MIKE BRAUN Good walleye news from Lake Erie

Fishing opportunities on Lake Erie this year and beyond are looking good, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife fishing forecast.
The forecast calls for good action from a number of the lake's species as well as very good news for Lake Erie walleye lovers.
"Great opportunities abound for veteran anglers and those new to the Lake Erie fishing scene," said Roger Knight, Lake Erie fisheries program manager at ODNR. "The lake's famous walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, steelhead trout and white bass are again plentiful this year."
Limit could increase
Knight also said that walleye abundance should increase in the big lake, and that could eventually lead to an increase in the catch limit.
The ODNR sets the limit for walleye in Ohio waters, Knight said, and "the fishable population of walleye should increase, and that is the key to expanding the limit."
Knight reminded anglers that new walleye regulations are in place for the 2004 fishing season. The bag limit during March and April has been reduced to three fish, and the bag limit from May through February remains at six. A new 15-inch minimum size limit is in effect during the entire season.
However, according to a survey of the walleye hatch, Knight said that the numbers found portend well for the future of this popular sport fishery.
Knight's forecast reported that the 2004 Lake Erie walleye fishery will be dominated by the 1999 and 2001 hatches. Fish from the 1999-year class will range from 18 to 22 inches and fish from 2001 will range from 15 to 18 inches. Walleye from the 1996 and 1998-year classes will provide 22- to 28-inch fish, with "Fish Ohio" walleye ( more than 28 inches) being from older year classes. Sampling during the 2003 season found fish up to 21 years old remaining from the large 1982 hatch.
State fisheries biologists believe the 2003 walleye hatch to be one of the largest in recent history.
Shot in the arm
"This news is a great shot in the arm," Knight said, adding, "There will be some great fishing."
Knight said that anglers catching 2003-class fish in the 12- to 13-inch range this year will need to be diligent and release their fish. Due to the new 15-inch minimum size limit, any fish caught from the 2003-year class should be gently handled and released as soon as possible, he explained.
Anglers need to be patient and remember, he said, "in three years, all of these fish will be keepers."
Knight reported that August and September trawls sampled numbers comparable to the 1982 and 1986 hatches, two of the largest on record. By last September, anglers fishing with shiners were already catching walleye hatched in spring 2003.
"This is the kind of hatch that has importance for the future," Knight said. "It is a great jump start [after a few lean years] but we need conservative management to protect the growth."
Additionally, if the 2004 hatch is also good, the lake's walleye fishery will really get a big jump, he said.
Need time to age
But for now, Knight said the 2003 walleye need time to age and to migrate east to the central basin. He said that eastern Lake Erie anglers will likely start noticing 2003-class walleye in 2005 or 2006.
Knight noted that good fishing and a large charter boat fleet in the western and central basins, as well as numerous public boat ramps, private marinas, and shoreline access continue to make Ohio's Lake Erie waters a popular fishing destination.
braun@vindy.com