and a big May Fly hatch.
However today we had a good day. See picture of Howard Beckstrom below with 39 nice Walleye.
Howard Beckstrom and crew. 39 Walleye.
Lake Erie fishing Report update June 8, 2004
What a good day! John Schimdt and crew pictured below had the best day of the year so far. They are very good fisherman.
John Schmidt and Crew. 48 Walleye.
Lake Erie fishing Report update June 7 2004
What a difference a day can make! Today we fished north of Niagara reef and ended the day with 43 Walleye. See picture below. We had wind today until about 11 AM, then the Lake went flat like it had been for the past four days.
John Schmidt and Crew. 43 Walleye.
Lake Erie fishing Report update June 6 2004
Fishing has fallen off badly. The last good catch was last Wednesday June 2, we had 42 Walleye by 10:30 AM. Now we are lucky to get 16. today we had only 5.
Many things have happened. The May fly hatch has started, full Moon nights with clear skies and low winds. All of the above is not good for Walleye fishing.
Lake Erie fishing Report update May 29 2004
Fishing is excellent! Limits every day this past week. I had a group for four days and they took home a limit for each day..Bottom bouncers and the Weapon is working well.
Dave Pordash and Crew. 48 Walleye on May 29.
Lake Erie fishing update May 24nd 2004
Today started out very strong. We had 16 fish on our first drift. Leaving the dock at 6 AM does pay off. We ended the day with 47 fish (8 of us fishing) We were fishing one mile north of the Toledo water Intake. We were using the 3/4 OZ Weapon with gold blades.
Rita Carnahan and Crew
Congrats Jim, the biggest Walleye that day a 27.5 Incher.

Lake Erie fishing update May 22nd 2004 Today started out slow and the wind kept switching then stopped all together. In the afternoon the wind pick back up nicely. We had two boats out today. Eyes Right and Hang Ten. A really great bunch of guys and good fishermen.
Melching Machine Crew
Ron Todd and Crew

Lake Erie fishing update May 16th 2004
Today we lost the wind. We did catch 18 very nice Walleye using bottom bouncers and the Weapon. We fished D Can and the firing range. Kevin Sweet and crew pictured below did a great job today.
Kevin Sweet and crew

Lake Erie fishing update May 14th 2004
Today after a very tough day yesterday (only five Walleye ) we had 30 nice fish. John Oleson and crew pictured below did a fine job today. We fished between the Camp perry Range and Round reef using the Weapon with crawlers.
John Oleson and crew

Lake Erie fishing update May 12th 2004,
The fishing has not been good for about a week and a half. Weather has been a factor and the spawn has ended. To may cold front coming through. Some of the places we are catching fish are Off little Cedar Point down near Maumee Bay. A range can. B Range can and at K can. Some of the reefs are still being somewhat productive. Round, Toussaint and Locust. Still using Jigs tipped with Night Crawlers. Some are being taken on bottom bouncers.

Lake Erie fishing update April 8th 2004
Lake Erie is alive and well! We are catching walleye only one mile out from our marina. Limits of 3 are almost a sure thing. Nice size fish 20 to 28 inches. Locust reef and all the reefs are producing.

Lake Erie fishing update October 11, 2003
A good day, but not a great day. To many boats in the area. However we did catch some nice Walleye. See picture below. We trolled 41 35.00 082 23 00 W had many big fish. We trolled all day because of no wind conditions See picture below.
Pat Hagen and crew.
A 29 inch fish! Great job guys.

Update October 10, 2003
The weather has stabilized, Today we had some nice fish. We trolled 41 35.00 082 23 00 W had many big fish. We trolled all day because of no wind conditions See picture below.
Pat Hagen and crew. Great job guys.
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This fishing report is provided free and as time permits.
Update: New State record walleye.
One Ohio resident landed a new state record walleye while perch fishing 2 miles off Cleveland November 23.
The fish weighed 16.19 pounds. It surpassed the old state record of 15.95 pounds caught off Marble head Lighthouse in March of 1995.
When first weighed, the walleye weighed in at 16.29 pounds but immediately afterwards spit up a round gobie. When weighed again, on a second sale, the fish weighed 16.19 pounds. It measured 33 inches and had a girth of 21.5 inches.
Biologists at the Division of Wildlife, determined the fish to be at least 13 years old.
Hatch assessments:
According to the 2001 hatch assements conducted by Fairport Harbor and Sandusky fisheries staff, good hatches of walleye and yellow perch should contribute to the fishery in the next few years.
Bottom trawls conducted last spring and summer showed good numbers of yellow perch young-of-year. The hatch is the second largest in the past 13 years, second only to the large 1996 year class, which has made up much of the harvest the past three years.
Walleye also had a good spawning success last spring as research indicates the 1999 class is the fourth largest since 1986.

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