WCO Report & Photo for Erie County 05/23/2007: Erie area, PA,
WCO Report Posted: May 23, 2007

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Posted by DWCO Randy Leighton on May 23, 2007 at 08:32:17:

May 23rd, 2007

West Erie County, DWCO Randy Leighton, WCO Brook Tolbert

Conditions:

Photo: 6 LB. 5 OZ, 21 1/2" Smallmouth brought into the Walnut Creek Access

Smallmouth fishing in Presque Isle Bay and along the shoreline east of the Erie Channel has been good to spectacular. Anglers targeting bass have been doing well close to shore off of International Paper in 12 to 15' of water. Caution should be used in shallow water anywhere along the lakeshore due to large submerged rocks and scattered wreckage. Anglers have been doing well in Presque Isle bay at near the end of the Peninsula both from boat and along the shoreline. Fish in the 4-6 LB. range have been caught with 2 and 3 LB. fish being the norm. Salted tubes on weighted jigs are the very popular with pumpkin seed, chartreuse, purple, and the brown shades being most popular. Carolina rigs fished off the bottom will work well too. When the fish are finicky, try changing to your crank baits in chartreuse and silver. Rattle Traps (The weighted type) are a good all around crank bait and can be found in a variety of colors. Current creel limit and size for bass on Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay and the Tributaries is 1 fish with a minimum size limit of 20" through June 15th with regular bass season beginning on June 16th at which time the limit for Lake Erie, Presque Isle Bay, and the Tributaries will then change to 4 fish with a minimum size limit of 15"

Pike angling has been been fair to good in and around Presque Isle. Not many fish put up a better fight pound for pound. Presque Isle Bay offers some of the best Pike fishing in the country with plenty of trophies waiting to be caught. Pike generally aren't too fussy...generally anything shiny will attract their attention. Silver flatfish lures and chrome rattle traps are great choices. Pike also love live shiners (the larger, the better) suspended under a float. Strong line or a steel leader is a good idea to keep their razor sharp teeth from snapping your line.
The area in front of the Chestnut Street launch and outside the Cherry Street Marina have been hot Pike spots.

Current Lake Erie Water Temperature as of this writing is 58 degrees off Toledo, 55 degrees off Cleveland and 50 degrees off the Port of Erie.

Boating:
Even though the Lake temperature is still hovering in the low to mid fifties, eager boaters are expected to be out in good numbers for the upcoming holiday weekend and who can blame them with the long winter we've endured. With cold water temperatures, proper safety equipment is most important this time of year and boaters are reminded to assure that their vessel is properly equipped. Its often easy to forget how cold the Lake can be on a sunny spring day and current temperatures are still cold enough to cause a quick onset of hypothermia. PFBC Officers will be actively checking for proper safety equipment this holiday weekend. Be sure those PFD's are at least with in arm's reach as required by regulation, or better yet put them on. Have a safe Holiday weekend on the water.

If You Plan On Eating That Catch: 1) Fresh fish is best. If you are able to enjoy at least part of your catch before freezing, it will taste better. If you are freezing your fish, pat it dry and double wrap it. I personally do not believe in freezing whole fish in ice. Fish frozen in ice may become water logged as it thaws which will adversely affect cooking and taste. (Freezing fillets in ice will however, keep fish fresh longer in the freezer.)

2) Be extremely careful not to overcook the fish. Fish are delicate. Do not cook your fillets too long or at too high a temperature. This will make the fish tough and rubbery. Cook the fish only until it flakes easily at the touch of a fork. Fish cooks much faster than most people realize.

3) If you are going to batter fry the fish, always make sure the batter is cold and the fish are patted dry. Cold batter will prevent the fish from absorbing too much oil. Also, make sure the oil is hot. This can be done by
dropping in a small piece of bread or batter in. It should brown within a minute.

4) To keep fried fish crispier while cooking, put the cooked fish in a warm oven on a wire rack over a paper towel-lined plate.

5) Never be afraid to experiment with different recipes. Try changing the seasonings to the liking of your personal taste.

6) Spend the extra time making sure no bones remain in your fillets. Nothing puts off the appetite more quickly than finding bones in your fish. (Just ask my wife and kids)

7) Leftover fish? Cut it into bite sized pieces and add it to a salad or have it cold with cocktail sauce.

8) Try the microwave if you're dieting. Fish cooks quickly and tastes great with just lemon juice and seasoning.Watch the fish carefully, the microwave cooks it quick.

9) Basting lean fish such as walleye and bass when broiling will help keep them from drying out.

Local Weather: Wednesday Night Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. Southeast winds 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Mostly sunny. Highs around 80. Southwest winds 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s. South winds 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s. Chance of rain 40 percent.

Friday Night Mostly cloudy in the evening...Then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.

Saturday Mostly sunny. Highs around 70.

Saturday Night Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the lower 50s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the lower 70s. Chance of rain 50 percent.

Sunday Night Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Lows in the mid 50s. Chance of rain 30 percent.

Memorial Day Partly sunny. Highs around 70.

Monday Night Mostly cloudy in the evening...Then becoming partly cloudy. Lows in the lower 50s.

Tuesday Mostly sunny. Highs around 70.




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