Lake Erie Forecast

[jhjimbo]

Lake Erie has an estimated 40 million Walleye

https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-lea...alleye-Fishing

[MattM37]

That's a lotta cheek meat!

[Danbo]

It seems Walleye are doing well everywhere the last 5 years. Oneida ,Chataqua, Schroom lake , Eastern basin of Lake Ontario, a couple of the finger lakes and of course the St Lawrence river.

I wonder if it's a cycle thing like Grouse. In Oneida the Smallmouth fishing is still great but not what it used to be same in Ontario.

Opening of Walleye is next Sunday May First , I bet some of you can guess where I'll be.

[jhjimbo]

It seems Walleye are doing well everywhere the last 5 years. Oneida ,Chataqua, Schroom lake , Eastern basin of Lake Ontario, a couple of the finger lakes and of course the St Lawrence river.

I wonder if it's a cycle thing like Grouse. In Oneida the Smallmouth fishing is still great but not what it used to be same in Ontario.

Opening of Walleye is next Sunday May First , I bet some of you can guess where I'll be.

I spent a week at Schroon Lake when I was in my 20's and almost went crazy. No radio (except French), no TV. Fishing was o.k. but we did not appreciate the bears coming around looking for a handout.

The State contributes the large record numbers of different class Walleye to particularly favorable hatches for some 5 or 6 years in a row - no big storms, etc. They estimate the great Walleye fishing will last for 5 to 8 more years before going back to normal size hatches. If I remember, the numbers, their drag net usually has about 25 Walley per Hector, the recent drag nets are catching 350+ Walley.

Google Port Clinton,Ohio for info on charter boats or head boats.

Here is a good article
Unfortunately Canada hammers the perch so it is slow.
https://midwestoutdoors.com/fishing/...ye-population/

https://www.bing.com/search?q=ohio+w...14bbfcf661b8ae

[jhjimbo]

I got my boat to the marina today and noticed the Lake is low, maybe a foot low. Unusual for this time of year as we have had a lot of rain. Perhaps there has been several days of a good West wind. That would push water East toward Buffalo.
A few years ago a friend had his 36' boat sitting on the bottom in the marina as a steady wind pushed all the water to Buffalo. Amazing how it can do that. The Western end of the Lake is shallow, maybe an average depth of 30 to 40'. The Eastern end goes up to 250'.
In years past I remember low water times as being particularly good fishing.

[Danbo]

I got my boat to the marina today and noticed the Lake is low, maybe a foot low. Unusual for this time of year as we have had a lot of rain. Perhaps there has been several days of a good West wind. That would push water East toward Buffalo.
A few years ago a friend had his 36' boat sitting on the bottom in the marina as a steady wind pushed all the water to Buffalo. Amazing how it can do that. The Western end of the Lake is shallow, maybe an average depth of 30 to 40'. The Eastern end goes up to 250'.
In years past I remember low water times as being particularly good fishing.

Did you fish ?

[MattM37]

I saw a good many boats on the road this past weekend. The rivers were getting fished pretty hard, too, mostly trout fishermen enjoying the nice weather after the cold and windy April. We were warm enough for blackflies, just when I thought we might get another week before they showed up. Turkey hunting was fun enough, a few gobbles, one solid back-and-forth with a tom over on the neighbor's property -- I had him going pretty good but wasn't surprised when he didn't bridge the gap, there's a fairly wide marsh along their side of the fenceline in that stretch. It surely didn't stop him physically but gobblers often seem to hang up at any kind of defined barrier, even when it's something they could easily cross. Or who knows, I mighta just rubbed him the wrong way.

Another couple weeks of trout fishing and I'll be looking forward to river walleye and smallies.
Bought a couple of packs of tube-jigs and black-and-yellow Beetle Spin this morning at Walmart, in fact.

[jhjimbo]

I saw a good many boats on the road this past weekend. The rivers were getting fished pretty hard, too, mostly trout fishermen enjoying the nice weather after the cold and windy April. We were warm enough for blackflies, just when I thought we might get another week before they showed up. Turkey hunting was fun enough, a few gobbles, one solid back-and-forth with a tom over on the neighbor's property -- I had him going pretty good but wasn't surprised when he didn't bridge the gap, there's a fairly wide marsh along their side of the fenceline in that stretch. It surely didn't stop him physically but gobblers often seem to hang up at any kind of defined barrier, even when it's something they could easily cross. Or who knows, I mighta just rubbed him the wrong way.

Another couple weeks of trout fishing and I'll be looking forward to river walleye and smallies.
Bought a couple of packs of tube-jigs and black-and-yellow Beetle Spin this morning at Walmart, in fact.

When I fished Oneida Lake, Sylvan Beach I used a 3/4 oz jig with a yellow feather skirt. Tied on the treble was another treble with a part of a crawler. The fish seemed to always hit short and get the trailer. About 15 - 20 feet and jig off bottom around the edge of weed beds.

Lake Erie I use ErieDeries, count down cast with a crawler to about 16 to 18 up until about 11am. then too much light and they go deeper or all the way and sit on the bottom. My record for limit is 45min in about 25' of water 9am.

[MattM37]

I've always found the lake walleye rigs interesting. Those Erie Dearies are just plain weird but I know they catch fish. My only walleye fishing is small river, practically small stream in some cases. They're getting up into the headwaters of rivers around here, where you used to only catch trout, even in streams with good smallmouth populations further down. Pretty much anything you use for trout will occasionally get a walleye (I got a 20-incher one time on a tiny Rooster Tail spinner retrieved along a brush-lined riffle). When I go after walleyes specifically, I usually go with crawdad-colored tube jigs or bucktails; shallow-running craw colored crankbaits; and floating Rapalas at dusk. The number-one jig in my experience, on my favorite river which is rocky-bottomed and mostly shallow and fast-moving, is a light brown with streaks of orange or green. I get them on black and purple ones, too.

[jhjimbo]

The two guys have 3 limits. The fish on the floor are mine. I looked at this boat last year. Retired Charter Captain selling very reasonable - probably all written off on his taxes. Sport Craft are very popular on Erie - Captains usually have a '6 pack' license for 6 passengers + mate and Captain means 8 limits possible.

The idea of walleye in with the trout, won't that kill off the trout?

[MattM37]

The two guys have 3 limits. The fish on the floor are mine. I looked at this boat last year. Retired Charter Captain selling very reasonable - probably all written off on his taxes. Sport Craft are very popular on Erie - Captains usually have a '6 pack' license for 6 passengers + mate and Captain means 8 limits possible.

The idea of walleye in with the trout, won't that kill off the trout?

I'm sure the ones in there do eat plenty of small trout. So far we're still catching lots of trout, though. The two rivers in question get stocked with browns. No stocking of brookies, and it does seem like the upper reaches where I used to catch lots of brookies does have fewer now, but can't really say; I haven't fished them enough lately to really make an educated guess.

Still seems like the habitat -- faster moving, shaded riffles and pocket water -- is much better suited to the brookies. The walleyes up there are most likely marauders and not residents, in my opinion.

[Danbo]

I'm sure the ones in there do eat plenty of small trout. So far we're still catching lots of trout, though. The two rivers in question get stocked with browns. No stocking of brookies, and it does seem like the upper reaches where I used to catch lots of brookies does have fewer now, but can't really say; I haven't fished them enough lately to really make an educated guess.

Still seems like the habitat -- faster moving, shaded riffles and pocket water -- is much better suited to the brookies. The walleyes up there are most likely marauders and not residents, in my opinion.

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/outdo...fter-dark.html

Seems like walleyes are doing well everywhere.
I may have to go there tonight.

[MattM37]

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/outdo...fter-dark.html

Seems like walleyes are doing well everywhere.
I may have to go there tonight.

I was just looking at that. And the 24-pound gobbler!

[Danbo]

I was just looking at that. And the 24-pound gobbler!

I was on a boat Sunday evening on Oneida and a buddy called and said he was catching them from a shoreline hot spot. I went there and caught three .

It's really better from shore right now.


What do you think of this feather stone as the outdoor writer?
I think he is doing a better job than Figura and might be more pro hunting.

Did you see his story on the youth hunt at the Truxton general store?

I plan on Turkey hunting and camping down that way this weekend and will definitely stop there for lunch.

[Danbo]

https://www.newyorkupstate.com/outdo...loodsport.html


Here is one of his articles on a coyote hunt up by me