deetch Posted August 3, 2016 Report Share Posted August 3, 2016 i have been fishing walleye on Erie for years and have never witnessed fishing this bad, not just the fishing but also I am not marking fish. Is it a bad cycle, is it the warm winter, the fish need to be somewhere? Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiverRuns Posted August 3, 2016 Report Share Posted August 3, 2016 I don't know much about the walleye fishing in Erie, but last year I remember the lake O guys believed they were in the salmon apocalypse because they couldn't hook any fish in the western part of Lake Ontario; this year they are doing fine...fish seem to cycle...if fishing is poor year after year, then it's time to worry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplummer Posted August 3, 2016 Report Share Posted August 3, 2016 I know of guys doing great but the walleye do travel more towards Nanicoke this time of the year. Jigging off bottom works great when you mark them. They do tend to be smaller jigging them like 2-6 lbs. Give it a try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deetch Posted August 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2016 Cliff this time of year the walleye should be SW of the weather bouy, they have always schooled there. Yes Nanicoke is good fishing but I am more concerned about the "usual" spots that produce year after year. Why is this year so different? I also know they are slaying them in Erieau but I am talking about Eastern basin Walleye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREYHAWK Posted August 3, 2016 Report Share Posted August 3, 2016 One theory I have heard, uses winter conditions. If winters are severe walleye fishing in the Eastern basin will be very good. Witness last year's phenomenal success. Obviously, the opposite suggests a poor season, as is the case this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted August 3, 2016 Report Share Posted August 3, 2016 Nets were mentioned earlier .....anyone know how many eyes they are hauling in compared to other years ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deetch Posted August 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2016 Smerch, whatever it is it is too much we need to get these guys off the Lake. If the US can do it why can't we! We need to save our fishery. If it keeps going this years walleye fishing will be the norm. What can we do guys to get the ball rolling any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom S Posted August 4, 2016 Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 46 minutes ago, deetch said: Smerch, whatever it is it is too much we need to get these guys off the Lake. If the US can do it why can't we! We need to save our fishery. If it keeps going this years walleye fishing will be the norm. What can we do guys to get the ball rolling any ideas? Seriously? You have a bad year and you want to start pointing fingers at the people who make their living fishing those waters? There's no reason that a lake the size of Erie can't support a commercial fishery. The lakes have been far from stable the last number of years. Water level was down, water level is back up, winter so cold the entire lake freezes, then a winter so warm that we don't really get ice. Fish are going to move and change habits when things like that happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deetch Posted August 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 Yes I am serious, it is not because I am having a bad year I understand every year can't be great. Why did the US do it? Because they had nothing else better to do? Getting rid of commercial fishing will only help the fishery. If you support commercial fishing than I respect your position. All I am saying is that commercial fishing is hindering our fishery not helping it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom S Posted August 4, 2016 Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 The US chose sport fishing over commercial fisheries, and without support it died off due to various causes. I"m not going to say that commercial fishing is good for the lake, but seeing as how it's a shallow, warm lake and a fish factory compared to the other great lakes I think it can easily sustain a managed harvest. Mismanagement by the US is no reason for us to shut down our fishery as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted August 4, 2016 Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 I don't know all that much about the state of the walleye fishery in Lake Erie , but because Erie borders both countries , we should be on the same page for the benefit of both countries . The American sport fishermen must get a little perplexed (pissed off) when they stock the lake and hear about our commercial fishery netting some of those fish , especially if their sport fishing is showing signs with smaller numbers . And I agree that the extreme weather temperatures we have seen over the last 3 years has an effect on the fish ....add in a few chemicals , algae , etc. Some of my best bass spots are not worth fishing this year ...or last year , and I can only attribute that to these extreme weather patterns . edited.....I need to check my spelling better going to press...... "stalk" lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveC Posted August 4, 2016 Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 My brother did really well last week out of Port Burwell. They hooked a bunch of walleye, steelhead, and silver bass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tombo Posted August 4, 2016 Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 Sport fishing brings more money into our economy than commercial fishing. Period!! Its a no brainer! The needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few!! The better the fishing, the more money that will be spent on sport fishing! I feel for those few that would lose thier livelyhood, however the number of jobs gained would be considerably higher! At the very least, there should be no commercial fishing within 20 or 30 miles of highly populated areas. Just my $.02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snags Posted August 4, 2016 Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 If you guys are this passionate you need to convey your thoughts to the MNR and the provincial government, but based on a few angler opinions as opposed to an industry that will say how many pounds of fish they have taken every day, it will be an easy argument by the industry Since it is opinion against fact. This would probably be something the Toronto Sun wouldenjoy fighting on your behalf. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner-2 Posted August 4, 2016 Report Share Posted August 4, 2016 http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2016/05/22/Walleye-Whereabouts-What-is-cutting-into-the-catch-on-Lake-Erie/stories/201605220124 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrwrm Posted August 5, 2016 Report Share Posted August 5, 2016 thanks for posting that Gunner, and now about the bass Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonthill Posted August 6, 2016 Report Share Posted August 6, 2016 I would like to know how much of the fish harvested actually makes it to market in Canada . I've heard numbers like 90% is exported and that was from an MNR officer . With the US dollar what it is and that fact they have no commercial fishery to supply there market ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim K Posted August 8, 2016 Report Share Posted August 8, 2016 I think we tend to blame ourselves, our fishing community, a bit too much at times. In the case of the lake Erie walleye and perch fishery, though,I would have to agree. Commercial fishing aside, there were times the past few seasons when I could see 100 or more boats out walleye fishing. the same for perch. Not everyone was killing them, but it was good fishing. If those boats averaged 6 fish, That's 600 fish a day coming off the eastern end. you can do the same sort of math with perch. Sure, It's a big lake, but taking maybe 8 thousand walleye off of this end a year might not be sustainable I am seeing some of this years bass hatch on my last few dives, and that's a good sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 8, 2016 Report Share Posted August 8, 2016 Another angle to consider is the various pollutants that Lake Erie is exposed to.In the US the Smallmouth populations have been decimated in the Susquehanna (once world class Smallie destination) and Shenandoah rivers.These are large tributaries draining vast amounts of land.The cause of these fish kills have been a combination of various threats.You have the fertilizer phosphorous run offs from farming.When farm animals poop in the fields their waste is not processed and eventually run off in to the water ways.Now you have endocrine disrupters (e.g.. estrogen and other pharmaceuticals) that aren't filtered 100% through processed waste.This plays havoc with the reproductive abilities of the fish species...Sometimes leading to asexual fish..You can find all the information you need by Googling the Susquehanna river bass crisis.Which really should be a warning to what can happen in all water ways... The only bass I did catch in Lake Erie on the opener had the black mottled patches that is right off the pages of the Susquehanna crisis, as a Bass that is diseased from environmental factors....Then there is the Algae bloom dead zone growing in the south western basin of Lake Erie,which can be viewed from satellite ....Lets talk about the Lake Erie Steelhead returns or should I say lack of any both NY and Canadian sides.Yes, WE SHOULD BE VERY CONCERNED. Did you know that the Grand river has a high level of artificial sweeteners....just another example of chemicals that are not extracted from the waste water...I believe the article states "the highest levels in surface water recorded any where in the world".Just one of many tribs flowing in to Lake Erie... http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0082706 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted August 8, 2016 Report Share Posted August 8, 2016 I just spent 10 min.replying to this thread ....hit an emoticon , and poof ....my post disappeared ...... good fishing . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin Posted August 8, 2016 Report Share Posted August 8, 2016 A lot of alarmist responses to this on here. Lake Erie is a gigantic lake. Some years the fish use certain areas of it, and a lot of times those areas are the same year in and year out. But once in a while, you have different conditions, which this year IS. The regular June pattern for walleye was completely off. Fish were still hanging on or near spawning shoals when they should have been 10 miles offshore. Next to no rain all spring, no runoff, no quick surface warming from that runoff. Now, a heat wave and drought that has the surface temp down below 80ft. The traditional summer locations are bath water. Back to the 100 boats comment. Just take a look on Lake Erie and you'll see those 100 boats all smack right in the same spot trying to create fish when there are none there. Many guys are reluctant to pick up and leave to find fish because they've been in that spot other years. I heard boat after boat complain of no perch off Abino this year, yet they all tied up in a giant raft right there again anyway. The overall harvest of Lake Erie is calculated by both the US and Canadian side (TAC aka...Total Allowable Catch). They take into consideration the total catch of commercial fishing, and the estimated angler effort. Even though almost all sports fishermen hate the commercial fishing and total harvest amounts (including me), it's actually a contributing factor to why this lake is as good as it is. Without it, there would be a population explosion and a bait crash. After that, the fish go down. That lake is all one big machine, and the guys who are paid the big bucks watch it closely to try to keep that balance. If you google "Erie walleye population decline" this exact topic has come up every year. Just look at the posts, articles, responses, etc. It all depends on what part of the lake you're on. The east end is a very small portion of the overall lake. There's still lots of fish being caught by those who work for them. The only change I've noticed this year is the fish are on the move much quicker and aren't hanging out in one area very long. It's frustrating when other years you can just sit on them all summer. A hefty limit with no slot is not an indication of a population problem. When the professionals feel there is an issue, that would be the first change and first indication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted August 9, 2016 Report Share Posted August 9, 2016 An interesting read.......... http://archive.onearth.org/article/lake-erie-death-watch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brookie slayer Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 Good read.... Erie holds only 2% of all great lakes water yet has 50% of its fish..... amazing stat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveC Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 On 2016-08-08 at 11:01 AM, Dave said: Another angle to consider is the various pollutants that Lake Erie is exposed to.In the US the Smallmouth populations have been decimated in the Susquehanna (once world class Smallie destination) and Shenandoah rivers.These are large tributaries draining vast amounts of land.The cause of these fish kills have been a combination of various threats.You have the fertilizer phosphorous run offs from farming.When farm animals poop in the fields their waste is not processed and eventually run off in to the water ways.Now you have endocrine disrupters (e.g.. estrogen and other pharmaceuticals) that aren't filtered 100% through processed waste.This plays havoc with the reproductive abilities of the fish species...Sometimes leading to asexual fish..You can find all the information you need by Googling the Susquehanna river bass crisis.Which really should be a warning to what can happen in all water ways... The only bass I did catch in Lake Erie on the opener had the black mottled patches that is right off the pages of the Susquehanna crisis, as a Bass that is diseased from environmental factors....Then there is the Algae bloom dead zone growing in the south western basin of Lake Erie,which can be viewed from satellite ....Lets talk about the Lake Erie Steelhead returns or should I say lack of any both NY and Canadian sides.Yes, WE SHOULD BE VERY CONCERNED. Did you know that the Grand river has a high level of artificial sweeteners....just another example of chemicals that are not extracted from the waste water...I believe the article states "the highest levels in surface water recorded any where in the world".Just one of many tribs flowing in to Lake Erie... http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0082706 Very good points, and well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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