Saturday, March 24, 2007
Lake Erie will make plenty of news this fishing season, based on forecasts about the walleye and perch populations and developments on the regulatory front.
Many Erie anglers have been scratching their heads in recent weeks at the news about federal restrictions about the transportation of game fish and live minnows across state and international borders. The federal order was made in October, but only recently has the news begun to catch the attention of the general angling population.
Fishing forecasts, meanwhile, are optimistic. Good populations of walleyes, yellow perch and smallmouth bass are reported throughout Lake Erie.
The fishing could begin soon, according to a news release from the Ohio Department of Natural Resource's Division of Wildlife. North winds are pushing remaining ice in the western basin toward the Ohio shore.
The division forecasts the ice should be melted in another week and the water will begin to warm. First action for walleyes is expected to be around the Camp Perry reefs, Maumee Bay and the near-shore waters from Toledo to Huron.
Jigs will be the ticket for the reef fish. Larger female walleyes also will be caught by trollers dragging minnow plugs around the reefs and islands.
Smallmouth bass will need another few weeks of steadily warming water to get active on the reefs. Anglers will score first with jigs and tube pulled over the reefs and rock piles.
Those who prefer live bait fishing, and those who expect to travel across interstate and international boundaries will need to know about compliance with the new federal regulations. They prohibit movement of live minnows and game species across the borders.
Stopping the spread
The intent is to stop the spread of a fish disease known as viral hemorrhagic septicemia.
It basically means that anglers who might catch fish in waters of another state or Canadian province cannot bring them back across the border alive.
Tournaments will be affected, for sure, as contenders often criss-cross Lake Erie in search of winning limits. Tournament organizations are studying the regulations before announcing whether competitors will be limited to the waters of the state or province where the tournament starts and finishes.
Anglers who buy minnows also cannot transport them into another state or province, which will restrict the fishing waters of those who prefer to toss live bait.
The ban extends to all of the Great Lakes. States that are affected are Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Illinois and Indiana. Canada's Ontario and Quebec also are included.
Several state wildlife departments have said the federal fish-transportation ban caught them by surprise. Some state officials have said federal authorities had asked for their input, but they were not aware the restrictions were coming and thus not prepared to judge the impact on their own local fisheries.
The angling community has been abuzz in the past week with commentary on the regulations, and it's almost certain that as situations arise this season, the debate will continue to bubble.
jwwollitz@aol.com